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Grading Nuggets' Top Summer League Performers: How Did the Rookies Play?

The Denver Nuggets had a few standouts at the 2026 NBA Summer League.
Logan Struck|
Jan 31, 2026; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks forward Trevon Brazile prior to a game against the Kentucky Wildcats at Bud Walton Arena.
Jan 31, 2026; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks forward Trevon Brazile prior to a game against the Kentucky Wildcats at Bud Walton Arena. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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Denver Nuggets

The Denver Nuggets finished their 2026 NBA Summer League campaign with a 3-2 record, but more importantly than how the team performed, we can look at how some of their top young talent fared in Las Vegas.

Summer League is all about these young players getting the chance to prove themselves, and the Nuggets certainly had a couple of standouts to give Denver hope of an improved young core. Here are performance grades for the Nuggets' most notable Summer League players:

Trevon Brazile: A

The most obvious standout from Denver's Summer League was 35th-overall pick Trevon Brazile, who especially put on a show against the OKC Thunder. In that game, he finished with 32 points and six rebounds on 6-12 shooting from beyond the arc.

Brazile looked like a polished NBA veteran in this game, making an impact everywhere on the floor and showing off his smooth shooting stroke, but he did not stop there. Through three total games, he averaged 18.7 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 2.0 stocks, while shooting 45.5% from the field and 47.4% from deep.

Due to his athleticism, length, defense, and rebounding, it was obvious that Denver believed Brazile had the tools to immediately make an impact for the Nuggets as a rookie. If the Summer League is any indication, the Nuggets were certainly right about that.

Bryce Hopkins: A

Denver's other 2026 second-round pick, Bryce Hopkins, was equally impressive. While he did not explode for 32 points in any of his games, he was consistently dominant. In four games, he averaged 18.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 2.3 stocks, while shooting 52.9% from the field and 35.7% from three-point range.

Hopkins showed off plenty of versatility on both sides of the ball, but was especially impactful offensively. Hopkins was a bit of a question mark coming into the draft, unsure how his game would translate to the NBA level, but he showed in Vegas that he might not have any trouble adjusting.

For the 49th pick in the draft, Hopkins was very impressive and could certainly be a long-term impact player in Denver if this Summer League run was any indication. With the Nuggets yet to officially sign Hopkins to a contract, he has made a case to potentially earn a standard deal, but at the very least, he will sign a two-way.

KJ Simpson: B

KJ Simpson is still on a two-way contract with the Nuggets, and as the team looks for improved ball-handling off the bench, the Summer League was his chance to prove he can help them out in that area.

Through just two games, he averaged 18.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 6.5 assists, showcasing his ability to both score and share the ball, but he was concerningly inefficient. Simpson shot just 35.7% from the field and 25% from beyond the arc, while turning the ball over 4.5 times per game.

Really, Simpson was not as bad as his shooting splits would suggest, as he did his job as Denver's Summer League point guard. We certainly cannot expect him to be perfect, but heading into his third NBA season, it likely would've been nice to see him be more efficient. Still, he showed flashes of better things to come.

Aaron Nkrumah: C-

This was a strange approach by the Nuggets' Summer League coaching staff. Despite being one of the most enticing undrafted prospects this year, he barely played in Las Vegas. Through three games, he averaged just 5.7 points and 2.3 rebounds in 13.1 minutes per contest.

This could have been much different if Nkrumah simply got more playing time, as he showed some flashes of what he is capable of both defensively and with the ball in his hands, but this was an unexpected situation.

Mark Sears: B+

The Nuggets have a pair of two-way contract spots to fill, and Mark Sears is undoubtedly a candidate for one of them. The 24-year-old point guard shined in Denver's game against the Portland Trail Blazers, dropping 26 points, four assists, and two steals on 4-8 shooting from beyond the arc.

He then followed up his 26-point outing with 17 points and six assists in Denver's Summer League finale, showing that his standout performance was not a fluke.

Sears is a very crafty and veteran-like point guard who shot 41.8% from three-point range in the G League last season. While a bit undersized at just six feet tall, he has the tools to be an impactful NBA guard. The Nuggets should certainly consider keeping him around with a two-way spot.

Mark Mitchell Jr.: D

Undrafted rookie Mark Mitchell Jr. is certainly another player we thought could compete for one of Denver's open two-way slots, but similarly to Nkrumah, he did not get much of a chance in Las Vegas. Through three appearances, he averaged 3.7 points, 1.3 rebounds, and one block in 16.8 minutes per game, shooting just 22.2% from the field.

Mitchell Jr. was also viewed as an undrafted gem, but he was severely disappointing in the Summer League. Whether it was not getting enough reps or simply underperforming, it is hard to imagine him earning one of Denver's open two-way spots after his Vegas outing.

Honorable Mentions

While I will not dive too far into their Summer League performances, it is worth noting the following players who stood out in Las Vegas:

Erik Stevenson: The 27-year-old guard was Denver's fifth-leading scorer in Vegas, averaging 11.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.6 steals per game. He was arguably Denver's most surprising performer in the Summer League, but his tenure with the Nuggets will likely end here in Las Vegas.

Jahmi'us Ramsey: Ramsey has been floating around the G League since 2020, rarely disappointing wherever he ends up, and he had an impressive Summer League campaign with the Nuggets. In Denver's Summer League finale, he dropped 20 points, eight rebounds, and two steals, shooting a perfect 9-9 from the field and 2-2 from deep.

Osayi Osifo: While the 6-foot-9 forward had a much better start to the Summer League than finish, he is still worth noting here. In his first three games, he averaged 10.7 points and 3.0 rebounds in just 11 minutes per game while shooting 90% from the field.

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Logan Struck
LOGAN STRUCK

Logan Struck is a writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's On SI since 2023

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