Starting 5: Caleb Wilson sets record, Cam Boozer gets win on thrilling Friday in Vegas

Steal and slam – Boozer’s two-way play wins the day.

No. 3 pick Caleb Wilson erupted for a record-setting NBA Summer League debut, but 4 pick Cam Boozer & the Bulls took the W.

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5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀

July 11, 2026

Day 2 Thrillers: The battle between top-4 picks Cam Boozer & Caleb Wilson exceeded its hype

Hot After Halftime: Big 2nd-half showings from Mikel Brown Jr. and the Nets, Heat and Pacers

Friday Roundup: Adou Thiero and No. 24 pick Cameron Carr co-star in highlight-heavy Lake Show

Saturday Preview: Brown Jr. vs. Kingston Flemings highlights Day 3’s biggest potential matchups

All-Access: Go behind-the-scenes as some of the biggest names in basketball pop up in Vegas

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BUT FIRST … ⏰

A summer hoops Saturday in Vegas…

Saturday brings eight more NBA Summer League matchups, highlighted by a battle of top-10 Draft picks when the Hawks face the Nets (8 ET, ESPN) and San Antonio’s Carter Bryant in a Finals rematch with New York (6 ET, ESPN).

Wemby’s Extension: The Spurs announced Friday that Victor Wembanyama has signed a multi-year contract extension.

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1. WILSON’S RECORD, BOOZER’S WIN AND AN OT THRILLER

Caleb Wilson set the record, but Cameron Boozer got the win.

One night after No. 1 overall selection AJ Dybantsa tied the mark for most points (27) for a top pick in his summer debut, Wilson scored the most-ever points (35) in any Las Vegas Summer League debut.

But, while Dybantsa took the W in a battle with No. 2 pick Darryn Peterson, Boozer and the Grizzlies survived Wilson’s outburst in this matchup of picks 3 and 4.

Grizzlies 97, Bulls 96: All five Memphis starters reached double figures, and a 12-0 run in the 1st quarter put the Grizzlies in control throughout, while Wilson’s hot shooting (7-11 3FG) ignited multiple Chicago runs, right up to his final-buzzer 3 for a 1-point finish. | Recap

• Boozer set the tone, outscoring Wilson in the 1st quarter with 8 of his team-high 23 points. Memphis second-year guard Cedric Coward backed him up (17 pts, 10 reb, 5 ast)
• “I can’t believe he’s 18. I’m glad he’s on my team,” Coward said postgame of Boozer
• “Just proud of him, man. Excited,” Cam’s dad Carlos Boozer said mid-game. “Obviously, this team is trying to jell and they have a young core … Their defense is outstanding.”

On the other side, Wilson weighed his head-turning performance with the disappointing overall result.

• “My goal is to come in and win every game and we fell short tonight,” Wilson said. “The scoring record is cool but somebody else is going to break it one day and it doesn’t change the fact that we didn’t get the win.”
• Inside vs. Outside: Wilson sank half of Chicago’s 14 made threes, outshooting Memphis from distance 14-3. But the Grizz pounded the paint for a decisive 58-26 edge
• Careers Linked: From AAU championship teammates to ultimate college rivals at Duke and UNC, Wilson and Boozer’s duel now looks NBA-ready, writes NBA.com’s Krysten Peek

Both teams are off until Monday, when the Grizzlies take on the Mavs (7 ET, ESPN), and Wilson continues his top-pick tour against Peterson and the Jazz.

Celtics 83, Raptors 80 (OT): Boston’s Hugo González (17 pts, 10 reb, 8 ast) had a near triple-double and Amari Williams scored a game-high 23 points, but it was No. 27 pick Chris Cenac Jr. (14 pts, 10 reb, 4 blk), in his Summer League debut, who hit a corner 3 with 1 second left to send the game to overtime.

Williams and González each scored in the 2-minute overtime as Boston survived Seth Lundy’s (16 pts, 6 reb) in-and-out 3-point attempt at the OT buzzer for the thrilling win. | Recap

• Strong Debut: Toronto’s No. 19 pick, Allen Graves, logged 22 points and 13 rebounds in his first Summer League action

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2. 2ND-HALF HEROES: NETS, HEAT AND PACERS ERUPT AFTER HALFTIME

After an impressive showing in his lone Salt Lake City Summer League appearance, Nets’ No. 6 overall pick Mikel Brown Jr. was set to face the reigning champs – the cross-town Knicks.

