5 best 2026 NBA Summer League stars only true basketball sickos know

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5 best 2026 NBA Summer League stars only true basketball sickos know

Bailey Bassett, ClutchPoints

Mon, Jul 20, 2026 ·

6 min read

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5 best 2026 NBA Summer League stars only true basketball sickos know appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .

The NBA Summer League works on multiple fronts. On the one hand, it allows NBA teams to play their prized draft picks. Rookies are able to get their feet wet with professional basketball ahead of a grueling 82-game season. The 2026 NBA Draft was one of the most loaded classes in recent memory , and the standout prospects certainly lived up to their pre-draft billing during summer league. For example, AJ Dybantsa, Caleb Wilson, Darryn Peterson, and Brayden Burries all averaged over 20 points per game.

Additionally, the summer league offers unheralded players a chance to prove that they deserve a spot in the NBA. For many players, the NBA Summer League serves as a tryout to all 30 teams around the league, not just as a warmup for the team that a player is suiting up for. While the stars were out in full force during summer league, there were plenty of little-known players who started to make a name for themselves. So, which NBA Summer League players stood out in that regard?

5. Jalen Slawson, Indiana Pacers

Jalen Slawson spent five seasons at Furman, a Southern Conference team that didn't make the NCAA Tournament once from 1981 to 2022. They've started to find success in recent years, and Slawson was a big reason why. In his final season of college, the South Carolina native led the team to a March Madness appearance. A few years later, after college basketball fans had forgotten about the team, the Paladins again became a tournament team in 2026, and now they look like a mid-major team that could be relevant for years to come.

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Slawson helped make a name for Furman, and during the 2026 NBA Summer League, he made a name for himself. The 54th overall pick in 2023 had played just 25 NBA games to this point; 12 in garbage time for the Sacramento Kings in 2023-24, and 13 for a depleted Indiana Pacers team this past season. He thrived in the G-League, though, where he earned NBA G-League All-Defensive honors this past season.

Slawson continued hounding players in the Summer League. He locked players up on the perimeter and helped defend the paint as a rim protector, evidenced by his 3.2 blocks per game, a mark that was by far the best for non-centers. Slawson does have some weaknesses on offense, but the Pacers may need to bring him back because of his defensive prowess. Despite the offensive inefficiencies (29% from 3-point range), the Furman product was still able to score 20.8 points per game.

4. Nae'Qwan Tomlin, Cleveland Cavaliers

NBA teams prioritize playing their draft picks during the summer league. Less prioritized players have to make the most of whatever opportunities they are given. The Cleveland Cavaliers only allowed Nae'Qwan Tomlin to play in two games, but he stood out both times he was on the hardwood in Las Vegas.

Tomlin averaged 18.5 points per game on incredible efficiency when afforded the opportunity to prove himself. The power forward made 42.9% of his 3-pointers and 62.5% of his shots from the field. This success as a scorer came despite the fact that he was playing alongside Meleek Thomas, a known shot chucker who was given the ultimate green light during summer league. Thomas led all scorers in the tournament with 27.3 points per game, and the ball was almost always in his hands.

Tomlin took the opportunities presented to him and made the most of them. Tomlin started his college career at Monroe Community College before transferring to Chipola College. He also played for Kansas State and Memphis. Now, he is signed to a guaranteed deal with the Cavaliers, and he did enough in the summer league to prove he deserves rotation minutes.

3. Trevor Keels, Miami Heat

The top six scorers in the NBA Summer League consist of Meleek Thomas (27.3), Tre Johnson (26), AJ Dybantsa (25), Will Riley (25), Brayden Burries (23.5), and Caleb Wilson (23.5). Thomas was projected as a first-round pick before he slid to round two, and, therefore, one of the biggest steals of the draft. He and Johnson are tailor-made for the summer league because of their score-first mindset. Dybantsa was just the number one pick , and Wilson and Burries were picked not long after with the fourth and 10th picks, respectively. Riley started to show some serious potential at the end of last season, too, so it isn't a surprise that he impressed ahead of his second season.

It isn't much of a surprise that any of those prestigious prospects were among the summer league leaders in scoring. It is somewhat surprising that Trevor Keels, who averaged 23 points per game, finished seventh in scoring, though. He made half of his 3-pointers on eight attempts per game, too.

Keels, who was drafted 42nd overall out of Duke in 2022, has only played in eight NBA games thus far. It looked like his NBA dreams could be coming to a close, and then he was scooped up by the Miami Heat , a team that excels more than any other franchise at maximizing forgotten and undervalued talent. Keels' time in Miami's system paid off with a huge summer league showcase, but unfortunately, he suffered an MCL injury that shut down his tournament prematurely. It is unclear how the injury will impact Keels' free agent outlook, but if the injury is a non-factor, he could very well be given an opportunity by another NBA team.

2. Jahmir Young, Miami Heat

As mentioned above, the Heat stand above the competition when it comes to diagnosing and developing talent. They also had Jahmir Young under contract last season, and he suited up for the team during summer league. After playing college ball at Charlotte and Maryland, Young went undrafted in 2024.

Typically, going undrafted is a death sentence in the NBA, but the Heat have turned more undrafted players into contributors than almost every other team combined. An undersized but feisty point guard, Young made the NBA G-League All-Rookie Team in 2025 and the All-NBA G-League Second Team in 2026.

He continued to prove that he should have heard his name called on draft day during the summer league, too, as he averaged 22 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game. The scoring mark just narrowly trailed Miami teammate Keels, and he rebounded and assisted better than his running mate. It is unclear if Miami will bring back both NBA Summer League standouts, but it seems likely that at least one will be back.

1. Zyon Pullin, Minnesota Timberwolves

The Minnesota Timberwolves have been one of the busiest teams in the NBA offseason. They unloaded Julius Randle's contract before making a blockbuster trade for LaMelo Ball that gives the team one of the best backcourts in the NBA . They are in the running for LeBron James, and they got the steal of the 2026 NBA Draft: Isaiah Evans.

Evans hasn't lived up to that title thus far, as he struggled during the summer league. Zyon Pullin, a 2024 undrafted player, stood out for the team, though. Pullin stuffed the stat sheet with averages of 21 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 7.8 assists per game. He wasn't a one-hit wonder, either, as those numbers came over the course of five games played.

Pullin played his college basketball at UC Riverside and Florida, but he left the Gators a year before they won the national championship, so he didn't get the hype that many of his collegiate teammates received. He is now on a two-way deal with the Timberwolves and, despite the team's depth, could play a role next season.

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