AJ Dybantsa Among First-Round Picks To Sign On Thursday
Five first-round picks have signed their rookie scale contracts throughout the day on Thursday.
A couple of the players are expected to take part in the Salt Lake City and California Classic Summer Leagues, which will take place before the Las Vegas Summer League, so their teams are taking the opportunity to get them under contract ahead of practices this week and their SL debuts over the weekend.
In past years, we’ve devoted full stories to each of the 30 first-round picks signing his rookie scale contract, but since most of those deals are a mere formality and the salary terms are predetermined, we’ll likely try relaying most of them in round-up form this year, like we’ve done below. That only figures to change if there’s something unusual to note about a particular signing, such as a player accepting below the usual 120% of his rookie scale amount.
Here are the players who have signed their rookie scale contracts on the first day of the new league year, per the NBA’s transaction log and/or announcements from their teams. We’ve included their tentative contract details (based on 120% of the rookie scale) and links to our stories from when they were drafted last week.
- AJ Dybantsa (Wizards): First-year salary of $14.7MM; four-year total of $66.9MM (story)
- Kingston Flemings (Hawks): First-year salary of $7.3MM; four-year total of $33.4MM (story)
- Morez Johnson Jr. (Mavericks): First-year salary of $6.8MM; four-year total of $30.7MM (story)
- Allen Graves (Raptors): First-year salary of $4.1MM; four-year total of $19.7MM (story)
- Cameron Carr (Lakers): First-year salary of $3.3MM; four-year total of $16.8MM (story)
Eastern Notes: Graves, Philon, Flemings, Hornets, Bulls
The Raptors possessed the No. 19 selection on Monday and chose Santa Clara wing Allen Graves, a player they had been hoping would be available and who multiple sources had indicated was high on their board, according to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.
Among other things, Graves impressed them with his steal rate and knack for offensive rebounding. He also converted 41.3 percent of his three-point shots as a freshman.
“As a player, he’s a high-processor, two-way player, wins the possession game, I think, on both ends of the floor,” Raptors executive vice president Bobby Webster said. “Obviously, a developing player as well, just played one year of college, so he’ll have the usual and typical adjustment to NBA pace, speed, quickness. But sort of a young prospect that we think does a few things really well on the defensive end, and then offensively, obviously shooting, feel for the game. So we thought we got one of the better two-way players in the draft.”
Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:
- The Sixers used the No. 22 pick on Alabama guard Labaron Philon. It was a much-needed boost to a backcourt that was depleted when the club traded Jared McCain to the Thunder, Tony Jones of The Athletic writes. “He was pretty high on our board,” new Sixers president Mike Gansey said. “We were surprised he was there. He’s dynamic. He can play on or off the ball. He can score, and he can pass. He was the focal point of Alabama’s offense, and they played in the SEC, so he was playing against great athletes every night. He plays with an edge and a swag. He plays with some toughness.” Philon expects to make an immediate impact. “I want to come in and take pressure off Tyrese (Maxey) and VJ (Edgecombe),” Philon said. “I think we have a chance to have a special season coming up. With Joel Embiid and Paul George, we have a great roster. I believe that I can play at a high level, and that I’m going to be able to get into the paint and create shots.”
- After dealing Trae Young to the Wizards, the Hawks created a long-term hole at the point. They filled it with Kingston Flemings, the No. 8 pick in the draft. The Atlanta Journal Constitution’s Michael Cunningham opines that Flemings is unlikely to become an elite play-maker like Young but says that he’s a good passer, provides better size and athleticism, and will be a better NBA defender than Young. Flemings is the prize Atlanta received when New Orleans gave away an unprotected first-rounder during last season’s draft night trade. “He’s just the ultimate competitor, especially at his position,” president of basketball operations Onsi Saleh said of Flemings. “Point-of-attack defender. Really high-level offensive player, super-efficient. The guy can just do a little bit of everything.”
