Thunder waive Payton Sandford

Alexander signed a two-way contract with Utah just a couple days prior, which made this his first game for his new team. Akexander wasn’t able to carve out much of a role in Denver or New Orleans, and he’ll likely once again spend most of his time in the G League. However, he had some solid moments in this game, including a pair of late triples.

Though he clearly isn’t a finished product, Williams has shown progress entering his third season. He looks like how a third-year NBA player should look in summer league. Williams was solid in this game and should be a rotation piece for Utah this season, though the amount of depth they have may make it difficult for him to carve out a large role.

Peterson was a star during summer league in Salt Lake City, and that commanded the attention of Washington’s defense for the entire game. From the beginning, the Wizards applied full-court pressure when Peterson brought the ball up and made his life incredibly difficult. Though he still had some star flashes, this was by far his worst performance of the summer. He was reckless with the ball at times and committed nine fouls. He’ll look to bounce back against the Clippers on Sunday.

The rookie out of Tennessee logged 20 minutes in his first summer league outing. He didn’t contribute much in the box score, but he was effective on the offensive glass. Okpara should continue to get more opportunities as summer league progresses.

The focus of this game may have been on AJ Dybantsa’s debut coming against Darryn Peterson, but Johnson stole the show at times. Utah clearly didn’t have an answer for him as a scorer, and Johnson appears ready to be a dangerous player off the bench for Washington entering his second season. His lack of contributions in other areas limit his fantasy impact, but his scoring ability is special.

The first 38 minutes of this game were relatively quiet for Riley, especially coming off a strong rookie season. However, he came alive late in this game, scoring nine points in the final 2:12 of the fourth quarter, which allowed the Wizards to seal the win. With the Wizards likely competing for a postseason spot this year, Riley will play a smaller role than he did as a rookie, though he’s clearly still progressing as a player.

With how well Darryn Peterson and Cameron Boozer played in their summer league debuts in Salt Lake City, there was a lot of pressure on Dybantsa to produce at a high level in his first game as a Wizard. If he felt the pressure, it clearly didn’t impact him. Just like when he was at BYU, opposing defenses did not have an answer when Dybantsa was driving to the rim. He didn’t shoot the ball well from the perimeter (0-of-5 on three-pointers), but his body control on drives is rare. Plus, he was able to get to the line at will and contribute a few defensive stats. Summer league doesn’t define a player’s career, but Dybantsa rose to the occasion the first chance he got, just like superstars do.

Nelson only played 19 minutes in his first summer league game, and while he was able to grab some boards and collect some defensive stats, he wasn’t able to contribute much else. He was able to rack up the rebounds in stocks at USF last season, which is enticing for dynasty managers. His role should increase as the summer continues.

Richardson didn’t play a ton as a rookie, but he’s an incredibly talented player. He should see his role increase in year two, though it likely won’t be large enough for him to hold any fantasy relevance. He was productive during his two summer league performances last year as well, and he may not see many more appearances in Las Vegas.

Penda entered last season as a strong defensive prospect with some playmaking abilities, but the main concern was his scoring ability. He didn’t have a scoring strength. That held true as a rookie, so seeing him knock down five three-pointers and shoot 4-of-5 inside the arc is incredibly encouraging. Penda is worth keeping an eye on this summer since he could be a rotation piece for Orlando this season and has star upside in fantasy hoops.