From Dybantsa vs. Peterson to Yang Hansen: My 2026 Summer League Watch List
An inside look at the prospects, competitions, and scouting takeaways I'll be monitoring throughout Summer League.
Today marks the official start of the 2026 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, with games tipping off through July 19.
For me, Summer League has become one of the must watch events on the NBA calendar. Unfortunately, I won’t be in attendance this year, as I’m still living in Paris. That means a lot of late nights, early mornings, and alarms set for games that tip off at 2 or 3 a.m. local time. But if you’re serious about watching the next generation of NBA talent, a little lost sleep is part of the job.
I still remember my first Summer League back in 2012, long before it became the basketball spectacle it is today. I walked down the steps at the Thomas & Mack Center, found a seat just a few rows from the floor, and watched Damian Lillard make his Summer League debut. Back then, fans could move around freely, grab a courtside seat, and soak in the action without much hassle.
Those days are long gone.
Summer League has exploded in popularity. Ticket prices have skyrocketed, games routinely sell out, and Las Vegas has become the center of the basketball world every July. Last summer, when Cooper Flagg made his debut, the arena was so packed that leaving your seat to grab a drink or use the restroom felt like a gamble. If you got up, there was a good chance someone else would be sitting there when you came back.
It’s a credit to the NBA for transforming what were once glorified exhibition games into one of the league’s premier offseason events. Summer League has become more than just basketball. It’s where NBA executives, scouts, coaches, agents, media members, and diehard fans all gather for an early glimpse at the league’s future.
Over the next 10 days, I’ll be watching as many games as possible, keeping an eye on the rookie class, second year players looking to establish themselves, position battles, and some intriguing roster decisions that could carry over into training camp.
And while there are plenty of storylines worth following, none is bigger than opening night’s marquee matchup between the first two picks in the 2026 NBA Draft: AJ Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson.
The Marquee Matchup: AJ Dybantsa vs. Darryn Peterson
Over the past few years, the NBA has done an incredible job of maximizing the excitement surrounding Summer League opening night. Rather than easing fans into the schedule, the league has consistently featured marquee matchups involving its newest stars, and this year is no exception.
The NBA wasted no time setting the stage.
Opening night features the top two picks in the 2026 NBA Draft as AJ Dybantsa and the Washington Wizards take on Darryn Peterson and the Utah Jazz. Considering the anticipation surrounding these two prospects over the past few years, this has a chance to be one of the most anticipated Summer League debuts in recent memory.
We’ve seen massive crowds tune in for the Summer League debuts of Victor Wembanyama, Zion Williamson, Cooper Flagg, and Lonzo Ball. Dybantsa and Peterson belong in that conversation.
Part of the intrigue comes from what could become one of the NBA’s next great rivalries.
Dybantsa had been viewed as the No. 1 player in the class for most of his high school career. But during their senior seasons, the gap between him and Peterson narrowed considerably, turning what once felt like a foregone conclusion into one of basketball’s biggest debates.
Who was the better long term NBA prospect?
Dybantsa or Peterson?
Then came college, where their journeys couldn't have been more different.
Statistically, the answer appeared straightforward.
Dybantsa put together one of the best freshman seasons in recent college basketball history at BYU, leading the nation in scoring at 25.5 points per game while averaging 6.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists. Night after night, he validated why he had spent years atop the recruiting rankings and was widely projected as the No. 1 pick.
Peterson’s path was not as smooth.
Limited to just 24 games because of injuries and an up and down freshman season at Kansas, he still averaged 20.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game.
On paper, it looked like a no brainer.
Dybantsa had the bigger numbers, the healthier season, and one of the best freshman campaigns in recent memory.
Yet Peterson’s name never disappeared from the No. 1 pick conversation.
Whether it was genuine interest from Washington or late draft smoke screens, there continued to be speculation that the Wizards were seriously considering Peterson with the top pick. That only added another layer to a rivalry that had been building for years.
The storyline became even more compelling because Dybantsa spent his final high school season at Utah Prep before starring at BYU. With the Jazz holding the second pick, Utah fans knew they were guaranteed to land one of the two players who had dominated draft conversations for the better part of two years.
I’ve been an AJ Dybantsa believer ever since I watched him as a freshman in high school.
But even I couldn’t ignore Peterson’s ascension.
The rivalry, however, didn’t begin during the draft process.
It started on the court.
Their first notable meeting came in December 2024, when Peterson scored 32 points to lead Prolific Prep past Dybantsa’s Utah Prep squad.
Then came the game that elevated the rivalry to another level.
It remains one of the best high school basketball games I’ve ever watched.
The two future top picks combined for more than 100 points, with Peterson erupting for 58 points, including the game winning three-pointer, while Dybantsa finished with 49 points in an unforgettable showdown.
Earlier this year, they met again when Kansas hosted BYU.
The game itself didn’t quite live up to the enormous hype, but it added another chapter to their growing rivalry.
Kansas won 90-82, and while the box score shows Peterson finishing with 18 points and Dybantsa scoring 17 on 6-12 shooting, the numbers don’t tell the full story.
This was one of those games you had to watch.
Peterson controlled the game from the opening tip.
Dybantsa entered as the nation’s leading scorer but was strangely quiet throughout the night. He didn’t attempt his first shot until roughly nine minutes into the game and didn’t score his first basket until there were about seven minutes remaining in the first half. He attempted only 12 shots and finished third on his own team in scoring.
If you’re judging the rivalry strictly by their head-to-head meetings, Peterson has had the upper hand.
Now they get to write the next chapter.
Tonight marks the first meeting between the two as NBA players, and Peterson enters with plenty of momentum after an outstanding Salt Lake City Summer League. He opened with 28 points in his debut before following it up with 25 points and 12 assists, giving him plenty of confidence heading into Las Vegas.
Whether you’re a Wizards fan, a Jazz fan, or simply an NBA Draft junkie, this is the matchup I’m looking forward to most.
Even if it means waking up at 3 a.m. in Paris, I’ll be watching.
