Keaton Wagler Bounces Back in Stronger Second Summer League Outing

On Thursday, Clippers guard Keaton Wagler, the No. 5 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, made his quasi-NBA debut at Summer League in Las Vegas.

There was plenty of anticipation for the rookie, who saw a meteoric rise with Illinois, earning his way into a star role while leading his squad to the Final Four. At the draft, the Clippers bet on his feel for the game, taking him just after AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer and Caleb Wilson.

In his Summer League debut, though, Wagler struggled to exit the launchpad.

Across 27 minutes versus the Kings, he scored just seven points on 1-for-7 shooting, adding two rebounds, one assist and one turnover. The quickness of the game and physicality didn’t lend itself to a hot start for Wagler, especially having come into the college season as an unknown on the draft front.

The Kings left with a 6-point win, with No. 7 pick Darius Acuff Jr. continuing his high scoring numbers, though on exceptionally high volume.

In the Clippers’ Sunday tilt against Darryn Peterson and the Jazz, things seemed to get off to a similar start for Wagler. Notably, his lesser speed and athleticism jumped out — especially given the boosted physicality of Summer League.

In the third quarter, he finally found the confidence that made him one of college basketball’s most dangerous players as a true freshman. He exploded for 18 points, largely hitting open jumpers. Though he saw some of the tantalizing creation and play-making as well.

All in all, the top-five pick finished with a team-high 23 points on 6-for-16 shooting, including hitting four of his seven 3-point tries. He added four assists to three turnovers, and finished as a +18 from the starting lineup in a blowout win over Utah.

Keaton Wagler, the 5th overall pick, led the way for the Clippers!

🏀 23 PTS (team-high)
🏀 4 AST
🏀 4 3PM (team-high)

The @LAClippers win in @NBASummerLeague action 👏 pic.twitter.com/bFNqGCPvt3
— NBA (@NBA) July 13, 2026

The work isn’t yet done for Wagler, who needs to continue to adapt to both Summer League and the NBA as a whole. He’ll need to focus on adding strength, physicality and weight, as well as quickening his movement and reaction time to play on the ball.

The NBA jump will offer a similar one in terms of athleticism and physicality, though with his feel for the game, Wagler should be prepared to get up to speed at some point. Darius Garland in particular should be able to take plenty of pressure off him in the backcourt.

Still, he can take confidence in bouncing back at Summer League following a disappointing debut.

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