Starting 5: Warriors rally for NBA Summer League title

Warriors rally past Grizzlies to win the 2026 NBA Summer League Championship behind MVP Yaxel Lendeborg on July 19.

Summer standout.

Golden finale.

No. 11 pick Yaxel Lendeborg and the Warriors

are the 2026 NBA Summer League champions.

5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀

Warriors Win Vegas:

Golden State rallies to beat Memphis in thriller for NBA Summer League title

Sunday Roundup:

Nets & Nuggets get wins to close out the 2026 summer circuit

Top 10 Lookback:

How the rookies at the top of the 2026 Draft class fared in Vegas

Summer League Snapshots:

A few standout frames from 11 days in the desert

Peach Jam Finals:

Class of 2027’s Cayden Daughtry stars on championship weekend

BUT FIRST … ⏰

Official:

The Hawks have acquired Lu Dort and Ryan Nembhard in a

three-team trade

that sends Zaccharie Risacher to the Mavericks and three second-round Draft picks to the Thunder.

1. LENDEBORG LIFTS WARRIORS LATE TO WIN NBA SUMMER LEAGUE TITLE

Champions in any season.

Yaxel Lendeborg

won an NCAA national championship in April…

The Golden State Warriors

have three NBA titles in the last 10 years…

Together

, they added to their accolades Sunday night with an NBA Summer League championship.

Warriors 94, Grizzlies 90:

Lendeborg scored 9 of his 21 points in the 4th quarter to help Golden State erase Memphis’ game-high 12-point lead, a rally capped by his personal 7-0 run in under 90 seconds, to put the Dubs back in front for good and claim the title. |

Recap

|

Summer League Hub

Other Ways To Win:

After his scoring outburst, Lendeborg pulled down two key final-minute rebounds to help Golden State stay in control, stacking up 7 of his 10 boards in the 4th. The Warriors also had a 16-4 rebounding advantage in that frame.

“Yaxel Lendeborg is kinda making me rethink my MVP vote

… let me change that right now,” ESPN’s Corey Alexander said during the broadcast as the Warriors rook’s late-game dominance helped him

earn MVP honors

“I’m just very proud of this moment.

I’m glad that we got to win this,” Lendeborg said. “Every game I play I have something to prove to myself and to all those who doubted me, and those who don’t believe in me.”

When asked about his rookie goals

earlier this week, Lendeborg said: “I don’t really have any, like, MVP kinda [goals]. I just wanna be a role model to the kids … trying to be as simple as possible.”

Lendeborg’s 21 points

and 10 boards matched his Vegas-highs, with teammate Deivon Smith (21 pts, 9 reb) joining him as the game’s leading scorers to bring the Dubs their first Vegas title since the inaugural NBA Summer League championship in 2013.

Sophomore Sparks:

Warriors returners LJ Cryer (15 pts, 6 ast, 4 3s) and Will Richard (13 pts, 3 3s) had solid outings, with Cryer hitting the clutch final free throw to seal the win

“In a game like this

where we had to make a 10-point 4th-quarter comeback … they support each other, and that’s what the Warriors of the past 12 years have been about,” Warriors Summer League coach Khalid Robinson said

Grizz Leaders:

No. 3 overall pick Cameron Boozer (19 pts, 8 reb, 3 3s) and returner Cedric Coward (19 pts, 6 reb) fueled Memphis, with Coward going 5-for-5 from 3

“I think we take a lot from this week,”

Boozer said postgame. “That toughness, pushing through adversity, shows a lot about the character of the guys on our team and there’s a lot we can take into the regular season.”

Rookie Rivalry:

No. 11 pick Lendeborg and Boozer finish the summer 1-1 against each other, after Boozer’s Duke squad defeated Lendeborg’s Wolverines in a top-3 ranked matchup back in February

Lendeborg is

the second player to win an NCAA national championship and an NBA Summer League championship in the same year, joining Davion Mitchell (Baylor, Kings) in 2021, per ESPN.

Now,

Lendeborg has set his sights on his rookie year ahead.

“I’m gonna bring a lot of energy

,” he said. “I’m gonna be the most energetic-playing guy on the floor every night. I’m gonna try to bring as many positive vibes as possible.”

2. ROUNDUP: NETS, NUGGETS CLOSE SUMMER LEAGUE WITH WINS

Four other teams

wrapped up their 2026 Summer League stints on Sunday.

Nets 108, Thunder 90:

Undrafted rookie Dion Brown notched a triple-double (

16 pts, 10 reb, 11 ast

) as Brooklyn jumped out to a 37-24 1st-quarter lead and never looked back to finish 3-2. |

Brooklyn Bounce:

Seven Nets scored in double figures, led by 2026 G League Slam Dunk champion John Ukomadu (23 pts), who threw down a

soaring two-handed jam

Thunder Rain:

Steven Ashworth led OKC with 22 points on four 3s

Nuggets 96, Raptors 89:

Three-year vet Jahmi’us Ramsey went 9-for-9 overall en route to a game-high 20 points as Denver outlasted Nimari Burnett (15 pts, 9 reb) and Toronto to win. |

Way, Way Up:

Seven-footer Aziz Bandaogo climbed the ladder to hammer home this

full-extension alley-oop

3. SUMMER LEAGUE SPOTLIGHT: THE TOP 10 PICKS IN VEGAS

After hearing their names called

at the NBA Draft, the 2026 rookie class had little time to relish the achievement.

Just 16 days after

that dream-fulfilling moment, NBA Summer League tipped off in Las Vegas, putting the latest group of draftees in the spotlight.