- The Hornets had a pair of top 20 picks and grabbed University of Washington center Hannes Steinbach at No. 14 and Texas Tech’s Christian Anderson at No. 18. “Best rebounder in the draft,” president of basketball operations Jeff Peterson said of Steinbach, per Roderick Boone of the Charlotte Observer. “He’s someone who is just continuously trying to get better. He’s very skilled, a very high IQ player. He fits us from a DNA standpoint.” Anderson will fortify their backcourt. “One of the best shooters in the draft,” Peterson said of the No. 18 pick. “He shot about 40% on three, just right under eight attempts a game. Shoots them off the balance, catch-and-shoot, spot ups — just in various ways. And then his IQ as well. He’s one of the best pick-and-roll players in the draft, too. Does a tremendous job of valuing the ball.”
- The Bulls selected Caleb Wilson and Dailyn Swain in the first round. President of basketball operations Bryson Graham is focused on establishing a defensive identity and those picks were made in large part with that in mind, Jay Cohen of The Associated Press writes. “The fastest way to find playing time and opportunity is on the defensive side of the ball,” Graham said. “So as Dailyn comes in and as Caleb comes in, I’m looking for them to be tone-setters on that side of the floor and be pillars for this organization going forward.”
Hawks Select Kingston Flemings At No. 8
The Hawks have used the eighth overall pick in the 2026 draft to nab former Houston guard Kingston Flemings.
Flemings wasn’t included in the first 60-player mock draft that ESPN published last June, but quickly rose up draft boards as he got off to a hot start to his college career with the Cougars. Over the course of the 2025/26 season, the San Antonio native averaged 16.1 points, 5.2 assists, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.5 steals in 31.7 minutes per game across 37 appearances (all starts), posting a strong shooting line of .476/.387/.845.
A consensus second-team All-American, Flemings displayed explosiveness and quickness for Houston and made an impact on both ends of the court as a freshman. He helped lead the team to a pair of NCAA tournament wins before the Cougars were eliminated in the Sweet 16, then decided to forgo his remaining college eligibility to go pro.
While Flemings was very impressive as a freshman, some scouts have concerns about his size, as he didn’t measure particularly well at the combine, leading some to question how well he’ll be able to hold up defensively at the NBA level. Another question mark about Flemings is his outside shot — his shooting splits are more than respectable on the surface, but he spent a lot of time in the mid-range in college, only attempting 2.9 threes per contest.
Flemings reportedly has a strong work ethic and was well-regarded by his teammates at Houston. Ahead of the first round, the 19-year-old published an open letter to NBA general managers on The Players’ Tribune, detailing how being hit by a car at age four shaped his outlook on life and explaining why he believes he’s capable of becoming a Hall-of-Famer.
Flemings is considered a true point guard and could be the replacement for Trae Young, whom the Hawks traded to Washington in January for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert. Veteran combo guard McCollum finished last season as a starter and recently signed a one-year, $21MM extension that covers 2026/27. However, he’ll be 35 in September and is obviously on a short-term deal.
The Hawks opted against using a traditional point guard after the Young trade (and even before that, since Young was injured for most of the season), instead relying on a fairly egalitarian offensive system with Jalen Johnson as the primary play-maker — the 6’8″ small forward averaged 22.5 PPG, 10.3 RPG and 7.9 APG en route to third-team All-NBA honors. Flemings will have a chance to be a long-term complement to Johnson.
Draft Rumors: Cavs, Bucks, Philon, Trades, Flemings
As the draft approaches, the Cavaliers are exploring the possibility of trading the No. 29 overall pick, reports Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscription required). According to Fedor, while Cleveland could stand pat if the front office doesn’t get the kind of offer it’s seeking, the team is open to either moving down into the second round or moving out of the draft entirely.
As Fedor details, the Cavaliers had “mixed results” getting late first-round prospects into their building for pre-draft workouts. While some, including North Carolina big man Henri Veesaar, visited the team, others passed on the opportunity. For instance, Zuby Ejiofor‘s representatives told Cleveland that they expected their client to be off the board by No. 29 and wanted to prioritize workouts with teams with more favorable picks.
While the Cavs would be willing to select a player who didn’t work out for the team, the front office also has to consider the cap implications of using that No. 29 pick. After operating as the NBA’s only second-apron team in 2025/26, Cleveland still projects to have a significant payroll in ’26/27 and may prefer to move down into the second round where a draftee could be signed for the rookie minimum.
