Flagg, Bronny and Bailey: Top summer league players to watch for every NBA team

Both the California Classic and Salt Lake City summertime leagues person wrapped up, truthful it's clip to absorption connected the main lawsuit of the offseason: NBA 2K26 Las Vegas Summer League.

The 11-day tourney begins Thursday and runs done July 20, with a champion crowned astatine the end.

The lawsuit volition beryllium headlined by the caller faces of the 2025 draught class, arsenic good arsenic different caller draftees specified arsenic Bronny James, Reed Sheppard and Rob Dillingham, and unsigned veterans looking for unfastened spots connected rosters crossed the league. Top 2025 picks Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper and VJ Edgecombe volition each beryllium successful enactment Thursday arsenic games extremity off.

After each squad plays 4 games, the apical 4 teams volition beforehand to the playoffs. The 2 semifinal games volition instrumentality spot July 19, with the title crippled July 20. The different 26 teams volition play a 5th crippled betwixt July 18-20.

With the tourney docket retired of the way, it's clip for ESPN analysts Kevin Pelton and Jeremy Woo to look astatine the apical players to ticker connected each summertime league team.

Atlanta Hawks

Kobe Bufkin | SG
2023 draft: Round 1, No. 15

This is an important twelvemonth for Bufkin, who is astir 7 months removed from season-ending enarthrosis surgery going into his 3rd NBA season. The defender retired of Michigan entered the league successful 2023 with existent promise, but helium has appeared successful conscionable 27 regular-season games. The 21-year-old has a cardinal model to solidify himself arsenic portion of Atlanta's future, with the Hawks retooling, and led by a caller beforehand bureau that didn't draught him. Bufkin volition beryllium nether the microscope arsenic helium returns to action. -- Woo

Boston Celtics

Hugo Gonzalez | SG
2025 draft: Round 1, No. 28

Gonzalez is walking into a bully concern successful Boston arsenic the team's lone first-round prime successful a twelvemonth erstwhile determination volition beryllium plentifulness of vacant helping minutes. After helium averaged 10 minutes per crippled astatine Real Madrid past season, the NBA volition present get a overmuch longer look astatine the 19-year-old, who is known for his centrifugal and should participate a overmuch amended accidental to play and develop. We'll spot however Gonzalez fares erstwhile the grooming wheels travel off, but helium could make into an important relation subordinate for the Celtics successful time. -- Woo

Brooklyn Nets

Egor Demin | PG
2025 draft: Round 1, No. 8

The headliner of the Nets' five-man draught class, Demin volition beryllium the astir intriguing successful his caller situation, with Brooklyn presumably readying to coax arsenic overmuch arsenic they tin retired of him arsenic an on-ball playmaker. Expect him to rotate those reps with the Nets' different rookies, but Demin's passing imaginativeness should radiance successful what's typically a wide-open on-court situation successful Vegas. I'm funny however he'll look successful this context, and I'd emotion to spot Demin play successful originative pick-and-roll with chap Nets draught classmate Danny Wolf. -- Woo

Charlotte Hornets

Kon Knueppel | SF
2025 draft: Round 1, No. 4

Knueppel presumably volition beryllium the focal constituent of the Hornets' Las Vegas operation, giving him an accidental to showcase his fantabulous shooting (64.8 existent shooting percent astatine Duke) and the breadth of his quality arsenic a secondary playmaker. He figures to beryllium 1 of the astir precocious rookies retired of the gate, and this should beryllium a bully level for him to get up plentifulness of shots. -- Woo

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Kon Knueppel's apical plays that led him to the Hornets

Check retired immoderate of Kon Knueppel's apical plays astatine Duke arsenic helium heads to the Hornets with the 4th wide pick.

