ESPN ranks Duke duo as two of summer league's top performers

Following the 2026 NBA Summer League championship game Sunday night, ESPN revealed their accolades from the tournament, which included two Duke alumni.

Despite falling to the Warriors in the finale, Cameron Boozer of the Memphis Grizzlies was named ESPN's Summer League MVP by NBA writer Ben Golliver. In six games, the recent No. 3 overall pick performed as advertised, averaging 18.5 points, eight rebounds and 3.7 assists.

While Golliver named Egor Demin of the Brooklyn Nets the "best sophomore," he recognized Khaman Maluach of the Phoenix Suns as the "most improved sophomore." A former No. 10 overall pick, Maluach was dominant in his four summer league games, averaging 19.5 points, 12.8 rebounds and two blocks per game while shooting 40% from beyond the arc.

Of the two, Boozer is expected to see more playing time as he begins his NBA career; however, Maluach has certainly made the case for an increased role during his sophomore campaign after averaging 8.9 minutes in 46 games a season ago.

This article originally appeared on Duke Wire: ESPN ranks Duke duo as two of summer league's top performers