Nets 91, Knicks 65: Brown Jr. put on a show, netting 16 of his 20 points after halftime. Nets returner Egor Dëmin matched that effort with 20 points of his own, as Brooklyn used a 30-9 3rd quarter to pull away from New York. | Recap

• New York’s Next: Pacôme Dadiet (20 pts, 7 reb) led the Knicks in their first action since the Finals. No. 47 pick Tyler Nickel scored 18 off the bench, and Mohamed Diawara added 7 points and 6 boards

After igniting the NBA offseason with their trade involving two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Bucks and Heat previewed their young talent in Las Vegas Friday.

Heat 119, Bucks 86: Miami’s No. 37 pick Ryan Conwell’s 19 points paced the team, along with Jahmir Young (19 pts, 7 ast), helping the Heat break a halftime tie with a pivotal 29-7 3rd quarter, including a 19-0 close to the quarter, for a runaway win. | Recap

• Milwaukee Draft picks Brayden Burries (team-high 18 pts) and Nate Ament (6 pts) shared the court for the first time, while Kasparas Jakučionis added 11 points and 6 assists in his Bucks debut, against his former team

Pacers 99, Cavaliers 93: After a back-and-forth 1st half, Indy built a 21-point 3rd-quarter lead, only to see Cleveland storm back to make it a 1-point game inside 3 minutes to play. But 5 points apiece from Rienk Mast (16 pts, 11 reb) and Taelon Peter (13 pts) after that clinched the Pacers win. | Recap

• Good Company: Cleveland’s No. 34 pick Meleek Thomas matched Cavs returner Nae’Qwan Tomlin for the team’s scoring lead, with 20 points apiece

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3. ROUNDUP: LATE-NIGHT LAKE SHOW & SECOND-ROUNDERS SHOW OUT

One of the day’s final showdowns featured a rematch of the West Semis between the Lakers and Thunder.

In his third summer game since playing in that series, L.A.’s Adou Thiero broke out in a big way.

Lakers 96, Thunder 84: Thiero filled up the highlight reel on the way to a game-high 20 points, with No. 24 pick Cameron Carr (18 pts) right behind him, as L.A. doubled a 10-point lead to 20 after 3 quarters and held on for the win. | Recap

• “Lake Show for a reason!”: Thiero and Carr showed off huge, hovering oop finishes, Thiero mixed in a massive windmill jam, a chase-down block, and then rated his highlights with the NBA On Prime crew
• Stirtz’ High Score: OKC’s No. 16 pick Bennett Stirtz led the team with 18 points and three 3s, his highest-scoring game of the summer following two Salt Lake outings

Suns 81, Trail Blazers 79: Phoenix flipped a 16-point deficit to a 10-point lead with under 4 minutes to play, and two triples from Javonte Cooke (team-high 21 pts, 5 3s) in the final 90 seconds helped fend off Portland’s final push in both team’s summer debut. | Recap

• Young Suns: 2025 top-10 pick Khaman Maluach (19 pts, 11 reb) had a dominant double-double for the Suns, and June’s 30th pick, Koa Peat, added 17 points and six boards
• Familiar Faces: Summer League returner DJ Steward went shot-for-shot with Cooke for 11 of his team-high 21 points in Portland’s critical 4th quarter. Blazers two-way big Hansen Yang added 12 points and 9 rebounds

Rockets 97, Nuggets 86: Houston’s rookie Bruce Thornton, the first pick of the second round, scored a game-high 27 points to help the Rockets pull away during the 4th in their Summer League opener. Denver was led by second-round pick Bryce Hopkins (24 pts). | Recap

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4. SATURDAY PREVIEW: ELECTRIC YOUNG GUARDS IN ACTION

Day 3 at NBA Summer League in Las Vegas puts 16 teams in action, with some high-profile young guards expected to command the floor.

The Nets and Hawks meet in the primetime spotlight tonight (8 ET, ESPN), featuring a potential battle of playmaking lottery picks: Brooklyn’s Mikel Brown Jr. (No. 6 overall) and Atlanta’s Kingston Flemings (No. 8 overall).

• On Lock: Flemings, who got a headstart in Salt Lake City Summer League, has 33 assists compared to just four turnovers in four summer games so far, looking like the floor general he was in college at Houston
• Viral Dime: Before dropping 20 points against his hometown Knicks Friday, Brown Jr. provided the assist of the summer so far in Salt Lake
• Path Of Points: Both top-10 picks look to make instant offensive impacts for their clubs, having each set freshmen scoring records at their respective schools (Brown Jr., Louisville: 45-pts single-game; Flemings, Houston: 594-pt season)

Brown Jr. and Flemings aren’t the only star guards in the mix today, as Philly’s No. 22 overall pick looks to follow up his debut splash.