Here’s a look

at how the top 10 picks performed over the past 11 days.

No. 1 AJ Dybantsa (Wizards):

Dybantsa announced his arrival with a

thunderous jam

en route to 27 points in his Vegas opener, tying Blake Griffin for the most by a No. 1 pick in a Summer League debut.

Dybantsa closed Vegas

averaging 25 points, 7 boards, 2.5 steals and 1.5 blocks across two games – both of which resulted in wins.

No. 2 Darryn Peterson (Jazz):

After leading the Salt Lake City Summer League in scoring (26.5 ppg), Peterson further showcased his offensive bag in Vegas, posting 20.7 ppg in three outings, with a blend of

smooth driving buckets

, stepback treys and

one epic poster

.

No. 3 Cameron Boozer (Grizzlies):

Boozer was a force inside while leading Memphis to the Summer League championship game, averaging a near double-double in six games (18.5 pts, 8 reb). The bruising big also showcased his feel as a playmaker, recording 3.7 assists per game.

No. 4 Caleb Wilson (Bulls):

Speaking of all-around game, Caleb Wilson did it all in Vegas (23.5 pts, 7.3 reb, 1.3 stl, 2.5 blk), starting with a

record-breaking 35-point eruption

in his debut, before throwing down

perhaps the dunk of the summer

one game later.

To top it all off?

He shot 41.9% from deep – including seven made 3s in his debut – and finished Vegas with 10 blocks in four games.

No. 5 Keaton Wagler (Clippers):

The sharpshooter from Illinois netted 20+ points in his final two games and saved his best for last,

dropping 26

on Friday to lead LA to an OT dub.

No. 6 Mikel Brown Jr. (Nets):

Brown Jr. showcased his playmaking in the California Classic – including

this highlight-reel dime

– and carried that momentum into Vegas, averaging 16.7 points and 4 assists in three games.

No. 7 Darius Acuff Jr. (Kings):

The electrifying guard displayed what made him so dangerous at Arkansas, posting 19 points and 5.3 dimes per game, including a

26-point takeover

on Wednesday where he dropped 16 in a single quarter.

No. 8 Kingston Flemings (Hawks):

Atlanta went 3-0 with Flemings on the floor in Vegas, and his playmaking was a major reason why, leading Atlanta with 6.5 assists per game while posting a +11 plus-minus.

No. 9 Morez Johnson (Mavericks):

Johnson’s two-way versatility helped power Michigan to a national title in April, and it shined in his two Vegas outings (18.5 pts, 6.5 reb, 2.5 stl, 3 blk).

No. 10 Brayden Burries (Bucks):

Burries delivered through the final buzzer in Vegas (23.5 pts, 4.5 reb, 2 stl, 1 blk in 4 GP), closing with three straight 23+ point games, including a 27-point, 5-assist clinic – capped by the

game-winning layup

with 1.5 ticks left – in Milwaukee’s Summer League finale.

4. SUMMER LEAGUE SNAPSHOTS: SOME FRAMES FROM VEGAS

From record debuts

to electrifying posters, 2026 NBA Summer League gave us plenty to remember.

Before we turn the page,

look back at the Vegas circuit through a few of our favorite frames.

5. NIKE EYBL PEACH JAM FINALS: CAYDEN DAUGHTRY SHINES FOR FLORIDA REBELS

After meeting

the NBA’s next wave of incoming talent in Las Vegas this month, it’s time to get to know more of the future.

The 2026 Nike EYBL Peach Jam

, one of the nation’s premier events on the high school prospect circuit, wrapped up this weekend in Augusta, S.C.

The quarterfinals and semifinals

were held on Saturday before a champion was crowned Sunday. Catch up on the weekend’s winning moments here:

Daughtry Does It All:

17U division scoring leader Cayden Daughtry

broke up this play

and then got the breakaway slam as his Florida Rebels beat Team CP3

Magical Make:

Beckham Black, Magic guard Anthony Black’s younger brother, sank this

crafty finish

at the rim for AB Elite

Final Say:

But Gabriel Nesmith helped his Nightrydas team send Black and AB Elite home with this

clutch 3-pointer

with under 15 seconds to play

Later on Saturday

in the Semis, Daughtry kept rolling (32 pts) to push the Florida Rebels past Team Herro and into the Championship, while Drive Nation claimed the weekend’s most dominant win, 62-48 over Nightrydas.

Championship Sunday

got started with the 16U division:

Founder, Rebounder:

Team CP3 got warm for their title fight

with an assist

from NBA legend Chris Paul, but it was Team Final who took the 16U trophy

In the 15U final

, Arizona Unity’s Marquice Pless ran away with this

steal-and-slam

, but Mokan Elite claimed the crown

For the main event

, Daughtry (game-high

33 pts, 9 reb, 6 ast, 3 3s

) wouldn’t be denied, cementing the Florida Rebels as the 2026 Nike EYBL

Peach Jam champs

NBA.com’s Krysten Peek

has more on Daughtry’s run and other high school prospect action:

“No player

has had a more impactful summer than Daughtry…

“Daughtry made history

when he set the Peach Jam single-game scoring record after recording 43 points in the 84-83 loss to the New York Rens in one of the craziest Peach Jam games in recent memory…

‘Obviously I’m a little tired,’

Daughtry said. ‘But just knowing that I’m here for a bigger reason, my coaches and my teammates, and I just want to win so I’m going to do whatever that takes no matter how I’m feeling.’

“He went on

to average 34.8 points per game, shattering the Peach Jam record that was previously held by Cam Thomas (29.5).”

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