Second-Year Standouts: Which Sophomores Look Ready for a More Significant NBA Role?
Every NBA Summer League, the spotlight naturally falls on the incoming rookie class. But by the time the event wraps up, some of the biggest takeaways have nothing to do with first-year players.
For second-year players, Las Vegas serves an entirely different purpose. After a full season of NBA practices, strength programs, film study and, in many cases, G League development, these players are no longer trying to prove they belong in the league. They’re trying to prove they’re ready to contribute. Summer League becomes an opportunity to showcase growth, demonstrate a more polished skill set and make a case for meaningful rotation minutes entering the new season.
One strong week in Las Vegas won’t completely change a player’s long-term outlook, but it can offer valuable insight into who is beginning to put everything together. With that in mind, here are 10 second-year standouts who have looked ready to earn a more consequential NBA role heading into the 2026-27 season.
Tre Johnson (Washington Wizards)
The Wizards are expected to take a significant step forward this season. While much of the conversation surrounding Washington will center on No. 1 overall pick AJ Dybantsa, along with veterans Trae Young and Anthony Davis, the internal development of the roster will be just as important to the team’s success.
One player with a real chance to make a significant leap is Tre Johnson, Washington’s premier draft pick from a year ago. After a promising rookie campaign, Johnson looks poised to become an even more dynamic scorer in Year 2. From his first Summer League appearance, he looked every bit like one of the best players on the floor, showcasing the effortless shot-making ability that gives him legitimate 20-point-per-game upside at the NBA level.
Exactly what Johnson’s role looks like on a nightly basis remains to be seen, especially with several established creators already on the roster. But whenever those opportunities come, his ability to create offense for himself should make him an impactful piece of Washington’s rotation.
Will Riley (Washington Wizards)
Johnson wasn’t the only Wizard to stand out in Las Vegas. In fact, Will Riley may be one of the most underrated young players anywhere on Washington’s roster.
Through his first two Summer League games, Riley established himself as one of the event’s most prolific scorers while knocking down an incredibly high percentage of his 3-point attempts. His shot-making was impressive, but perhaps even more encouraging was how naturally his game fits alongside the roster Washington is building.
Riley still has room to add strength and continue rounding out his game, but his positional size, length and shooting ability project seamlessly alongside jumbo creators like Dybantsa and the rest of the Wizards’ young core. If his Summer League performance is any indication, Riley has a legitimate opportunity to emerge as an important bench contributor this season.
Liam McNeeley (Charlotte Hornets)
The new-look Hornets will be one of the more fascinating teams to follow this season after trading away LaMelo Ball. Charlotte is entering a new era built around Kon Knueppel and Brandon Miller, creating new opportunities for young players like Liam McNeeley to establish themselves.
McNeeley isn’t expected to be one of Charlotte’s primary scorers, but through his few Summer League appearances, he showed he can impact the game in a variety of ways. Long regarded as one of the better shooters in his class dating back to high school, McNeeley also displayed impressive feel as a passer and secondary playmaker, averaging more than three assists per game during the opening stretch in Las Vegas.
For McNeeley, that’s the key to carving out a long-term NBA role. His shooting will always be his calling card, but continuing to find ways to impact winning beyond simply making shots will ultimately determine how large his role becomes with the Hornets.
Chaz Lanier (Detroit Pistons)
The Pistons made it clear this offseason that improving their perimeter shooting was a priority. After a breakthrough regular season and a playoff appearance, Detroit added proven shooters like Isaiah Joe and Kevin Huerter to better complement Cade Cunningham.
Chaz Lanier could quietly become part of that equation in Year 2.
An older prospect who spent five seasons at the college level, Lanier once again showcased why he’s regarded as one of the better volume shooters in his class. He has been one of the most impressive volume perimeter shooters of the summer and has proven he can shoulder plenty of offensive responsibility at this level.
Lanier isn’t expected to play a major role for the Pistons as a sophomore, but there’s a clear pathway to earning meaningful minutes. If he can continue spacing the floor, hold his own defensively, make quick decisions as a passer and consistently knock down open shots, Detroit has every reason to trust him as a complementary piece on a playoff-caliber roster.
Egor Dёmin (Brooklyn Nets)
The Nets are still waiting for one of their young prospects to truly establish himself as the face of the franchise’s future. After selecting five players in the first round a year ago and following that up by landing Mikel Brown Jr. in the 2026 NBA Draft, Brooklyn has no shortage of intriguing young talent.
While Brown may have the clearest path toward becoming the organization’s cornerstone, Egor Dёmin shouldn’t be overlooked.
With his unique combination of size, ball-handling and playmaking ability, Dёmin immediately stood out during his limited Summer League action. He looked a step ahead of the competition, controlling the game with his pace while showing flashes of the versatility that made him such an intriguing prospect entering the league.
If Dёmin can carry that momentum into high-impact NBA minutes that lend to winning this season, it won’t be long before he’s on the brink of truly breaking out as a star. One year from now, he could very well be viewed as one of the league’s most promising young players.
