Dybantsa Ties Rookie Record, Peterson Tipped as Fastest Star
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- AJ Dybantsa tied the record for most points by a No. 1 pick in a summer league debut, scoring 27 points against the Utah Jazz and No. 2 pick Darryn Peterson
- Darryn Peterson (No. 2, Utah Jazz) topped the "fastest path to stardom" vote with 5 votes over Dybantsa's 4, with ESPN citing Will Hardy's long-term extension and a starting lineup of Markkanen, Jackson Jr., and George that "don't need to be ball dominant"
- Cameron Boozer (No. 3, Memphis Grizzlies) led the All-NBA team forecast with 7 votes and was called the "most NBA-ready of the lottery picks," though his team's success hinges on Zach Edey's health
- Brayden Burries (No. 10, Milwaukee Bucks) won the biggest draft steal vote by a wide margin (6 votes), described as a 6-foot-4 combo guard who turns 21 in September and fills a backcourt need as the Bucks enter a "post-Giannis" rebuild
- Morez Johnson Jr. (No. 9, Dallas Mavericks) was drafted earlier than projected to pair with reigning Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg; he won a national championship at Michigan under new Mavericks coach Dusty May
- AJ Dybantsa led the "highest long-term ceiling" vote (6 votes), but scouts flagged his inconsistent 3-point shooting and the need for him to become "a more disruptive and engaged defender" to realize it
- Cameron Boozer is now the face of a full Memphis rebuild after the Grizzlies traded Ja Morant shortly after the draft, with the offense expected to run through him "right away and potentially for years to come"
Why it matters: With Milwaukee rebuilding post-Giannis and Memphis trading Ja Morant to hand the keys to Boozer, two lottery picks enter the league as foundational pieces of franchise resets — and the insiders' split between Peterson's situation-friendly path and Dybantsa's higher ceiling sets up the closest Rookie of the Year race in years.
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