It’s day two of the NBA Summer League, and after some incredibly close games on day one, today’s lineup looks even more stacked. With more talented players participating and some complete unknowns ready to hit the court, this should be another exciting day.
Jaylen Wells #0 (MEM)
Cedric Coward #23 (MEM)
GG Jackson #45 (MEM)
Hugo Gonzalez #28 (BOS)
Baylor Scheierman #55 (BOS)
We kick off Day Two of the NBA Summer League with Boston taking on the Grizzlies. Memphis has been one of the best teams at finding gems in the rough. Players like Jaylen Wells, whom they selected in the early second round in 2024, turned into a competent starter in his rookie season. Pair him on this Summer League roster with Memphis’ highly touted rookie Cedric Coward, whom they traded up to 11 to acquire, and this Summer League team looks promising. Memphis is full of long, strong athletes, which should give them a good edge in this game. Coward is the main player to watch, though. After his meteoric rise from D3 to Washington State, and then to an NBA lottery pick in only three years, this guy is definitely worth watching today.
He should give Boston some trouble today, as they are lacking talent on their roster. Like most contending teams, they’re not entering Summer League with top-end draft talent. They managed to snag Hugo Gonzalez late in the first round, but after a lackluster year at Real Madrid, he’ll need to prove a lot. Luckily, Boston did bring back Scheierman, their first-round pick in 2024. He should add some much-needed experience to this group, which could help keep them stable. Overall, though, Memphis is the stronger team coming into this matchup.
Kobe Bufkin #4 (ATL)
Asa Newell #14 (ATL)
Kel’el Ware #7 (MIA)
Kasparas Jakucionis #25 (MIA)
Next, Miami takes on Atlanta as these two Eastern Conference rivals clash in Summer League. With Atlanta having a busy off-season, they’re Summer League roster is looking a little thinner than expected. Only snagging a single rookie this year, Asa Newell was an excellent pickup in the early 20s of the first round. The big man out of Georgia will accompany the 15th pick from 2023 in Kobe Bufkin. I wouldn’t expect to see too much of Bufkin, but Newell is the real guy to watch. We’ve seen big 6’11 posts dominate in the Summer League before, and after an impressive freshman season at Georgia, I’d expect a big game out of him. The rest of the roster surrounding him is okay. Atlanta is obviously looking for extra size, but size is never a bad thing in Vegas.
Miami should be a strong competitor to Atlanta, though. They’re bringing back Kel’el Ware, their 15th pick in the 2024 draft. After an impressive rookie season where he consistently found himself in the starting lineup, he was one of the bright spots for Miami last year. However, the most interesting player on this roster has to be Jakucionis, the guard from Illinois whom they selected 20th this year. He was a big faller during the draft and was expected to be a lottery pick. Luckily for Miami, he fell, and now they have a versatile 6’6 guard to add to the roster. He’ll struggle in the California Classic Summer League, but it’s a new day in Vegas, so we’ll see what this rookie can do. Either way, this is going to be a fun battle, but I’m leaning towards Miami in this one.
Dink Pate #28 (NYK)
Pacome Dadiet #4 (NYK)
Ronald Holland II #5 (DET)
Chaz Lanier #20 (DET)
Bobi Klintman #34 (DET)
This may be one of the most lopsided games of the day. The Knicks aren’t entering Summer League with much this year. Since their NBA roster is fairly complete and their team is more focused on rings than picks, it makes sense. The only drafted rookie they’re bringing to Summer League is Mohamed Diawara, who was drafted 51st and seems more like a draft-and-stash player. Along with Diawara, they added Dink Pate, a highly touted prospect from the NBA G-League Ignite before it disbanded. He played last season for the Mexico City G-League team, but his production was inconsistent. However, as a 6-8 guard, he’s worth the developmental risk, and getting him for free after the draft is still an advantage. But that doesn’t change the fact that this Summer League roster is weak, especially compared to the Pistons.
