NBA Summer League Fantasy Takeaways: Who cooked, who's draftable and who holds dynasty intrigue
Summer League players who are draftable in 2025
Cooper Flagg - F, Dallas Mavericks
Flagg proved that he's NBA-ready. He willingly took on point guard duties and I came away impressed by his composure and vision running the offense. The playmaking upside enhances his versatility as a fantasy asset, making him a likely candidate to not last past the fifth round in drafts this season.
Advertisement
Alex Sarr - F/C, Washington Wizards
Sarr's rim protection and mobility stood out. He broke the Vegas Summer League record for blocks in a game (8) and shot a surprisingly efficient 48% from the field across two games. He's still a bit raw offensively, but there's top-100 potential since he'll start and be a reliable shot blocker.
Isaiah Collier - G, Utah Jazz
Utah's starting point guard is probably done with Vegas and he did about what I expected. He averaged 12 points with 5 rebounds and 8 assists per game across three games. The efficiency will be inconsistent, but he'll be a cheap late-round option for teams needing assists.
Advertisement
Matas Buzelis - F, Chicago Bulls
Buzelis looked stronger while playing with more physicality than last year. He averaged 2.5 stocks and went to the charity stripe 20 times over two games. That would be a nice development for his scoring profile if it translates to his second NBA season.
Jaylen Wells - F, Memphis Grizzlies
No Bane, no problem. The Grizzlies need Wells to step up and his first trial went successfully, averaging over 20 points with 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 3.0 3s and 1.5 steals. If he ends up starting with 30+ minutes per game, he'll be a draftable asset in deep redraft leagues.
Players who cooked but are not yet draftable assets
Kyle Filipowski - F, Utah Jazz
Flip will make the All-Summer League team and be in contention for Summer League MVP. In three games, the second-year pro averaged 29.3 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 3.3 3s per game. He looks like Lauri Markkanen.
Advertisement
Terrance Shannon Jr. - F, Minnesota Timberwolves
No surprise that Shannon torched the competition, considering he was getting minutes throughout the Wolves' Western Conference Finals run. Shannon's summer league is likely over after averaging 22-6-6 in two appearances this weekend.
Rob Dillingham - G, Minnesota Timberwolves
We know what Dillingham can do as a scorer. However, he looked much better as a distributor. Dillingham averaged 7.5 assists per game in Vegas and, if he can manage to keep his turnovers down, he'll be an important rotational piece behind aging PG Mike Conley.
Kyshawn George - F, Washington Wizards
If the Wizards continue experimenting with George at point guard, that'll bump him up into the draftable tier. It's the right decision, but until there's more clarity, he's a player I'll be monitoring closely this offseason.
Advertisement
Tre Johnson - G, Washington Wizards
Johnson was a walking bucket, looking like the Wizards' most natural scorer offensively. The Wizards need to buy out some guys, but by midseason, Johnson could emerge off the fantasy waiver wire.
Others who cooked: Reed Sheppard, G, Rockets; Ryan Dunn, F, Suns; Oso Ighodaro, C, Suns
Dynasty league risers
Liam McNeeley - G, Charlotte Hornets
McNeeley, a late first-round pick, was the most consistent player for the Hornets. Known for his shooting prowess, I did not expect him to be such a good rebounder (8.5 per game).
Nique Clifford - G, Sacramento Kings
The Kings have a lot of veterans in the locker room which may delay Clifford's immediate fantasy impact. Still, he flashed multi-category fantasy appeal, averaging 18.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 2.3 3-pointers and 2.0 steals per game at Summer League.
Advertisement
Jaylon Tyson - G/F, Cleveland Cavaliers
The 24th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft was an early candidate for "too good for Summer League." He helped Cleveland finish with a 2-1 record over the weekend, dropping 19 points with 6 rebounds and 6 assists per game. He notched an impressive 20-point, 12-assist double-double against the Pacers. That said, as good as Tyson was, he needs to chill with the turnovers.
