2026 NBA Summer League: Standout players from Day 6

Darius Acuff Jr. headlined the Summer League standouts on Day 6

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2026 Summer League

LAS VEGAS —

Once the NBA Summer League reaches the Wednesday of the second week, a separation begins — between the players with NBA futures, followed by the rest. And this summer is no different.

Those who managed to look impressive in their first game or two are still making a reputation for themselves. Furthermore, the top players in the 2026 Draft have, for the most part, lived up to their draft status.

The only downside is at this stage, there’s nothing more for those players to prove, so they begin to power down. That’s why AJ Dybantsa, the first overall pick, skipped a potential Tuesday showdown with Caleb Wilson.

Here are the players who bold-faced themselves on Day 6 of the Summer League:

Darius Acuff Jr., Sacramento Kings

All things considered, this was the guard’s best performance of the tournament to date. Acuff was far more efficient against the Nets than his previous games, making 9 of 18 shots. That was good for 26 points in 26 minutes. The Kings are clearly giving him the green light in this tournament; the goal is for him to be an A-list option next season. Acuff has attempted more shots, by far, than any of his teammates in Vegas.

Trevon Brazile, Denver Nuggets

Trevon Brazile lights up the Thunder with 32 points in the Nuggets' Summer League win.

The Nuggets are still negotiating with Peyton Watson; the team and the restricted free agent forward are at a standstill regarding a contract extension. It’s too premature to suggest an agreement won’t happen, but if such is the case, the Nuggets must find a replacement. It’s also not to suggest Brazile would be in that mix, but he did deliver a brilliant performance against the Thunder, with 32 points on 11-for-19 shooting, including 6-for-12 from deep. He was the 35th pick in last June’s draft, obtained from the Spurs, who took Tarris Reed Jr. in the first round.

Egor Dëmin, Brooklyn Nets

Dёmin, one of the collection of first-rounders taken last summer by Brooklyn, hopes to use this tournament to announce his rise in the game. Well, he looked solid at both ends, and his defense especially drew notice. Dёmin had four steals against the Kings and was active at that end. But he also dropped 22 points with eight assists and no turnovers. He’s looking too good for Summer League.

Caleb Wilson, Chicago Bulls

Caleb Wilson scores 19 points in the Bulls win over the Washington Wizards.

Wilson once again had just a good outing — for him — in this tournament, with 19 points and eight rebounds against the Wizards. The more interesting aspect is how the game with Washington was denied the presence of Dybantsa, who was a scratch. Too bad, because that forward matchup would likely have been the clash of the summer. Anyway, Wilson, who blew into the tournament with 35 points in his opener, has yet to endure a subpar performance.

Labaron Philon Jr., Philadelphia 76ers

Philon continued a solid summer with 17 points and just a lone turnover against Houston. It appears as though the Sixers just drafted themselves another top guard, if the hints being dropped by Philon will ring true next season. Philon followed Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe and at this point he appears to be a fixture in the rotation, even with a deep backcourt.

Cameron Carr, Los Angeles Lakers

Cameron Carr leads the Lakers with 23 points in a Summer League win over the Clippers.

There’s optimism in Los Angeles regarding Carr, the 24th pick from Baylor. He helped the Lakers go 3-0 in tournament play with 23 points against the Clippers, including eight in the third quarter. After the game, he gushed during an on-court interview: “I’m here to play basketball, I ain’t no pretty boy.” Well, he looked pretty good Tuesday.

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Shaun Powell has covered the NBA since 1985. You can e-mail him at

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