The Pistons are bringing some real talent into this game. I’m honestly a little surprised to see Holland back this year, but if he gets significant minutes, he could be destructive. The fifth pick in the 2024 draft, he was a bit raw in Detroit this year, but he had his moments. At the very least, as a 6’8 athletic wing, he should put on a show. Looking deeper into this roster, Chaz Lanier stands out. The star guard on Tennessee this season, Lanier, fell to the second round this year mainly because of his age, but he looked excellent in his final college season. Add in Klintman, a second-rounder from the 2024 draft, and this group looks interesting. I think we’ll see Detroit run away with this game.
Sion James #4 (CHA)
Kon Knueppel #7 (CHA)
Ryan Kalkbrenner #11 (CHA)
Tidjane Salaun #31 (CHA)
Liam McNeeley #33 (CHA)
Cody Williams #5 (UTA)
Isaiah Collier #8 (UTA)
Ace Bailey #19 (UTA)
Kyle Filipowski #22 (UTA)
Wow, there are a ton of notable players in this one. Both of these rosters are stacked with young talent, which should make for a fun game. The Jazz are coming into this game strong with Williams, Bailey, and Filipowski. However, we’ll see what it all looks like together. Bailey will be the guy everyone is watching. The fifth overall pick in the draft, Bailey had a solid year at Rutgers, but slipped slightly in the draft. Landing in Utah, he now has a runway to explode into a dominant wing. Pairing him up with Cody Williams, the brother of Jalen Williams on OKC, could make for an intimidating frontcourt. Even with Williams’ struggles in his first season, Summer League should be a nice change of pace for him. Capping off the team with Collier, the 29th pick in 2024, and Filipowski, this core group should do well this week in Vegas.
The only other team that might have as much young talent or more is Charlotte. Adding two former teammates, Sion James and Kon Knueppel from Duke, this draft should help them in Summer League as well. Considering this group is stacked with young talent, they’ll give Utah a run for their money. They might have the best offensive roster in the entire Summer League. Knueppel and James both shot over 40% from three last year in college, while Kalkbrenner was one of the most effective post scorers at Creighton last year. Overall, this group comes in with loads of talent and experience. It’s hard for me not to love what this team can theoretically do, but we’ll have to see if it translates to the court. I think it will, though, so I’m feeling Charlotte in this matchup.
Matas Buzelis #14 (CHI)
Noa Essengue #24 (CHI)
Jonathan Mogbo #2 (TOR)
Collin Murray-Boyles #12 (TOR)
Ja’Kobe Walter #14 (TOR)
This might be one of the sneakiest, talented matchups of the night, with Chicago facing off against Toronto. Both teams bring solid young talent, which should make for an exciting contest. Chicago is bringing back Buzelis, who went 11th in the 2024 draft and had a solid rookie year. It took him some time to adjust, but by the end of the season, he showed tremendous growth. They’re adding Noa Essengue to the team now; the 6’10" Frenchman, selected 12th, brings elite size to Chicago’s frontcourt alongside Buzelis. It’ll be interesting to see how these two operate next to each other: Buzelis favors a slightly more outside game, and Essengue uses his size and length to dominate near the post. They should give Toronto some challenges tonight.
Toronto has an ace up their sleeve in this matchup. Their rookie, Murray-Boyles, was one of the most exciting defensive players in the draft. His ability to read plays and always be in the right spot sent him soaring up the draft to be picked by Toronto at 9. Even with his offense still developing, he’ll be a nightmare for Buzelis and Essengue on the court. Pair that with Toronto’s 2024 draft picks, Mogbo and Walter, and this team becomes an interesting group. With a bit more experience compared to Chicago, I lean toward Toronto in this game, especially if Chicago decides to bench Buzelis at all.
Bub Carrington #7 (WAS)
Kyshawn George #18 (WAS)
Alex Sarr #20 (WAS)
Dillion Jones #33 (WAS)
Ryan Dunn #0 (PHO)
Khaman Maluach #10 (PHO)
Rasheer Fleming #20 (PHO)
We have another stacked roster in this Washington versus Phoenix game. With some high draft picks on both sides, the Wizards are coming with a formidable squad. Of course, I doubt we’ll see much of last year’s second pick, Sarr, but their roster is still strong without him. Bub Carrington had a solid rookie season last year, with good size for a guard; he’s an excellent downhill scorer. His shooting has been a bit inconsistent, but he should still manage to get his shots up in Summer League. Pairing him with George should create a familiar and effective combo for these teams, along with Dillion Jones, who they acquired from OKC this off-season. The trio of second-year guards should provide a solid stabilizer for this team.
