While Florida men’s basketball prepares for the 2026-27 season, some of the program’s former players have made a name for themselves professionally this summer.
Eight former Gators across eight teams were called up to the 2026 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.
While some of the bigger names, such as Walter Clayton Jr., Alijah Martin and Will Richard, were the focus heading into the tournament, it was Zyon Pullin and Colin Castleton who took Las Vegas by storm, playing integral roles in their teams’ performances.
Here’s a game-by-game recap of how Pullin and Castleton performed at the 2026 NBA Summer League.
Zyon Pullin - Minnesota Timberwolves
Pullin made a splash in the Summer League, averaging 21 points, 7.8 assists and 4.6 rebounds per contest across his five appearances, all of which were starts.
Pullin, who averaged 15.5 points and 4.9 assists per game during the 2023-24 campaign at Florida after transferring from the University of California, Riverside, went undrafted in the 2024 NBA Draft and was later signed by the Memphis Grizzlies.
He made three appearances during the 2024-25 season for Memphis before the Grizzlies waived him on July 20.
The 6-foot-4 guard went on to sign a training camp contract with the Timberwolves on Sept. 28, and on March 1, he signed a two-way deal with Minnesota. From that point, he appeared in five games, averaging 8.6 minutes and recording 19 points and five assists against New Orleans on April 12.
Building off last season, Pullin wasted no time taking advantage of the 2026 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas to prove his worth further.
To kick off Summer League action, the Timberwolves took on the Pelicans July 9, cruising to a 105-92 victory.
Pullin led Minnesota with a 24-point, 12-assist double-double. The former Gator was a rebound shy of a triple-double and went 6-for-14 from the field. He finished the contest with a +9 plus/minus.
Defensively, Pullin made his mark with two blocks and a steal. He also picked up just two fouls despite playing a team-high 31 minutes.
“It’s high energy,” he said postgame. “Everyone’s fighting for jobs out here, so everyone’s going to be giving their best effort.”
Getting off to a flying start in Las Vegas, the Timberwolves faced the Nuggets July 11. However, Denver handed Minnesota its first loss in Las Vegas, prevailing 101-82.
Pullin was still effective despite the result, finishing the game with a team-high 24 points on 8-of-16 shooting, including two 3-pointers. He also grabbed five boards and three assists.
The Timberwolves suffered their second loss in the 2026 NBA Summer League July 12, falling 111-84 to the Trail Blazers.
Once again, Pullin was effective despite the team’s performance, finishing the game with 16 points and 10 assists for his second double-double of the Summer League. He went 4-for-11 from the field and tacked on four rebounds.
“Zyon goes in, and he makes plays for others,” Minnesota Summer League head coach Nathan Bubes said postgame. “He was really doing a good job … getting out there.”
Like in Minnesota’s Summer League opener, the former Gator was active defensively, recording two steals.
Pullin and the Timberwolves returned to the win column after a 114-98 thrashing of the Indiana Pacers July 15.
Just like he’d done in the three games prior, Pullin led Minnesota in scoring again with a game-high 23 points, converting six of his 12 attempts from the field. His sole 3-pointer gave the Timberwolves a 65-53 advantage with 8:30 to go in the third quarter.
Aside from scoring, the point guard recorded six assists, two rebounds and a steal, finishing the contest with a +1 plus/minus.
“For me as a first-time head coach, having Zyon Pullin next to me is a gamechanger,” Bubes said postgame. “He is a true throwback point guard. I could sit probably on the bench the entire time he’s in there and would call the game probably better than I'm calling it.”
With a 2-2 record, the Timberwolves did not make the cut as a top-four team to compete for the 2026 NBA Summer League title. Instead, they played a consolation game against the Los Angeles Clippers on July 17.
Minnesota fell short 128-120 in overtime despite erasing an 18-point deficit in the fourth quarter.
Once again, Pullin led the way for the Timberwolves with a team-high 18 points on 2-of-8 shooting and eight assists. He tacked on three rebounds and a steal, but the former Gator struggled to take care of the ball with a team-high five turnovers.
Overall, he finished the contest with a -7 plus/minus, the best among Minnesota’s starters.
Next, Pullin will look forward to further proving himself during the Timberwolves’ preseason slate, with the schedule set to be announced in the following weeks.
Colin Castleton - Orlando Magic
Fresh off signing a two-way deal, former Gator Colin Castleton played an integral role in the Orlando Magic’s run at the 2026 Summer League in Las Vegas.
Castleton spent three seasons at Florida after two years at Michigan. As a Gator, Castleton averaged 16 points, 7.7 rebounds and a school-record three blocks per game during his 2022-23 graduate season.
After going undrafted in the 2023 NBA Draft, the DeLand, Florida, native had stints with the Lakers, Grizzlies, Raptors and 76ers before he signed with the Magic Aug. 22. He later agreed to a two-way deal with Orlando Oct. 17.
The former Gator most recently signed another two-way deal with the Magic on July 1 after playing just four regular-season games for the team during its 2025-26 campaign.
Looking for a chance to prove he’s deserving of more time with the Magic, Castleton took advantage of the Summer League, averaging 13.8 points, six rebounds and 1.3 assists across his four appearances. He shot 62.2% from the field and 42.9% from 3-point range.
To start Summer League action, Castleton and the Magic faced the Hornets July 9, falling short 86-74.
The former Gator had a tough outing, finishing the contest with three points on 1-of-4 shooting and the second-worst plus/minus on the team (-12).
However, he was quick to turn things around.
Castleton and the Magic bounced back and grabbed their first win of the Summer League July 11, defeating the Heat 93-88.
Castleton finished the contest with 15 points and eight rebounds. The 6-foot-10 forward went 5-for-8 from the field, including a 3-pointer.
“I should have played a little better last game,” Castleton said postgame. “I knew tonight was going to be a good matchup, so I took it personal.”
On July 12, the Magic built off its previous performance to take down the Trail Blazers 112-105 in overtime, securing its second win in Las Vegas.
Castleton had one of his best performances of the summer, recording 23 points on 11-of-17 shooting and seven rebounds. He also recorded two assists and a block, finishing the contest with a +1 plus/minus.
“Everybody has a target on their back,” Castleton said postgame. “Just being hungry, getting on the floor, diving on the floor, it doesn’t matter how far the ball is. If you can get to it, dive on the floor, get rebounds and be aggressive. That’s what [head coach D.J. Bakker] is preaching, and that’s what we’re doing.”
On July 15, the Magic continued their winning ways, prevailing over the Philadelphia 76ers 99-92 and improving its Summer League record to 3-1.
Castleton, for the third straight game, was a double-digit scorer with 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the field. He also tacked on six rebounds and an assist, finishing the contest with a +5 plus/minus. Defensively, Castleton recorded a steal and a block.
Despite having a 3-1 record through its first four Summer League games, the Magic did not secure a spot among the top four teams to compete for the 2026 NBA Summer League title. Instead, Orlando played the Boston Celtics in a July 18 consolation game.
Castleton didn’t suit up against the Celtics so he could rest, and the Magic won 103-97. Like Pullin, Castleton will look to build off his success in Las Vegas to make his mark in the NBA Preseason.
Contact Jeffrey Serber at Jserber@alligator.org. Follow him on X @JeffreySerber.
Jeffrey is a summer 2026 sports enterprise reporter and a third-year journalism sports & media major with a media, management and production minor. In his free time, he enjoys hanging out with friends and family, and rooting for the Miami sports teams