Joan Beringer (Minnesota Timberwolves)
The Timberwolves made one of the splashiest moves of the offseason by acquiring LaMelo Ball to pair with Anthony Edwards, a move that also required parting ways with Julius Randle and reshaping parts of the roster. While much of the attention has focused on Minnesota’s revamped backcourt, Joan Beringer quietly put together one of the most impressive Summer League performances among second-year bigs and should spark conversations about the frontcourt rotation.
Beringer likely won’t share many minutes alongside Rudy Gobert, but what he showed in Las Vegas suggested he’s already capable of filling the backup center role while potentially positioning himself as Gobert’s long-term successor. That’s no small task considering Gobert’s defensive résumé, but Beringer flashed many of the same traits that have made the veteran so valuable for playoff teams. Through his first Summer League appearance, he was an elite rebounder, protected the rim at a high level and showed more offensive polish than many expected.
He’s still not the stretch big many NBA teams covet, but Minnesota’s system has long shown it can thrive with a non-shooting center. If Beringer continues progressing, there’s a clear path to meaningful rotation minutes this season whenever Gobert rests or misses time, with the potential for an even larger role in the years ahead.
Adou Thiero (Los Angeles Lakers)
Speaking of roster overhauls, few teams changed more than the Lakers. Outside of Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves, much of Los Angeles’ core rotation looks different entering the season, creating opportunities for young players to establish themselves over the course of an 82-game schedule.
While rookie Cameron Carr impressed during Summer League, second-year wing Adou Thiero may be just as important to the Lakers’ long-term outlook.
The biggest question surrounding Thiero remains his perimeter shooting, and through his first two Summer League games, that jumper still looked like a work in progress. But everything else that makes him intriguing was on full display. His athleticism, defensive intensity, transition play and ability to finish around the basket consistently impacted winning, even when the shot wasn’t falling.
For a Lakers team trying to prove it can compete around Dončić for years to come, the development of players like Thiero matters. If he embraces an energy role, becomes a disruptive defender and continues thriving in transition alongside one of the league’s best playmakers, there’s a very realistic pathway to meaningful rotation minutes this season.
Noah Penda (Orlando Magic)
Penda entered the league with plenty of intrigue following the 2025 NBA Draft, but after spending much of his rookie season developing behind the scenes, he arrived in Las Vegas looking like one of Summer League’s biggest surprises.
Through his first two appearances, Penda showcased far more than just reliable spot-up shooting. He created offense for himself, knocked down movement threes, looked comfortable attacking with the ball in his hands and consistently made the right play. His passing flashes stood out, he rebounded at a high level and showed the versatility teams covet from modern jumbo wings.
The Magic have spent the past few seasons pushing their chips toward the middle in pursuit of becoming a legitimate championship contender. Players like Penda could quietly become an important part of that equation. Whether it’s helping secure regular season wins or eventually carving out a complementary playoff role, his Summer League performance suggested he may be ready for a much larger opportunity than many expected.
Cedric Coward (Memphis Grizzlies)
There’s a legitimate argument that Cedric Coward was almost too accomplished to even be playing in NBA Summer League after the rookie season he put together. While his shooting efficiency wasn’t where he’d like it to be during his return to Las Vegas, the rest of his game more than made up for it.
In his limited Summer League appearances, Coward rebounded at an elite level for his position, showcased outstanding playmaking ability and once again proved why his defensive versatility is so highly regarded. Even during stretches when the jumper wasn’t falling, he still controlled games in a variety of ways.
Perhaps the biggest takeaway was simply how comfortable he looked. There were moments where Coward appeared to be operating at a completely different level than everyone else on the floor. Despite some uneven shooting splits, he consistently looked like one of the best players in the building.
The Grizzlies may not be expected to contend immediately, but Coward has all the tools to emerge as one of the league’s premier second-year players. Alongside teammate Cameron Boozer, he gives Memphis another foundational building block capable of leading the franchise into its next era.
Khaman Maluach (Phoenix Suns)
Maluach looked understandably raw during his rookie season on a Suns team focused on winning immediately, limiting his opportunities to develop through consistent NBA minutes. Entering Year 2, however, the outlook feels very different.
He may not open the season as Phoenix’s starting center with Mark Williams on the roster, but there’s a realistic path for Maluach to earn that role before the year is over. He still has moments where his processing lags behind the speed of the game and there are defensive rotations he’ll continue learning, but the flashes have become increasingly difficult to ignore.
During his time in Las Vegas, Maluach dominated the glass, scored efficiently, showed legitimate shooting touch from beyond the arc and consistently impacted the game as a rim protector. Just as importantly, his energy was contagious, elevating the intensity of the group whenever he was on the floor.
If he continues refining the processing side of the game and becomes more comfortable within Phoenix’s defensive scheme, Maluach’s sophomore season could look dramatically different from his rookie campaign. Few players from the 2025 draft class appear better positioned to make a significant Year 2 leap.
Summer League is rarely about proving who can score the most points. For second-year players, it’s about demonstrating growth, showing that the game has slowed down and proving they’re ready for a larger role when training camp arrives. While there is still plenty of offseason left before opening night, these 10 players have already strengthened their cases to become meaningful contributors during the 2026-27 season.
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