Bucks rookie Brayden Burries tops CBS Sports’ Vegas summer list
CBS Sports named Milwaukee guard Brayden Burries its Las Vegas Summer League MVP after a loaded rookie class delivered in the desert.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
3 min read
Brayden Burries came out of Las Vegas with the shiniest summer crown in CBS Sports’ book.
CBS Sports writer Cameron Salerno named the Milwaukee Bucks guard his MVP of the 2026 NBA Las Vegas Summer League after the 11-day event wrapped Sunday night with the Golden State Warriors beating the Memphis Grizzlies for the championship.
Salerno’s selections put the spotlight on a rookie class that arrived with major buzz and did plenty to keep it. The first four picks in the 2026 NBA Draft, AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer and Caleb Wilson, all landed on one of CBS Sports’ two All-Las Vegas Summer League teams.
The summer showcase opened with Dybantsa’s Washington Wizards facing Peterson’s Utah Jazz, a matchup Salerno described as one of the most anticipated summer league games. The event also showed off depth beyond the draft’s top names, with Burries, the No. 10 pick, leading that group.
Burries gets the MVP nod
According to CBS Sports, Burries averaged 23.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.3 assists across four games in Las Vegas. Salerno cited his low turnover total, efficiency and ability to contribute as a shooter, defender, passer and rebounder.
CBS Sports framed Burries as a possible foundation piece for Milwaukee, describing the Bucks as entering a rebuild after Giannis Antetokounmpo’s exit to the Miami Heat.
Burries was also placed on the first team, joined by Cleveland Cavaliers guard Meleek Thomas, Chicago Bulls forward Caleb Wilson, Phoenix Suns big man Khaman Maluach and Memphis Grizzlies forward Cameron Boozer.
First-team scorers and standouts
Thomas, the No. 34 pick in 2026, earned first-team status after averaging 27.3 points over four games and shooting 43.8% from 3-point range, according to CBS Sports. Salerno noted that Thomas had been less prominent at Arkansas while playing alongside Darius Acuff Jr., but his Vegas scoring gave Cleveland another young option.
Wilson, the No. 4 pick, made the first team after a sharp shooting burst in his summer opener. CBS Sports reported that he hit seven 3-pointers against Memphis, matching the total he made during his entire freshman season at North Carolina. Salerno also pointed to Wilson’s motor and defensive upside.
Maluach, the No. 10 pick in 2025, was praised by CBS Sports as one of the better second-year players at the event after showing floor-spacing ability on offense and rim protection on defense.
Boozer, the No. 3 pick, rounded out the first team. Salerno highlighted his passing, feel for the game and decision to keep playing late in summer league while other top rookies were shut down. CBS Sports also called him the favorite for NBA Rookie of the Year.
Dybantsa and Peterson land on second team
The second team included Brooklyn Nets guard Egor Dёmin, Toronto Raptors forward Allen Graves, Utah Jazz guard Darryn Peterson, Golden State Warriors forward Yaxel Lendeborg and Washington Wizards forward AJ Dybantsa.
CBS Sports said Dёmin improved as a finisher inside the arc after already proving himself as a 3-point shooter as a rookie. Graves, the No. 19 pick, averaged 16.8 points in four games and was credited by Salerno for two-way play that could push him into Toronto’s rotation.
Peterson, the No. 2 pick, was noted for turnovers and fouls that CBS Sports said he will need to cut down, but Salerno wrote that his play in Salt Lake City and Las Vegas reinforced his standing as a high-end guard prospect.
Lendeborg, the No. 11 pick, finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds in Golden State’s title-clinching win over Memphis, according to CBS Sports. Dybantsa, the No. 1 pick, played only two summer league games but scored 50 points and attempted 14 free throws, with CBS Sports saying Washington had seen enough to shut him down early.
This story draws on original reporting from CBS Sports.