Here are more draft-related rumblings, with the start of the first round just hours away:
- The Bucks, who now control the 10th and 13th overall picks in the first round, are “quite high” on Alabama guard Labaron Philon, sources tell Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link). Philon also told Fischer that Milwaukee was the one team he worked out for multiple times during the pre-draft process.
- Fischer views the Spurs (No. 20), Hawks (No. 23), Knicks (No. 24), and Nuggets (No. 26) as teams that will be looking to trade down or out of the first round. Team executives who have spoken to Fischer are predicting a good deal of pick movement in the 20-to-30 range.
- Conversely, Fischer (Twitter link) is somewhat skeptical that any of the picks in the top 10 will be traded, though Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report (Twitter link) hears from multiple sources that the Hawks still seem to be “pretty active” in trade discussions involving the No. 8 pick.
- John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7, who is very plugged in on the Suns, identifies Baba Miller, Trevon Brazile, Tyler Bilodeau, Ja’Kobi Gillespie, Joshua Jefferson, and Dillon Mitchell as the top prospects on Phoenix’s radar in the second round. Moving up from No. 47 will likely be necessary to have a shot at several of those players. For what it’s worth, Fischer believes the Mavericks will strongly consider taking Cincinnati’s Miller at No. 30 if they keep that pick.
- Mexican forward Karim Lopez worked out for the Bucks (Nos. 10 and 13), Warriors (No. 11), and Hornets (Nos. 14 and 18) during the pre-draft process, tweets Alder Almo of Heavy Sports. Lopez also auditioned for the Heat, who included their No. 13 pick in the Giannis Antetokounmpo blockbuster with Milwaukee and are no longer a viable destination.
- Ahead of the first round, Houston guard Kingston Flemings published an open letter to NBA general managers on The Players’ Tribune, detailing how being hit by a car at age four shaped his outlook on life and explaining why he believes he’s capable of becoming a Hall-of-Famer.
- ESPN’s Jeremy Woo has published a new 11th-hour mock draft, as have Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman, Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports, and Sam Vecenie of The Athletic.
Siegel’s Latest: Ament, Mara, Bulls, Burries, Quaintance
Rival teams continue to suggest the Nets are taking a “long look” at Tennessee forward Nate Ament with the sixth overall pick, Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints writes in his latest mock draft.
As Siegel notes, Brooklyn’s front office has an unusual draft history and has shown a willingness to go against the grain, as evidenced by the fact that the team used five first-round picks — an NBA record — in 2025.
Here are a few more items of interest from ClutchPoints:
- The Thunder (Nos. 12 and 17) and Bulls (Nos. 15, 38 and 56) are among the teams interested in trading up to acquire Michigan center Aday Mara, sources tell Siegel. On a related note, Siegel hears Chicago has been trying to add a second top-10 pick (the team also controls No. 4), but that seems unlikely. However, moving into the 11-14 range could be a possibility, with Mara’s former teammate Morez Johnson viewed as another trade-up candidate for the Bulls.
- The Mavericks (No. 9) aren’t particularly high on Kingston Flemings and have him ranked lower on their boards than several of his backcourt peers, including Brayden Burries, sources tell ClutchPoints. Speaking of Burries, Siegel hears the Hawks (No. 8) wouldn’t be a “preferred landing spot” for the freshman guard out of Arizona.
- Multiple sources tell Siegel that “many” unnamed teams have removed Jayden Quaintance from their draft boards due to concerns over his medical records and injury history. The former Arizona State big man only played four games with Kentucky in 2025/26 after tearing his ACL as a member of the Sun Devils in February 2025. While there’s a chance Quaintance could slip out of the first round, Siegel expects a team in the 25-to-30 range to select the center, who was once a projected lottery pick.
Draft Notes: Warriors, Mavericks, Lopez, Rankings
The Warriors hosted a pre-draft workout on Thursday featuring five projected first-round picks, the team announced (via Twitter).
