The beauty of the NBA Summer League is seeing budding stars play just weeks after being drafted. The biggest downside is not being able to see them — or the rest of your fantasy basketball team — in action for three months after the circuit concludes.
Watching the incredibly talented top four picks in AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer and Caleb Wilson play so well was a treat. The same can be said for unheralded players like Emanuel Sharpe, Meleek Thomas and Bruce Thornton.
Summer League production means very little for the careers of these young players, but there is something to be said for their exhibitions of processing and feel. With that, let’s cover some of the biggest winners of this year’s NBA Summer League.
2026 NBA Summer League Winners (Fantasy Basketball)
Yaxel Lendeborg (F – GSW)
In the span of four months, Yaxel Lendeborg won the Big Ten Player of the Year award, helped Michigan win the 2026 Men’s NCAA Tournament, was drafted 10th overall by the Golden State Warriors and captured the NBA Summer League MVP. All of this for someone who was playing community college basketball just over three years ago.
Lendeborg did what we’ve come to expect of the 6-foot-9, 23-year-old forward during Summer League play: Everything. He posted 14.8 points, 6.8 rebounds and four assists through six games. In the championship game against Cameron Boozer and Memphis, Lendeborg recorded 21 points, 10 rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Looking to the upcoming NBA season, it’s difficult to imagine Lendeborg not having a sizable role for Golden State as Jimmy Butler recovers from ACL surgery. Lendeborg projects as one of the most fantasy basketball-relevant rookies considering his versatility and team situation.
Memphis Grizzlies
Despite coming up short in the championship game, the Grizzlies are still massive winners. With the Desmond Bane, Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. era in the rearview, Memphis is giving the keys to Cameron Boozer, Cedric Coward, Zach Edey and plenty of other lottery picks — many of whom played big roles during Summer League.
Boozer, an early favorite for Rookie of the Year, handled himself well against NBA competition over the last two weeks. He averaged 18.5 points, eight rebounds and 3.7 assists per game on the way to an All-Summer League First Team selection.
Coward, last year’s 11th overall pick, played a surprising amount during Summer League considering his talent and production as a rookie. Coward was one of the only players from either of last season’s All-Rookie teams to play for their summer squad. Unsurprisingly, he killed it, with averages of 19 points, seven rebounds and four assists.
Boozer and Coward, along with Edey, who needs to stay healthy, are all poised for solid fantasy seasons as the pillars of the Grizzlies’ franchise.
Caleb Wilson (F – CHI)
No matter how you feel about Summer League basketball, getting your first taste of NBA action and setting the record for points in a debut is impressive.
Caleb Wilson went for 35 points on 7-of-11 three-point shooting and put the NBA on notice that seemed impossible for a Summer League debutant.
Again, as opposed to production, process is far more translatable to the NBA when analyzing Summer League performances. Wilson attempted just 27 threes in his lone season at North Carolina and, funnily enough, made seven. Wilson having the confidence to put up 11 attempts is just as pleasing as his seven makes.
Wilson won’t come close to those numbers when his rookie season tips off, but after his Summer League exhibitions, something like four or five attempts per game seems attainable.
Khaman Maluach (C – PHX)
Khaman Maluach ended last season as one of the least discussed top-10 picks from the 2025 rookie class. Simply put, he just didn’t play much. The Duke product spent all year stuck behind Oso Ighodaro, Nick Richards and Mark Williams before getting just a hint of run in the final parts of the season.
Maluach averaged 19.5 points, 12.8 rebounds, 3.3 stocks (steals plus blocks) and shot 40% from deep through four Summer League games. The rebounding and defense are givens, but the scoring and shooting are exciting bonuses. Advanced analytics like him, too. Phoenix was 6.4 points per 100 possessions better when he was on the floor in his freshman campaign.
Maluach was expected to be a project early on, and big steps forward will be expected heading into his second season. Don’t be shocked if he challenges the newly re-signed Williams for the healthiest share of the Suns’ frontcourt minutes.
Egor Demin (G – BKN)
The selection of Mikel Brown Jr. last month certainly brought Egor Demin‘s standing on the Nets’ roster into question. He had an up-and-down rookie campaign, averaging 10.3 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists. However, Demin, a 27.3% perimeter shooter in college, proved scouts and fans alike dead wrong by becoming a formidable high-volume three-point shooter.
That’s where the Brown pick creates some friction. The former Louisville guard has been dubbed the volume shooter of the 2026 class. Weighing the potential effectiveness of this young Brooklyn backcourt as either redundant or a harmonious one-two punch has started to lean towards the latter.
Both Brown and Demin enjoyed excellent Summer League stints. Brown averaged 15 points, four assists and 1.3 steals per game. Demin, last year’s eighth overall selection, averaged 21 points, 4.3 assists and 2.3 steals. Looking through the Summer League lens, yes, the duo can absolutely play alongside one another.
Whether or not rostering either young guard in fantasy remains to be seen — especially with Michael Porter Jr. and Julius Randle in town.