Chicago Bulls

Matas Buzelis | SF
2024 draft: Round 1, No. 11

Buzelis presumably won't play much than a crippled oregon 2 successful Las Vegas, but his second-half emergence (13 points connected 46% tract goal/36% 3-pointers/83% escaped propulsion splits station All-Star) was a immense improvement for the Bulls, who are acceptable to progressively thin connected him implicit the adjacent fewer seasons. He should person plentifulness of opportunities to people connected a summertime league roster that's much oregon little built astir him. I'm besides rather funny astir 2025 No. 12 wide prime Noa Essengue, who gives Chicago a 2nd big, versatile guardant to physique around. -- Woo

Cleveland Cavaliers

Jaylon Tyson | SG
2024 draft: Round 1, No. 20

The Cavaliers lone made 2 second-round selections this year, meaning past year's 20th wide prime (Tyson) is the headliner of their summertime league group. He was called upon sparingly connected a precise bully Cleveland squad successful 2024-25, but helium could beryllium ticketed for much of a relation adjacent play aft the Cavs traded Isaac Okoro to the Bulls for Lonzo Ball. Tyson's positional size and violative chops should basal retired successful Vegas. -- Woo

Dallas Mavericks

Cooper Flagg | SF
2025 draft: Round 1, No. 1

Borrowing from a playbook helium utilized with 2013 first-round prime Giannis Antetokounmpo portion coaching the Milwaukee Bucks, Mavericks manager Jason Kidd said, "I privation to marque him uncomfortable and spot however helium reacts," astir summertime plans for Flagg. "Being capable to tally the show, being capable to play the 2, play the 3." A powerfulness guardant astatine Duke, Flagg volition person to play the perimeter successful the NBA due to the fact that of the Mavericks' crowded frontcourt. We'll get a archetypal look astatine however Kidd's program goes successful Las Vegas. -- Pelton

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What Cooper Flagg brings to the Dallas Mavericks

Check retired the champion plays from Duke freshman Cooper Flagg arsenic helium is taken by the Dallas Mavericks with the No. 1 wide pick.

Denver Nuggets

DaRon Holmes II | PF
2024 draft: Round 1, No. 22 by Phoenix

The biggest disappointment of past year's summertime enactment was Holmes suffering an Achilles rupture precocious successful his Denver debut. Subsequent country and rehab outgo Holmes his archetypal NBA season. Now, the 2024 first-round prime is acceptable to get backmost connected the court. Holmes' quality to nutrient arsenic a rookie could beryllium particularly important if the Nuggets can't person Jonas Valanciunas to walk an connection from Greek nine Panathinaikos days aft Denver dealt for the seasoned to backmost up three-time MVP Nikola Jokic. -- Pelton

Detroit Pistons

Ron Holland II | SF
2024 draft: Round 1, No. 5

Holland played a constricted relation successful a crowded Pistons helping rotation arsenic a rookie, but should person a accidental to interruption done moving forward, with Detroit selecting him higher than astir expected successful 2024. Showcasing himself astatine summertime league, wherever he'll beryllium the superior sanction connected the Pistons roster sheet, would correspond a measurement successful that direction, peculiarly if his shotmaking (28.3% from 3 past season) tin improve. -- Woo

Golden State Warriors

L.J. Cryer | PG
2025: Undrafted

An All-America prime who astir led Houston to past year's nationalist title, Cryer is the benignant of undrafted rookie who could excel successful Las Vegas with his shooting ability. Cryer rated successful the apical 50 of my predraft projections connected the spot of his 40% vocation NCAA 3-point shooting. He should person plentifulness of accidental connected an Exhibit 10 declaration with a Warriors roster that features lone 2 of the team's ain draught picks, second-rounders Will Richard (whose Florida squad bushed Cryer's Houston successful the nationalist championship) and Alex Toohey. -- Pelton

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L.J. Cryer drains triple vs. San Antonio Spurs

L.J. Cryer drains triple vs. San Antonio Spurs

Houston Rockets

Reed Sheppard | PG/SG
2024 draft: Round 1, No. 3

The belle of past year's summertime league, Sheppard joined Kel'el Ware of the Miami Heat arsenic the 2 rookies named to the All-Summer League archetypal squad aft averaging 20 points per game, 5.3 assists per crippled and 2.8 steals per game. Alas, Sheppard seldom translated that to NBA enactment arsenic a rookie, logging conscionable 654 minutes. As a result, helium is backmost to gain much playing clip successful Year 2 connected a Rockets squad that is present firmly a title contender. -- Pelton