A total of nine prospects attended Thursday’s session. Here are those players:
- Brayden Burries, G, Arizona
- Cameron Carr, G, Baylor
- Anthony Dell’Orso, F, Arizona
- Barry Dunning, F, Pittsburgh
- Lajae Jones, F, Florida State
- Labaron Philon, G, Alabama
- Hannes Steinbach, C, Washington
- Bennett Stirtz, G, Iowa
- Tre White, F, Kansas
Burries is the top-ranked prospect among the group, coming in at No. 11 on ESPN’s big board. Steinbach (No. 15), Philon (No. 16), Stirtz (No. 19) and Carr (No. 20) are all ranked within the top 20.
While Steinbach brings an elite skill (rebounding) to the table, Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area believes the German big man isn’t a great fit for Golden State due to his defensive limitations.
Here are few more notes on next week’s 2026 NBA draft:
- Christian Clark of The Athletic weighs the pros and cons of the Mavericks potentially drafting Burries, Kingston Flemings or Mikel Brown Jr. with the ninth overall pick, though he acknowledges it’s possible only of those guards will be available at that spot. Clark says he personally would favor Flemings, assuming the Houston guard is on the board, and writes that everyone on Dallas’ roster aside from Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving appears to be available in trade talks.
- New Zealand Breakers forward Karim Lopez will likely become the first Mexican-born first-round pick on Tuesday, Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated notes within a profile of the 19-year-old. Lopez is ranked 13th on ESPN’s board.
- In a story for ESPN.com, Jeremy Woo ranks the top prospects from both 2025 and 2026 based on how he viewed them coming out of college. Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg comes in at No. 1, followed by AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer and Dylan Harper. Woo’s 10-player list is rounded out by Kon Knueppel, who was selected fourth overall by Charlotte last year.
Draft Rumors: Clippers, Wagler, Nets, Kings, Flemings, Ament, More
Rival teams expect the Clippers to use the No. 5 overall pick in the draft to select either Illinois guard Keaton Wagler or Louisville guard Mikel Brown, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link), who explains that those two players are viewed as better fits alongside point guard Darius Garland than Arkansas’ Darius Acuff or Houston’s Kingston Flemings would be.
Fischer hears from sources that Wagler and Flemings took part in a head-to-head workout at the Clippers’ facility last week and says the chatter since then has suggested that Wagler was the more impressive prospect of the two in that session.
As for Brown, he has mostly been hosting teams in Orlando to work out in a 1-on-0 setting, but he has recently begun paying visits to teams in his draft range as well. According to Fischer, the Nets (No. 6) hosted Brown last Thursday and he’s currently in Los Angeles to meet with the Clippers.
If Wagler and Brown end up coming off the board fifth and sixth, it would line up the Kings to use the No. 7 pick on Acuff, a player they’ve been linked to throughout the pre-draft process. Flemings would also be an option in that scenario, and Fischer and James Ham of The Kings Beat (Twitter link) both hear that the Houston guard was in Sacramento last week to work out for the Kings, despite a previous report that stated he hadn’t visited the club.
Here are a few more notes and rumors related to the 2026 NBA draft:
- Sources tell Fischer that one reason Darryn Peterson isn’t visiting the Jazz is because his camp is wary of positional overlap with guard Keyonte George, who is viewed as a long-term cornerstone in Utah. In other news out of Utah, Tony Jones of The Athletic (Twitter link) confirms that the Jazz recently hosted Acuff for a workout and were impressed, but sources tell Jones that the club is unlikely to seriously consider anyone besides Peterson, AJ Dybantsa, or Cameron Boozer with the No. 2 overall pick.
- Nate Ament‘s trainer, Chauncey Beckett, spoke at length to Mark Medina of R.org about the Tennessee forward’s pre-draft process, indicating that Ament has worked out – or is scheduled to work out – for the Clippers, Nets, Mavericks, Thunder, and Bulls.
- Fischer shares a couple updates on potential second-round picks, writing that several scouts have linked BYU guard Richie Saunders to the Nets at No. 33 and adding that Syracuse forward William Kyle has shut down his pre-draft workouts. Kyle visited 11 teams and got enough positive feedback during those workouts that he declined five additional invitations, according to Fischer, who identifies the Knicks, Spurs, Thunder, Celtics, and Lakers as teams with interest.