On the other side of the court, the Suns had an excellent draft. Adding Duke center Maluach at 10 this year was huge for the Suns. Then, going down and grabbing Rasheer Fleming with the first pick of the second round continues to add much-needed size to Phoenix. This will also help them a lot in the Summer League. Maluach was a major disruptor at the rim at Duke this year. Pair that with the length at forward they have with Dunn, and Fleming could make this defense very tough to play against. Dunn already proved he’s a solid NBA defender, and adding Fleming, who has a 7’5 wingspan, only makes the floor smaller for the Wizards in this matchup. This will be a tough battle between guards and wings, but I think Washington has the advantage. Scoring might be an issue for Phoenix, even with the size advantage. I believe we’ll see the Washington guards slice and dice their way through Phoenix tonight.
Yanic Konan Niederhäuser #14 (LAC)
Kobe Brown #21 (LAC)
Patrick Baldwin Jr. #23 (LAC)
Reed Sheppard #15 (HOU)
This game may not feature a ton of NBA talent, but sometimes these can be the most enjoyable Summer League games. Having a full group of guys all trying to break into the league and secure contracts is always entertaining. For the Clippers, their NBA roster is fairly settled, although they have added a few prospects for the future, mainly Niederhauser with the 30th pick in the draft. The big man from Penn State had a solid junior season and adds some size to the Clippers' front court. He should have a good game against Houston. He’s a classic paint big at 6’10”. We’ll also see Kobe Brown, the Clippers’ first-round pick from 2023. He’s seen limited action since being drafted but should be one of the most experienced players in Summer League this year. Overall, the roster isn’t much to look at, but we could still see some fun basketball out of them.
Houston didn’t bring many players back this year. Reed Sheppard is the only rostered player making his way back to Summer League. After a tough rookie season, the former third pick in 2024 wasn’t able to break into the lineup this year. This should be a great opportunity for him to get into the flow, though. His last Summer League appearance was okay, but this year, with more experience, I hope to see him thrive. With the rest of the roster looking a bit weak, Houston opted to add a fair number of older rookies. This could help them stay competitive against some of these younger groups, but it’s hard to see them competing in the tournament this year. This game is likely going to be a toss-up, but I’m going with the Clippers tonight.
Will Richard #3 (GSW)
Alex Toohey #22 (GSW)
Hansen Yang #16 (POR)
Rayan Rupert #21 (POR)
James Bouknight #42 (POR)
We’re ending the night with Portland against Golden State. While neither of these teams has stacked rosters like Charlotte or Utah, this should be a good game. The biggest name in this game will be Hanson Yang, the 16th pick in the 2025 draft, and a bit of a shocker. Portland traded down with Memphis to pick up Yang, who many thought would be a second-round guy. Portland took a big swing on the 7’1" big man from China, but with some tantalizing upside, it could be a home run swing if he works out. Aside from Yang, Portland is bringing back a couple more veteran players in Rupert and Bouknight. Bouknight, of course, was drafted in the lottery by Charlotte back in 2021. Since then, he’s fallen out of the NBA but is looking to sneak his way back into a full roster spot. Rupert, on the other hand, has been a project for the last two years. The defensive Frenchman has made some strides but hasn’t managed to crack Portland's lineup. Still only 21 years old, he’ll be a fun project player to watch tonight.
For Golden State, they’re just looking for some deep rotation pieces to add to their roster. With a couple of players taken in the second round, Will Richard and Alex Toohey, neither will likely see much, if any, time in the NBA this year. However, both bring more experience than most prospects, which could give them an edge in tonight's matchup. Overall, the Warriors’ roster is a bit all over the place. Without any first-round picks, they’ve adopted a shotgun approach with their roster, hoping to find a winner in the mix. It might be a long shot to find true NBA talent in this group, but it should be fun to see these players hustling for an NBA contract. I still think Portland has a slight edge in this game, but it will likely be close. We’ll see if Yang can live up to his hype or if the older group of players on Golden State takes it.