Indiana Pacers

Taelon Peter | SG
2025 draft: Round 2, No. 54

One of the draft's existent sleeper picks, Peter was the Division I person successful existent shooting (73.5%) past play astatine Liberty, but did truthful portion playing conscionable 23 minutes per crippled disconnected the bench. Indiana drafted him precocious successful the 2nd round, and it'll beryllium intriguing to spot however helium adjusts to a immense leap successful level. Peter is an fantabulous run-jump athlete, but he'll person to sphere immoderate of his elite ratio against amended competition, with summertime league a utile proving ground. -- Woo

LA Clippers

Kobe Brown | PF
2023 draft: Round 1, No. 30

This is simply a pivotal summertime for Brown, who has played 666 minutes implicit 2 seasons since the Clippers drafted him successful the 2nd circular successful 2023 -- the aforesaid spot astatine No. 30 wherever they selected Penn State halfway Yanic Konan Niederhauser this year. With the Clippers prioritizing flexibility, they mightiness not beryllium inclined to workout a $4.8 cardinal 2026-27 squad enactment connected Brown's declaration by Oct. 31, unless helium demonstrates helium tin beryllium a rotation contributor. -- Pelton

Los Angeles Lakers

Bronny James | SG
2024 draft: Round 2, No. 55

Much of James' improvement arsenic a rookie took spot retired of sight, arsenic helium logged conscionable 181 NBA minutes. James saw acold much enactment for the G League's South Bay Lakers, combining for 18.6 PPG, 4.8 APG and 4.6 rebounds per crippled implicit 18 games. After struggling with his ratio successful the G League Tip-Off Tournament, James was acold amended successful the regular season, making 38% of his 3s. Those numbers are what the Lakers volition privation to spot this summertime and what could yet marque James an NBA contributor. -- Pelton

Memphis Grizzlies

GG Jackson | PF
2023 draft: Round 2, No. 45

The Grizzlies apt won't person No. 11 prime Cedric Coward, who is doubtful to play portion continuing to rehab December enarthrosis surgery, per Drew Hill of the Daily Memphian. Memphis' 2024 second-round picks, Cam Spencer and Jaylen Wells, volition beryllium playing contempt Wells finishing 3rd successful the NBA Rookie of the Year voting. Yet I'm astir excited to spot the 20-year-old Jackson, inactive the youngest subordinate connected the Grizzlies' roster by a wide margin, aft helium played 29 games successful his 2nd NBA run owed to injury. Both Jackson and Wells had 20 points each successful Saturday's debut. -- Pelton

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Jazz squeak by Grizzlies arsenic GG Jackson's tying effort lone bully for 2

GG Jackson II tries to necktie the crippled with a 3-pointer, but his ft is connected the line, securing a 112-111 triumph for the Jazz.

Miami Heat

Kasparas Jakucionis | SG
2025 draft: Round 1, No. 20

Jakucionis was a astonishing draft-night faller and became a bully worth snag for the Heat, giving them the benignant of playmaking defender their roster lacked. He got disconnected to a mediocre commencement successful the California Classic, but amended days are ahead. He should spot plentifulness of opportunities to make successful Las Vegas and person a way to lend eventually, with Miami continuing to inclination younger and lone Tyler Herro, caller summation Norman Powell and Davion Mitchell intelligibly up successful the backcourt hierarchy. -- Woo

Milwaukee Bucks

Mark Sears | PG
2025 draft: Undrafted

The Bucks don't person a ton of backcourt extent aft moving connected from Damian Lillard, relying chiefly connected veterans with inexpensive contracts to piecemeal those minutes arsenic presently constituted. Sears, a two-way signee retired of Alabama, has a pathway to back-end roster worth if helium tin marque capable shots and nutrient this summertime successful spite of his deficiency of size. He should presumably get the keys to the summertime league discourtesy arsenic a starting point. -- Woo

Minnesota Timberwolves

Rob Dillingham | PG
2024 draft: Round 1, No. 8 by San Antonio

Nickeil Alexander-Walker's departure for the Hawks creates an accidental for respective of Minnesota's young perimeter players who volition play successful Las Vegas, including Terrence Shannon Jr. and Jaylen Clark. Of that group, Dillingham saw the slightest enactment arsenic a rookie successful the 2025 playoffs (16 full minutes aft coming backmost from an ankle sprain) and has the champion accidental of filling successful for the aging Mike Conley astatine constituent guard. That makes this an important summertime for Dillingham. -- Pelton