- Gonzaga guard Tyon Grant-Foster, who had a defibrillator implanted due to a heart condition called arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy, has been granted medical clearance by the NBA’s fitness-to-play panel, reports Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress (Twitter link).
Hawks Rumors: McCollum, No. 8, Landale, Kuminga, More
The Hawks remain “hopeful” about their chances of re-signing veteran guard CJ McCollum in free agency this summer, writes Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link). Within his latest rumor round-up, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype also discusses the possibility of McCollum returning to Atlanta as a free agent, suggesting that the 34-year-old is being projected to sign a new deal with the Hawks in the range of $20MM per year.
Even if they bring back McCollum, the Hawks have interest in adding a “downhill ball-handler” to their backcourt to complement star forward Jalen Johnson, Fischer reports. Additionally, Atlanta would like to upgrade its frontcourt rotation beyond current starting center Onyeka Okongwu, Fischer adds.
Rival executives expect the Hawks to address one of those needs with the eighth overall pick in next week’s draft, according to both Fischer and Scotto. With AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer, and Caleb Wilson expected to come off the board in the top four, in some order, at least one guard from a group that includes Mikel Brown, Darius Acuff, Keaton Wagler, and Kingston Flemings will be available at No. 8, and Michigan center Aday Mara may also be an option.
Fischer says he gets the sense that the Brown, Wagler, and Flemings camps all view the Hawks at No. 8 as their floor, while Acuff’s floor may be Milwaukee at No. 10, despite a series of rumors suggesting that Sacramento covets him at No. 7.
Here’s more on the Hawks:
- Numerous teams are expected to register interest in free agent center Jock Landale after his strong 2025/26 season, but the Hawks hope to retain him, Scotto reports. Atlanta holds Landale’s Non-Bird rights and he’s coming off a minimum-salary contract, so the club’s ability to give him a raise without using another exception will be limited.
- Before making their decision on Jonathan Kuminga‘s $24.3MM team option, the Hawks have gauged the trade market for the former seventh overall pick, league sources tell HoopsHype. However, Scotto describes Kuminga returning to Atlanta – whether on that option or on a new contract – as a “real possibility.”
- The Hawks, who also hold a second first-rounder at No. 23, have looked into the possibility of trading up from that spot, league sources tell Scotto.
- Although Atlanta was identified last week as a team with some interest in Austin Reaves, the odds of the Hawks emerging as a serious suitor for the Lakers guard, an unrestricted free agent this offseason, are considered low, Scotto writes.
- Zaccharie Risacher, the No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft, spoke in an interview with beIN Sports about playing a diminished role during his second NBA season, as Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops relays. Risacher admits it was a “pretty frustrating” season and said the reason for his dip in minutes was “not as clear as I would have liked.” However, he believes he stayed mentally focused and can learn from the experience. “I belong on an NBA court,” the 21-year-old forward said. “There’s no doubt about that. I have confidence in myself.”
Warriors Rumors: Kawhi, Murphy, No. 11, Green, Porzingis, More
Even though Stephen Curry and Draymond Green are in their late-30s, the Warriors aren’t necessarily eager to make win-now moves that “mortgage the future for the present,” according to ESPN’s Anthony Slater, who points out that Golden State hasn’t been very involved in the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes this spring after pursuing the Bucks star at the trade deadline.
Still, that doesn’t mean that the Warriors aren’t remaining on the lookout for impact players who could be attainable on the trade market. The team would have interest in forward Kawhi Leonard, for instance, depending on the price tag, Slater writes, though Clippers owner Steve Ballmer has remained steadfastly against the idea of trading the two-time Finals MVP.
Pelicans wing Trey Murphy III is another player who has long been on Golden State’s radar, and he might be more attainable this offseason than in past transaction cycles, sources tell ESPN. Unlike Giannis and Kawhi, who are in their 30s, Murphy is entering his age-26 season, so acquiring him would help the Warriors accomplish their goal of getting younger.
New Orleans has set a high asking price for Murphy in past discussions, but there have been rumblings about the Pelicans looking to trade into this year’s lottery, and Golden State controls the No. 11 overall pick, Slater observes.
