NBA Player News

Barnhizer’s reputation entering the draft was that of a smart, tough player, and the 23-year-old showcased it in his first Summer League game. His dominance on the glass was encouraging to see and shows his hard-nosed playstyle that will be valuable to any team. Barnhizer is unlikely to be part of the Thunder’s rotation next season, but it is still encouraging for his long-term projection to see him play well this summer.

Midway through the second quarter, Mara drove the baseline and stopped before turning around and delivering a two-handed dunk. The 21-year-old center had 10 points and was also active on the boards with nine rebounds. Mara will likely see limited minutes as a rookie behind a crowded Thunder frontcourt, but holds significant value in dynasty formats.

Vogel was last an NBA head coach in 2023 with the Suns, who fired him after just one season. His previous stop is perhaps more relevant here as he coached the Lakers and won a championship with LeBron James in 2020. With James reportedly considering joining the Warriors in free agency this offseason, Vogel joining Golden State’s coaching staff is notable, though nothing is guaranteed. Vogel also coached the Magic and the Pacers.

Thomas dropped 20 points against the Pacers in his first Summer League action on Friday and followed it up with a 30-point performance against the Pistons. The 34th overall pick in the draft, Thomas continues to display excellent scoring ability. The rookie is ticketed for a bench role with the Cavaliers, the question is how many minutes he’s able to earn.

Maluach followed up his double-double against the Trail Blazers on Friday with another double-double against the Pelicans on Sunday. The 19-year-old center was +10 in 28 minutes in a six-point loss for the Suns. Maluach continues to look improved in Summer League play.

Westbrook, 37, is an obvious fit for the Heat in the wake of the trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo. He still has something left in the tank and would come cheap, which is a necessity for Miami at this point. Of course, Westbrook is out of the picture if LeBron decides to join Giannis in Miami. James is yet to make a decision in free agency and is reportedly also considering Cleveland, Golden State and Philadelphia.

Diallo, 29, won EuroLeague Best Defender award last year. Now he’ll make the jump to the NBA on a guaranteed contract with the Nuggets. While Diallo agreed to a relatively cheap contract, the fact a contending team like Denver decided to take a chance on him speaks volumes.

The 16th overall pick in the 2025 draft, Hansen recorded 12 points, nine rebounds and four assists in Friday’s loss to the Suns. With Donovan Clingan locked into the starting center role and Robert Williams III re-signed, Hansen will once again face long odds to earn consistent rotation minutes when the regular season begins. As for Sunday, his absence means more minutes will be available to Aliou Diarra, who was not selected in last month’s draft.

Initially a question mark to arrive in Las Vegas at all, Kayil received the necessary clearance from Alba Berlin and made his Knicks summer debut on Saturday. The 39th overall pick in last month’s draft logged 21 minutes off the bench and played well after getting over some early jitters. Kayil has said that his goal is to come over to the NBA immediately and not spend another season in Europe, but he also noted after Saturday’s loss that the decision isn’t up to him. Kayil remaining with Alba Berlin would give the Knicks a little more room under the second apron, which may impact the thinking of Knicks decision-makers.

A second-round pick in the 2024 draft, Newton has appeared in nine NBA games during his first two seasons, spending most of his time in the G League. The Rockets’ guard is coming off an excellent season with the franchise’s G League affiliate, and the hope is that Newton plays well enough in Las Vegas to earn a longer look in 2026-27. Newton didn’t have the best game against the Raptors, struggling from the field and not recording an assist. However, his production improved over his output in Friday’s win over the Nuggets, and the ball was in rookie Bruce Thornton’s hands quite often. Given Houston’s depth at point guard, Newton faces long odds of being fantasy-relevant next season.

After shooting 3-of-14 in his first summer league appearance on Thursday, de Larrea attempted just four shots on Saturday. He did have some nice assists and was once again active defensively in a decent overall showing. Through two games, it’s clear that some patience will be needed, but de Larrea has the basketball smarts needed to make an impact down the line. He is certainly worth stashing in dynasty leagues.