B/R's 2026 All-NBA Summer League 1st and 2nd Teams
Starring at NBA summer league isn't easy.
The rosters are quickly assembled, and the play style can be chaotic. And if a player is too dominant, they'll get shut down ahead of any recognized coronation.
That doesn't mean an All-NBA Summer League hopeful must log every second of action, but a couple games might not cut it. All 10 selections from last season made at least three appearances on the summer circuit, which could hurt current candidates like Will Riley, AJ Dybantsa, Morez Johnson Jr. and Joan Beringer here, since their body of work might wind up too narrow for consideration.
As for the players who will meet our completely arbitrary cutoff, let's fill up the two All-NBA Summer League with 10 summer standouts.
Second Team
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Egor Dëmin, Brooklyn Nets
It's been close to a best-case scenario summer for Dëmin, despite the fact that the three-ball that treated him so well as a rookie has largely abandoned him (28.9 percent). He not only looks too good for this environment—the Nets have won his floor time by 23 minutes—he is flashing real skill enhancements, like using his added bulk to probe into the paint and get to the foul line.
Allen Graves, Toronto Raptors
Graves was a statistical star in college; he was also a reserve at Santa Clara, so it was fair to wonder how much those numbers might translate to the NBA. While acknolwedging the "it's only summer league" disclaimer, so far so good on that front. His overstuffed summer line includes 16.8 points on 51/50/100 shooting, 6.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 3.3 stocks (steals plus blocks).
Liam McNeeley, Charlotte Hornets
Injuries and perimeter crowding kept McNeeley from finding a consistent role as a rookie, but the now LaMelo Ball-less Hornets might look his direction for scoring and shooting support. If his scorcing run in Sin City is any indication, he could supply plenty, as he's averaging 21.7 points while splashing better than 52 percent of his long-range looks.
Darryn Peterson, Utah Jazz
Peterson has gone through some peaks and valleys over his two summer stops, but there have been enough offense (23 points, 5.2 assists) and highlights to reserve a second team spot for the second overall pick. His rim attacks and playmaking have been encouraging—even if he turned it over too much—after not showing either skill much during his stop-and-go season at Kansas.
Zyon Pullin, Minnesota Timberwolves
Undrafted out of Florida in 2024, Pullin is searching for stability in his NBA career. It'd be hyperbolic to suggest he just found it in one summer league session, but he is clearly doing everything he can to convince the Timberwolves to keep him around. They might at least consider a more firm commitment to him than his two-way contract as he's pumping in an efficient 21.8 points (45.3 percent overall, 36.4 from three) to go along with 7.8 assists (against just 2.5 turnovers) and 5.0 rebounds.
First Team: Cameron Boozer, Memphis Grizzlies
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Watching Cameron Boozer this summer might've left you wondering why the NBA felt the need to let a polished, seasoned pro routinely demolish newbies with feel, fundamentals and force. Until you remembered, of course, that Boozer is a newbie himself—and a just-turned-19-years-old one at that.
His skill set almost defies logic given his age. He has a few physical limitations, but his bag is bursting at the seams. He isn't the flashiest player you'll find, but this has been functional domination: 18.8 points on 55.4 percent shooting (47.6 percent from three), 7.8 rebounds, 4.2 steals and two stocks.
"I felt like Boozer put up the probably most translatable tape to actual NBA games of any of the top prospects," The Athletic's Sam Vecenie wrote. "... Boozer's game was much more structurally sound in that he consistently made the right decisions while also continually threatening defenses."
Boozer has shown a little of everything, from ball-handling finesse on the perimeter up to brute force on the interior. He has also been—as he's always been—simply a winner, as the Grizzlies have outscored their opponents by 21 points with him on the floor across six outings between Vegas and Salt Lake City.
First Team: Brayden Burries, Milwaukee Bucks
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Leading up to the draft, Braden Burries was routinely lauded for his ability to impact winning right away. There were also some quiet questions about what level of upside he offered, almost being treated as a floor-over-ceiling prospect despite being a one-and-done freshman.
Well, the No. 10 pick has certainly showcased that trademark polish, but he also pushed back against those questions about his potential.
His star has arguably shined as bright as any in Las Vegas, where he has averaged 22.3 points on 50 percent shooting (44.4 percent from deep) while tallying 12 total assists against a single turnover in three contests. Mistakes are seemingly unavoidable in Sin City, yet he managed to be an almost error-free presence on the hardwood.
Some scouts and analysts, it's worth noting, did wonder aloud about what Burries might do with more on-ball opportunities than he handled at Arizona. While the Bucks may not have a ton to offer right away, they certainly have reasons to consider the possibility.
First Team: Khaman Maluach, Phoenix Suns
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With the celebrated and wildly anticipated 2026 draft class largely living up to the billing, rookies are unsurprisingly well represented on this first team.
But credit Suns sophomore Khaman Maluach, last summer's 10th overall pick, for ensuring this wouldn't be a freshman-only outfit.
Phoenix slowplayed the 7-footer as a rookie, which made sense given how raw he appeared coming out of college. That option might be off the table already, though, given the apparent magnitude of the growth in his game.
Besides pumping in 19.5 points on 53.2 percent shooting and grabbing a Vegas-best 12.8 boards per game, Maluach showcased his unicorn blend of shot-blocking and floor spacing. In four games (all double-doubles, by the way), he actually had an identical number of blocks and triples (eight apiece), plus a 40 percent splash rate from long distance.
First Team: Meleek Thomas, Cleveland Cavaliers
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When is it actually too early to fire up a way-too-early re-draft? Because a lot of front offices must already be living with regret after somehow letting Meleek Thomas fall all the way to this year's 34th pick.
Thomas has been a true fire-baller on the summer circuit. He's not only pacing all players in points (28.3 per outing), he is doing so while posting a pristine 50/45.8/100 shooting slash line. Oh, and these scoring outbursts are unlike any we've ever seen from a freshman summer leaguer:
Thomas isn't just getting buckets, by the way. He's also more than doubling his turnovers (1.7) with assists (4.3). And winning back some possessions for his team with 2.3 steals per tilt.
He is an all-purpose shotmaker with handles, shiftiness, vision, creativity and unwavering confidence. While the Cavs have kicked around the idea of trading Dennis Schröder for financial flexibility, maybe the real motivation is clearing the runway for Thomas' takeoff.
First Team: Caleb Wilson, Chicago Bulls
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Of all the dominance displayed in Las Vegas, Caleb Wilson's might have been the most encouraging. His explosive athleticism and competitive ferocity were established skills that were supposed to pop, and they definitely did.
What wasn't at all expected, though, was Wilson firing up 31 threes and connecting on 41.9 percent of them. The results were obviously awesome, but he flashed some mechnical improvements that could give this success some sustainability. And considering his shooting was long viewed as one of the single biggest swing skills in this draft class, this could be the kind of improvement that one day reverberates across the Association.
"I'm glad I didn't shoot threes in college because if I did I wouldn't be here," Wilson, who went No. 4 to Chicago, told reporters.
Wilson had his share of turnover trouble (5.3 per outing) and struggled with his foul shots (6-of-18), so it wasn't a perfect showing, but summer-league happenings rarely are. You're just looking for eye-openers, and Wilson authored as many of those as anyone.