Pacers vs. Sixers (5:30 ET, Prime): Labaron Philon looks to build on his 18-point, 7-assist outing in Thursday’s win over Detroit, while Indy and second-round pick Braden Smith (No. 38 overall) eye a 2-0 summer start.

Mavericks vs. Lakers (10 ET, ESPN): Morez Johnson Jr. (No. 9 overall) looks to follow up his high-scoring debut (27 pts, 8 reb), as Dallas takes on No. 24 pick Cameron Carr (17.0 ppg, including Cali Classic), Adou Thiero and the Lakers.

Knicks vs. Spurs (6 ET, ESPN): Carter Bryant logged 6 minutes against the Knicks in Game 5 of the Finals, 28 days ago. Today, he’ll face the orange and blue again, alongside San Antonio’s new frontcourt addition Tarris Reed Jr. (No. 26 overall pick).

Pelicans vs. Hornets (4 ET, ESPN): Charlotte lottery pick Hannes Steinbach looks to follow up his 15-point, 11-rebound double-double in his Summer League debut win for the defending summer champs.

• Hot Hand: Former Lakers two-way player Kobe Bufkin eyes an encore to his 30-point Pelicans debut in Thursday’s loss to Minnesota

Nuggets vs. Wolves (7:30 ET, Prime): Minnesota returner Joan Beringer seeks a follow-up to his big 18-point, 12-rebound, 4-block double-double from Thursday in this matchup of postseason rivals. Denver seeks its first win this summer.

Rockets vs. Raptors (9:30 ET, Prime): Houston’s second-rounder Bruce Thornton looks for more after his 27-point outburst in Friday’s win, while Toronto tries to bounce back from Friday’s heartbreaking OT loss, where Allen Graves notched 22 points.

Heat vs. Magic (3:30 ET, Prime): The Sunshine State’s rivalry now features a rookie battle with ties to South Florida.

• Once Bulls: Orlando’s second-round pick Izaiyah Nelson, out of USF, faces Miami’s No. 37 overall pick Ryan Conwell, who spent his freshman year at South Florida before ultimately landing at Louisville

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5. ALL-ACCESS: NBA’S SUMMER LEAGUE TAKEOVER IN LAS VEGAS

We’re two days into the 2026 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, and all 30 teams have now taken the floor, with an eye toward the upcoming 2026-27 season.

The action’s drawing in fans and familiar faces from all across the basketball world. Let’s catch up with some of the biggest names in town for some summer hoops.

• “Jayson Tatum! Yeah!”: The Celtics’ superstar was spotted courtside and mic’d up, support the summer C’s and his former teammate-turned-coach Amile Jefferson
• First Impressions: Nets’ Rookie Mikel Brown Jr. was mic’d up for his first summer action in Vegas, and introduced himself to the refs pregame
• Vocal Leader: In addition to his record-tying 27-point summer debut, a mic’d up AJ Dybantsa showcased his IQ and constant communication, staying on his teammates
• More Reach Than A Mic: Cameras caught Cameron Johnson literally taking over the Nuggets’ X account

From All-Stars to NBA champions, and even WNBA favorites, you never know who you’ll find courtside in Las Vegas.

• Summer Fever: Indiana’s Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston, and Bree Hall pulled up to support the Pacers summer squad before the Fever’s Sunday matchup with the Aces
• Back To Work: Friday brought out a few of the reigning-champion Knicks to the site of their 2025 Emirates NBA Cup win for New York’s first Summer League showdown
• Welcome Wagon: Trae Young, Anthony Davis and more Wizards players had a big presence courtside for new teammate Dybantsa’s summer debut
• Fitting Right In: Ja Morant joined his new Blazers teammates in Vegas to support Portland’s collection of young talent
• More Special Guests: A deep Detroit crew, reigning Kia Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg, GloRilla and Brandon Ingram and more VIPs were spotted in Vegas

A growing group of hoopers are taking the court with cameras instead of kicks, as the NBA develops a player photography program.

• “I’m a Rookie’s Rookie”: DeAndre Jordan takes us behind the photographer’s lens, with his Pelicans teammatesrepresenting nearby
• Different Kind of Shot: Camera in hand, Chris Bosh breaks down what makes up a good photography shot
• Program Rising: After Phoenix’s Ryan Dunn brought his camera on an NBA Global Games trip, he and the league started brainstorming creative opportunities for more players with an interest in photography
• Player Access: Scottie Barnes got on-court access with his blue photographer’s vest