2026 NBA summer league: Players to watch on all 30 teams - ESPN

This year's Las Vegas summer league has a little something for everyone.

AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson and Cameron Boozer headline a highly touted rookie class loaded with star potential. Meanwhile, Collin Murray-Boyles, Khaman Maluach and Yang Hansen lead a deep crop of 2025 first-round picks hoping to showcase their progress and earn larger roles in their second seasons.

And top title contenders such as the New York Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs will seek to determine whether several key young prospects are ready for rotation minutes.

Here's a team-by-team preview of the players to watch when the Las Vegas summer league action tips off Thursday.

Jump to a team:
ATL | BOS | BKN | CHA | CHI | CLE
DAL | DEN | DET | GS | HOU | IND
LAC | LAL | MEM | MIA | MIL | MIN
NO | NYK | OKC | ORL | PHI | PHX
POR | SAC | SA | TOR | UTAH | WAS

Player to watch: Henri Veesaar

Veesaar, a 7-foot center from Estonia, unexpectedly slipped to the 52nd pick, raising questions about whether he should have returned to UNC for another year of seasoning rather than declaring for the draft.

At the predraft combine in May, Veesaar told CBSSports.com that «getting thrown into the fire is the best way to learn.» Unfortunately, that might not be the story of his rookie season in Atlanta, where he'll face an uphill battle for minutes in a crowded big-man rotation that also includes 2026 first-round pick Zuby Ejiofor. If Veesaar can hold his own in Las Vegas, he could silence those who believe he should have spent next season as a well-compensated starter in Chapel Hill.

Player to watch: Hugo Gonzalez

Gonzalez, 20, made a cameo appearance during NBA trade season amid reports that the Celtics wouldn't include him in a deal for Giannis