With day one of the 2026 Las Vegas Summer League in the books and with both the California Classic and Salt Lake City Summer League concluding, there are plenty of overreactions to go around. Some players looked like positional steals, such as Morez Johnson, while others had a rockier start, such as Keaton Wagler.
One such player in the latter category is Dailyn Swain, chosen just outside the lottery by the Chicago Bulls. That pick originally belonged to the Blazers, with Chicago taking ownership by way of the Blazers making the playoffs and satisfying the years-old Larry Nance Jr. trade.
Dailyn Swain's struggles make Portland's playoff push look better
Swain’s first Summer League game ended with a stat line of 7 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists while shooting 3 for 10 from the field, which included missing all three 3-point attempts.
While those numbers aren't egregious, Swain will be 21 years old on July 15. As an older prospect, Swain is supposed to be a little more polished and a cut above the competition. Concerns about his room to grow may be raised if such box scores continue.
By contrast, the Bulls selected freshman Caleb Wilson with pick 4, and he dropped 35 points in just two more minutes than Swain, including seven made threes.
Swain was never billed as a knock-down shooter, but he was absolutely surgical inside the arc, shooting a blistering 54% on twos. That part of his game was supposed to be his strength, but the effort fell short. He spent the game being covered by Cedric Coward—admittedly a tough assignment—but other parts of the game he was guarded by the aptly named Javon Small, a diminutive 6’1”.
The Blazers’ biggest weakness remains outside shooting, second only to a lack of quality forward depth. Swain switched between the 2 and 3 in college and never gave the kind of shooting production that the Blazers desperately need right now.
Of course, the Blazers missing the playoffs would have likely resulted in pick 14, with which Hannes Steinbach was chosen. While Steinbach fulfills the forward depth aspect, he’s not well-known for his shooting prowess.
Steinbach fared well in his first summer league game, but Charlotte opted to bring him off the bench in favor of second-year player Ryan Kalkbrenner. As Summer League is more or less a draft showcase, the competition level between first and second units is a little more unbalanced.
Overall, the level of talent available at the cusp of the lottery is a little overstated. The Blazers nearly took a few games from the Spurs in the playoffs and proved they belong in this season’s playoff picture. Swain may not have moved the needle had they missed the postseason.
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