Henri Veesaar posts 5/3/1 line in debut

Bufkins wasn’t as prolific offensively as he was on Thursday, when he put up 30 points in a loss to the Timberwolves. A 1-of-7 day from beyond the arc had a lot to do with that, but Bufkin deserves credit for filling the stat line. Playmaking and defense will need to be his calling cards if he’s to lock down a spot in the NBA, and he was solid in both areas against the Hornets.

Back with the Pelicans on a two-way contract, Dickinson had a good afternoon offensively on Saturday. He scored on all three levels, shooting 50 percent from beyond the arc and 50 percent from the field overall. Of course, the Pelicans will want to see a bit more from him defensively and on the glass, but Saturday’s offensive effort was a step in the right direction. Given New Orleans’ frontcourt options, cracking the rotation next season will be a challenge for Dickinson.

After playing on the veteran’s minimum each of the last two seasons, Trent is now the fourth-highest-paid player on the Bucks roster. His numbers took a significant hit in 2024-25, with the guard’s scoring average (8.1) being the lowest since his rookie season. However, that did not sway the Bucks from paying Trent handsomely as the franchise moves on from the Giannis Antetokounmpo era. Given the price tag, he should figure prominently in the team’s plans next season, which raises Trent’s fantasy ceiling.

Like backcourt partner Trevor Keels, Young is playing for the Heat as an unrestricted free agent after the team declined to tender a qualifying offer. While he didn’t have his best day shooting, Young put up 27 points and added six assists in Saturday’s defeat. After appearing in 14 games for the Heat last season, he’s looking to solidify his spot in the NBA, either on a two-way or a standard contract. Performances like Saturday’s should help Young’s cause.

In late June, the Heat decided not to tender Keels a two-way qualifying offer, making him an unrestricted free agent. Miami still has two open two-way slots, and Keels is making a case for one to be his. He got off to a hot start, scoring 15 points in the first half on 6-of-6 shooting from the field. Accuracy-wise, Keels “cooled off” in the second half, shooting 6-of-13 from the field and scoring another 17 points. Due to the contract situation, Keels may not be a shutdown candidate, but he has a chance to solidify his status as an NBA player, whether with the Heat or another team.

While not as prolific offensively as he was in Thursday’s summer league opener, Penda once again recorded a complete stat line for the Magic. The lone negative in his performance against the Heat was the turnovers, as Penda committed six. However, the ability to contribute in multiple ways should serve the 2025 second-round pick well as he looks to earn consistent rotation minutes next season.

Castleton signed another two-way contract with the Magic on July 1, and he’s hopeful that a strong summer league will put him on a path to earn more opportunities once the regular season begins. While he did not record any defensive stats in Saturday’s victory, the 6-foot-10 center was active on the glass and shot the ball well. While not a player who has to be selected in preseason drafts, there may come a point where Castleton offers deep-league streaming value due to injury.

After a solid 15-point effort in his first action of the summer on Thursday, Richardson was even better on Saturday. In addition to shooting the ball well on all three levels, he did not commit a turnover and led the Magic in assists. Richardson didn’t get to play much last season, and a good run in Las Vegas is the first step toward ensuring that he’s in Orlando’s plans for 2026-27. At this rate, the Magic may decide that they’ve seen enough from the guard to shut him down for the remainder of summer league.

Fleming didn’t have a great night shooting the basketball, missing all four of his three-point attempts. However, he’ll be most valuable to the Suns as a defender, and the second-year forward had a highly productive game. In addition to 10 rebounds, Fleming recorded two steals and two blocks in 25 minutes. With the Suns adding Miles Bridges via trade, there are likely to be fewer shots to go around next season. However, the exits of Grayson Allen and Royce O’Neale mean that there’s still a need for help on the wings, even with Luke Kennard coming over. Fleming’s defensive ability should allow him to earn consistent minutes after playing sparingly as a rookie.

After failing to earn consistent rotation minutes as a rookie, Hansen will look to change that in 2026-27. He’ll be playing for a new head coach, but the Trail Blazers’ re-signing of Robert Williams III means that Hansen will once again face long odds. He finished Friday’s two-point defeat one rebound shy of a double-double, but there were no defensive contributions to speak of. With Donovan Clingan starting and the Time Lord backing him up, Hansen is likely to remain a player who should only be rostered in dynasty leagues.