Here’s more from Slater on the Warriors:
- Assuming Golden State hangs onto the No. 11 pick, Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg, Arizona guard Brayden Burries, Michigan center Aday Mara, Louisville guard Mikel Brown, and Houston guard Kingston Flemings are among the names to watch, according to Slater, though a few of those players figure to be off the board by the time the Warriors are on the clock. One team source told ESPN that Lendeborg’s fit is “so obvious” and that his age (24 in September) won’t disqualify him, while Slater adds that Mara, Brown, and Flemings all have “fans” within the organization.
- As for Burries, he has declined workouts with some teams drafting in the top 10, including the Kings (No. 7). But the Mavericks (No. 9) are viewed as one of his preferred landing spots and he’s also scheduled to work out for Golden State on Thursday, Slater reports. Team sources tell ESPN that Burries will be one of several notable prospects visiting the Bay Area on Thursday, along with Alabama guard Labaron Philon and Washington big man Hannes Steinbach.
- If having Green decline his $27.6MM player option and signing a new multiyear contract that lowers his 2026/27 cap hit gives the Warriors a direct path to a roster upgrade elsewhere, that remains the team’s preferred route, says Slater, but the current expectation is that Green will simply pick up his option. That wouldn’t bother the Warriors, who like the idea of keeping their books relatively clean beyond next season, Slater continues. That scenario would put Green on an expiring contract, making him a potential trade candidate, but team sources tell ESPN there’s still mutual interest in having him finish his career in Golden State.
- There’s “growing momentum” toward the Warriors bringing back Kristaps Porzingis on a short-term deal that reduces his salary after he earned more than $30MM in 2025/26, Slater writes. Slater adds that Al Horford‘s decision on a $5.9MM player option remains unclear, but De’Anthony Melton is considered likely to turn down his $3.4MM option to test the free agent market. That wouldn’t rule out the possibility of Melton re-signing with Golden State, Slater clarifies.
- Extension discussions for players who are under contract for 2026/27 figure to happen later in the summer. That might include a rookie scale extension for guard Brandin Podziemski, with Slater reporting that there’s “optimism” about the two sides reaching a deal closer to the October deadline.
- In case you missed it, Slater also stated that the Warriors view LeBron James as likely to re-sign with the Lakers.
Draft Notes: Flemings, Anderson, Pelicans, Guide
Houston point guard Kingston Flemings, widely projected to be a top-10 pick in next week’s draft, has only worked out for three teams so far, Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman writes within his newest mock draft. Flemings has visited the Clippers, Bulls, and Mavericks.
The Bulls and Clippers have the fourth and fifth overall picks, respectively. The Mavs are lower in the lottery at No. 9 but the player they choose will have the added benefit of playing alongside a true franchise cornerstone in Cooper Flagg. While undersized, Flemings is a talented scorer who showed good off-ball ability playing in Houston’s talented program this season.
We have more notes on the draft:
- Texas Tech point guard Christian Anderson is another prospect looking to separate himself from the other guards, despite generally being ranked slightly lower than the top guard group. He has worked out for multiple teams with top-10 picks so far this summer, Yahoo’s Kevin O’Connor reports in his own mock draft. Anderson is one of the better play-makers out of the pick-and-roll in the class and has a case for being the best shooter in the draft.
- The Pelicans held a pre-draft workout on Tuesday featuring Maliq Brown (Duke), Malik Dia (Ole Miss), Xaivian Lee (Florida), JJ Starling (Syracuse), and Peter Suder (Miami, Ohio), Will Guillory reports for The Athletic (Twitter link). Of the six prospects, Brown is the highest ranked, coming in at No. 54 on Jeremy Woo’s big board for ESPN. The Pelicans control the 58th overall pick in the draft.
- Sam Vecenie of The Athletic released his 2026 draft guide on Monday, featuring rankings of his top 100 prospects as well as 60 in-depth player breakdowns. Within the detailed guide, he writes that AJ Dybantsa could easily become a top-10 player in the NBA and refers to Cameron Boozer as close to a can’t-fail prospect, noting that the only thing keeping Boozer from a No. 1 ranking in the class is that he profiles better as an elite second star on a team, rather than the primary engine.