2026 NBA Rookies Already Looking Like Draft Steals at Summer League

We're only through the opening weekend of the NBA's Las Vegas Summer League, but we've already seen enough evidence there, at the California Classic and at Salt Lake City's summer league to dispense some takes.

Several of the incoming rookies are already looking like potential steals, based on where they were taken.

And we're here to clue you in on all of them.

Ryan Conwell

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Age was undoubtedly one of the reasons Ryan Conwell had to wait till the 37th pick to hear his name called in the draft. Playing for four different teams in his four years in college probably didn't help either.

But his slide could end up being the Miami Heat's gain, because he already looks like a potential heat-check scorer off the bench.

In four summer games (three in California and one in Vegas), Conwell has put up 20.5 points in 29.3 minutes.

His efficiency (41.7 percent from the field and 30.6 percent from deep) leaves something to be desired, but Conwell is creating good shots for himself. The making could certainly become more consistent with more NBA reps.

Yaxel Lendeborg

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Yaxel Lendeborg didn't fall as far as Conwell, but age surely pushed him outside the top 10 picks.

Lendeborg was the best player for a national champion, but his 24th birthday coming before opening night of his rookie season likely scared some teams off.

Because of that, the Golden State Warriors may already have their successor to Draymond Green.

Lendeborg, like Green, has a point-guard feel for the game in a power forward's frame. Unlike Green, he may develop into a reliable jump shooter.

In three total appearances this summer, he's put up a whopping and well-rounded 17.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.0 blocks and 0.7 steals in just 24.6 minutes.

Cameron Carr

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He hasn't done much in the ancillary categories (like rebounds and assists), but Cameron Carr has had some jumps-off-the-screen moments as a driver and shooter.

He's listed at 6'5", but an over-seven-foot wingspan helps him play a lot longer. That, along with his ball-handling fluidity, could make him an effective slasher and finisher much earlier than expected.

But the skill that could really help him crack L.A.'s rotation is his outside shooting. Carr's smooth release helped him shoot 37.4 percent from deep at Baylor, and he's already hit 10 triples in under 100 minutes in these summer contests.

Cameron Boozer

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There might not be a single weakness in Cameron Boozer's game.

Some might point out a lack of athleticism, but he's certainly no more limited there than three-time MVP Nikola Jokić. And like Jokić, the skill level from Boozer is so high that it's getting increasingly difficult to imagine an athleticism deficit mattering.

Boozer is very advanced as a passer and ball-handler for a 6'9" player. He has a deeper reservoir of post moves than most of the NBA's current power forwards and centers. And he can shoot threes, too.

The wide range of skills and abilities helped him lead the NCAA in box plus/minus last season, and it's helping him quietly dominate this summer, too.

In three total games (two in Salt Lake and one in Vegas), he's put up 18.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.0 assists in just 26.3 minutes, while shooting 6-of-9 from three and 7-of-8 from the free-throw line.

Caleb Wilson

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For seemingly this entire draft cycle, there was a clear top three of AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson and Boozer. All three had their acolytes arguing that they should go No. 1, and outside of a few brave souls willing to step outside the box, Caleb Wilson was almost never mentioned among them.

The consensus was that he had a chance to be a great fourth pick, but he was never seriously discussed as more than that.

Well, that perception may be shifting already.

Wilson's debut in Vegas may have been the single-best individual performance anyone has had this summer.

He went for 35 points on 12-of-21 shooting, blocked three shots and had two steals. Most alarmingly, he made seven threes (his total from his entire freshman year at North Carolina).

Now, Wilson didn't grab many rebounds, and he had six turnovers and zero assists. But there was a fluidity to his scoring that we didn't see a ton of in college.

There were hints it might be there, but it always seemed like it'd take a while to develop. Realistically, Wilson was going to be impactful with his absurd athleticism early. Stardom would be reached if he added skill.

What this week's performance suggests is that he's a lot closer on that second step than we realized. And if he's already ready to play like a small forward on offense, the Bulls may have snagged a future perennial All-Star outside this summer's vaunted top three.