Other intriguing dynasty options: Derik Queen, F/C, Pelicans; Joan Beringer, C, Minnesota Timberwolves; Ron Holland, F, Pistons; Daniss Jenkins, G, Pistons; Kevin McCullar Jr., F, Knicks; Bronny James, G, Lakers

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Washington Post
34 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Doyle hits walkoff homer in 9th, Rockies overcome 9-run 1st--inning deficit to beat Pirates 17-16
DENVER — Brenton Doyle hit a walkoff, two-run homer in a five-run ninth inning and the Colorado Rockies overcame a nine-run first-inning deficit to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 17-16 on Friday night. The Rockies are the sixth team in major league history to win after surrendering nine first-inning runs according to Elias Sports Bureau. Cleveland was the last to do it in 2006.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Yankees' trade deadline additions implode in loss to Marlins: Highlights
The New York Yankees blew multiple leads before losing to the Miami Marlins 13-12 at LoanDepot Park on Friday night. While the Yankees outhit the Marlins 15-12, Miami did enough to come out on top with a win that featured a six-run seventh inning. New York blew leads of 6-0, 9-4 and 12-10. The Yankees' bullpen struggled, including three new pitchers acquired before the trade deadline on Thursday. Jake Bird, David Bednar and Camilo Doval all made their debut for New York on Friday. Their outings were not what fans were hoping for. The three pitchers were brought in by New York in an attempt to overhaul the bullpen. Bird allowed three hits, including a home run, and four earned runs in just 0.1 inning of work. He entered the game with the Yankees leading 9-4 lead in the bottom of the seventh inning. With the score at 9-8 Yankees, Bednar was brought into the game in place of Bird. Bednar pitched 1.2 innings, allowing four hits, including one home run, and two earned runs to surrender the lead. He did manage to get the Yankees through the eighth inning without giving up another run. Doval replaced Bednar to start the ninth inning with the Yankees leading 12-10. He allowed two hits and three runs (one earned) in 0.1 innings to take the loss. It wasn't entirely on Doval, though — he was undone in part by a horrible error by another new addition, Jose Caballero. Playing his first game with the Yankees, Caballero misplayed a ground ball hit to right field. With the ball rolling nearly to the warning track, the game-tying runs were able to score and the winning run was suddenly set up on third. Four pitches later, the Yankees' collapse was complete thanks to a dribbler that didn't even make it to the infield grass. YES Network broadcaster Michael Kay called it the Yankees' "worst loss of the year." Yankees vs. Marlins highlights Check out full highlights from the wild contest here: The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Yankees vs Marlins highlights: Jose Caballero, new bullpen implode
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Gets Real: Washington Paralympian shares her story of success
For years, Taylor Swanson competed alongside able-bodied athletes, only to make a profound discovery when she was 30 years old. After feeling a step behind her entire life, Swanson was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy. But once the playing field was levelled, she excelled. 'I always had Cerebral Palsy, I just didn't know it. So, I had a lot of trouble in school… accidents, falling over, things like that," said Swanson. As a member of the Roosevelt High School track team, Swanson admits it was a struggle to keep up with her classmates, but it was a knee injury that prompted a physical therapist to suggest exploring para-athletics. 'From then, I started looking into competing as a Para-athlete and what that journey looked like,' said Swanson. That research landed her at ParaSport Spokane, a supportive non-profit organization that provides training and competitive opportunities for athletes with physical disabilities of all ages. Her time there propelled her into her first Paralympic Games in Paris last summer. 'I had no expectations. My coach always tells me 'go out there and have fun,' which is what I tried to do,' she said. She did more than that. She brought home a silver medal in the 100-meter T37 Sprint and a bronze in the 4x100-meter Universal Relay. 'It was awesome to have 80,000 fans watching me race, which was completely new to me,' she added. Last month, Swanson competed at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon, a 'good tune-up' leading to Nationals, which was also happening in Eugene in August. A decent showing there would give her a chance to qualify for the World Championships in New Delhi, India, next month, and if all goes well, could prompt an invite to the 2028 Summer Paralympics in Los Angeles. Swanson was asked what it would mean to get that gold medal to hang around her neck, and if she had already envisioned that in her head. 'Yeah. That's the ultimate goal, getting that gold medal,' she affirmed. When asked for any advice she'd pass along, Swanson replied, 'Just to go out there… try it. I run track, but there's so many other sports out there. Just find one that you love, because there's a lot of opportunities for athletes who have disabilities, for whatever interests they may have.'