2026 NBA Summer League: Summer standouts from Day 1

Yaxel Lendeborg and his former Michigan teammate Morez Johnson showed up in Las Vegas Summer League action from Day 1.

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2026 Summer League

LAS VEGAS

– The

2026 NBA Summer League

tipped off in Las Vegas on Thursday and the top players taken in the first round of the

2026 NBA Draft

did not disappoint. It was a sold-out crowd in the Thomas & Mack Center for the marquee game between the No. 1 pick AJ Dybantsa and the Washington Wizards and the No. 2 pick Darryn Peterson and the Utah Jazz.

Dybantsa

backed up his No. 1 spot

and led all players with 27 points in the Wizards’ win over the Jazz. Peterson did his part for the Jazz and finished with 24 points but came up short in the

92-88

loss.

Morez Johnson and Yaxel Lendeborg won a national championship with Michigan a few months ago but were opponents on the court in their first summer matchup, putting on a show.

Here are the other top performers from Day 1 of NBA Summer League:

AJ Dybantsa and Tre Johnson, Washington Wizards

Both players combined for 53 points in the win over the Jazz. Dybantsa had the dunk of the day and the entire arena erupted when he connected.

SLAM IT DOWN,

@AJ_Dybantsa

💪

The #1 pick drops a game-high 27 in his NBA Summer League debut as the Wizards secure the dub over the Jazz!

https://t.co/RShULu4j95

pic.twitter.com/UOCEfo60U1

— NBA (@NBA)

July 10, 2026

He was able to get to his spots in the mid-range and defended the perimeter well, grabbing seven boards and forcing two steals while only committing one foul.

Johnson scored at will from multiple spots on the court. He was patient with how he read the pick-and-roll and created separation off the dribble. Johnson finished with 26 points in the win.

Tre Johnson (26 PTS) went to work on Day 1 of NBA Summer League 💪

The

@WashWizards

pick up the win over the Jazz!

pic.twitter.com/eu8VflZ9Ef

Darryn Peterson, Utah Jazz

Peterson was able to showcase his natural scoring instincts. Jazz wing Ace Bailey sat on the bench as a player’s coach and was seen talking to Peterson constantly when he was on the bench getting a breather.

It was a slow start to the game but he was instrumental in the Jazz’s comeback in the second half and finished with 27 points (including a long 3-pointer banked in at the end of regulation).

Yaxel Lendeborg, Golden State Warriors

Lendeborg had the most complete game for a forward on Day 1 of Summer League: He finished with 21 points, 10 rebounds and six assists in 28 minutes.

No. 11 overall pick Yaxel Lendeborg delivered a double-double in his NBA Summer League debut:

▪️ 21 PTS (8-13 FGM)

▪️ 10 REB

▪️ 6 AST

▪️ 2 3PM

@warriors

pick up the win over the Mavericks!

pic.twitter.com/zfVOSRgZoh

The Warriors were up seven points with just over a minute to go and Lendeborg drove the lane for a bucket and-1. Faint chants of “We love Yaxel!” started from the Warriors fans inside the arena. Lendeborg scored the final nine points for the Warriors as they beat the Mavericks

101-90

.

Morez Johnson, Dallas Mavericks

Morez Johnson puts up 27 points in his Summer League debut vs. the Warriors.

Johnson went head-to-head with Lendeborg. The pair were seen talking back-and-forth throughout the game and even got a little physical during a few possessions. Johnson was the No. 9 overall pick in the Draft by the Mavericks; what he can bring defensively alongside Cooper Flagg is a dream scenario for

new head coach Dusty May

. Flagg was sitting courtside taking in the action and sat next to May. Johnson finished with 25 points, 8 rebounds and three assists.

Darius Acuff Jr., Sacramento Kings

The No. 7 overall pick has shown the potential to be one of the best players in this rookie class at finishing around the rim. Acuff had a productive night in a win over the Clippers, finishing with 19 points and seven assists. Although his defense was heavily criticized during a year at Arkansas, Acuff contained the ball well defensively, forcing two steals while only turning the ball over three times in 28 minutes.

Labaron Philon, Philadelphia 76ers

Labaron Philon puts up 18 points in his Summer League debut vs. the Pistons.

Philon had 11 points in 11 minutes to start the game and threw a dime to Johni Broome that had his four 76ers teammates sitting courtside rise out of their seats. The 76ers had four players scoring in double digits by halftime and were clicking on all cylinders, all starting with Philon running point. Philon finished with 18 points (including four 3-pointers) and seven assists in the 101-93 win over the Detroit Pistons. Philon was the 22nd pick in the draft after playing two seasons at Alabama.

Liam McNeeley and Hannes Steinbach, Charlotte Hornets

Liam McNeeley scores a team-high 28 points in a Summer League win over the Orlando Magic.

McNeeley scored 28 points in 28 minutes and was 7-for-8 from 3-point range. This is his second year of Summer League after being drafted with the No. 29 overall pick in the

2025 NBA Draft

. He looked physically stronger and was letting shots fly from all over the court.

Steinbach was the best rebounder in college hoops and averaged a double-double during his one year at Washington. In his first Summer League game, he kept his position on the block and did a good job on the boards, finishing with 15 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks off the bench as the Hornets defeated the Magic,

86-74