The 2026 NBA Draft has clear stars in players such as AJ Dybantsa and Cameron Boozer, who quickly showed why they were top picks in the Summer League. What everyone is forgetting are the narratives surrounding these five players. Whether they were overhyped, overlooked, or judged too quickly, it is time to explore the five rookies the Summer League may have lied about.
Meleek Thomas was selected 34th overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers and led the Las Vegas Summer League in scoring. Thomas averaged more than 28 points through his first three appearances while shooting nearly 46% from three, eventually earning All-Summer League First Team honors.
Thomas also said:
“I’ll forever be one of the best on the court.”
While he was a standout star, the issue is that Thomas was operating with extremely high usage and taking roughly 20 shots per game. That is close to the volume normally reserved for primary NBA scorers. Summer League allowed him to dominate the ball in a way he probably will not be able to do immediately in Cleveland.
Still, Thomas showed real shot-creation juice. Thomas scored 30 points against Detroit, followed it with 35 against Miami and later dropped another 24 against Chicago. Thomas has yet to experience his true “welcome to the NBA” moment against established defenders, but letting 33 players go before him already looks questionable. Summer League proved that, at the very least, he did not belong deep in the second round.
Sergio De Larrea was selected 25th overall and traded to the Dallas Mavericks, but he received far less attention than the lottery guards.
De Larrea recorded 16 points and 12 assists against Memphis, then followed it with 14 assists and nine rebounds against Oklahoma City. In that second game, he scored only two points but still controlled the offense, which may have been more impressive than another rookie forcing up 20 shots.
At around 6-foot-6, De Larrea fits perfectly into an increasingly bigger NBA. De Larrea can see over the defense, operate out of the pick-and-roll, and find passing windows that smaller guards cannot always reach.
Most rookies are put on the back end when it comes to scoring opportunities, but De Larrea may not need many shots to influence a game. His ability to organize the offense could earn him one of the better rookie seasons in the class.
The major concern is his jumper. If teams go under screens and dare him to shoot, he will have to prove he can punish that coverage. Summer League showed that his playmaking may already be NBA-ready.
Tyler Nickel was selected 47th overall and traded to the New York Knicks. The Vanderbilt product averaged around 12 points during Summer League while taking more than nine threes per game and connecting on over 40% of them.
Nickel scored 18 points with six made threes against Brooklyn and followed that with 16 points and four threes against San Antonio.
While he cannot create much off the dribble, his ability to score off movement threes could make him a valuable asset. Nickel’s job is to sprint through off-ball screens and punish defenders who help off him.
That is a much more realistic pathway for a late second-round pick than trying to become a star scorer. Nickel already understands the role he would need to play.
The question is whether he can defend well enough to remain on the floor. If he can avoid becoming a matchup opponents hunt, his shooting gives him a legitimate chance to enter New York’s rotation.
Dailyn Swain was selected 15th overall by Chicago, but his Summer League did not begin well. Swain went 0-for-9 against Utah, immediately sparking conversations about whether the Bulls had drafted a bust.
However, Swain later missed Chicago’s game against Cleveland because of right wrist soreness, which could of impacted previous performances.
Swain was never drafted to be a pure bucket-getter. Swain’s value comes from being a 6-foot-7 two-way connector.
Seeing a fully healthy Swain will be something to watch this season. If his jumper develops, he could become the type of versatile wing every playoff team wants.
Jack Kayil, the German guard selected 39th overall by the Knicks.
Kayil’s most impressive performance actually came against Detroit, when he recorded 19 points, four assists and three steals while leading New York to its first Summer League victory.
Second-round guards do not need to become stars to outperform their draft position. Kayil only needs to become a dependable secondary ball-handler who can pressure the ball, make open threes and keep the offense moving.
These are five players whose talent may have been undersold or oversold during the 2026 NBA Draft and Summer League.
Thomas looked like a lottery scorer, but he will not receive the same usage in Cleveland. De Larrea barely needed to score to control games. Nickel showed a clear NBA role as a movement shooter. Swain may have been judged while playing through wrist soreness, and Kayil flashed more two-way potential than his draft position suggested.
Summer League can reveal talent, but it can also create fake stars and premature busts. The real test begins when these players are placed into actual NBA roles.
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