New Orleans Pelicans

Jeremiah Fears | PG
2025 draft: Round 1, No. 7

The Pelicans drafting Fears successful the apical 10 was somewhat overshadowed by their subsequent trade sending retired a 2026 first-round prime to determination up from No. 23 to No. 13 to besides adhd Maryland halfway Derik Queen. Although Queen's accomplishment acceptable mightiness not radiance successful the chaotic benignant of summertime hoops, it should beryllium good suited for Fears, whose 17.1 PPG ranked 5th among one-and-done picks and 4.1 APG ranked fourth. -- Pelton

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Jeremiah Fears' champion plays that led him to the Pelicans

Check retired Jeremiah Fears' apical plays astatine Oklahoma arsenic the Pelicans prime him with the seventh wide pick.

New York Knicks

Tyler Kolek | PG
2024 draft: Round 2, No. 34

Even arsenic a precocious second-round pick, Kolek played sparingly disconnected the Knicks' seat past season. His pathway to minutes is inactive limited, with Jordan Clarkson figuring into the extent premix with Deuce McBride, but Kolek should get to tally the squad successful Las Vegas and marque a lawsuit for himself. He's a prime playmaker who deserves much opportunity, but doesn't connection overmuch from a carnal position moving the 2nd unit. -- Woo

Oklahoma City Thunder

Nikola Topic | PG
2024 draft: Round 1, No. 12

More than a twelvemonth aft being drafted by the Thunder successful the archetypal circular portion rehabbing from ACL surgery, Topic made his archetypal quality successful an Oklahoma City jersey implicit the play astatine the Salt Lake City Summer League. He had 14 points Saturday, but besides 7 turnovers. The Thunder won't person this year's No. 15 pick, Thomas Sorber. Sorber underwent toed country successful February that ended his lone assemblage season, and helium is inactive rehabbing. -- Pelton

Orlando Magic

Jase Richardson | SG
2025 draft: Round 1, No. 25

The Magic got bully worth with Richardson falling to them, giving them a viable younger replacement for Cole Anthony's seat minutes. Richardson tin grip some defender spots, but his size profiles champion astatine the point, a relation helium didn't play afloat clip astatine Michigan State. Orlando volition apt privation to maximize his ballhandling reps, and this should beryllium a bully situation successful which to measure however acceptable helium is to tally a 2nd unit. He could beryllium a important seat subordinate for the Magic arsenic they propulsion to contend successful the East. -- Woo

Philadelphia 76ers

VJ Edgecombe | SG
2025 draft: Round 1, No. 3

Edgecombe, successful his Utah summertime league debut, looked each spot the explosive and creaseless downhill scorer the Sixers needed him to be. He did miss the adjacent 2 games successful Utah with a insignificant thumb injury, but helium volition person a immense runway to make discourtesy and get to the rim, presuming he's progressive successful Vegas. It's already evident that NBA spacing volition marque it adjacent harder to enactment successful beforehand of him with a caput of steam. The affirmative archetypal crippled made it casual to recognize wherefore Philly prioritized him successful the predraft process. -- Woo

Phoenix Suns

Khaman Maluach | C
2025 draft: Round 1, No. 10

It's a caller time successful Phoenix, wherever the Suns' summertime roster is filled with draught picks, including 3 from this year's draft. None is much important than Maluach, who astatine No. 10 was Phoenix's highest summation done the draught since Jalen Smith successful 2020. Despite besides adding halfway Mark Williams connected draught night, the Suns are hoping Maluach tin lend arsenic a rookie with his antiaircraft versatility and above-the-rim finishing. -- Pelton

Portland Trail Blazers

Yang Hansen | C
2025 draft: Round 1, No. 16

Yang really had summertime league acquisition earlier being drafted No. 16 past month. He joined the China nationalist squad successful the California Classic past twelvemonth astatine property 19, averaging 8.7 PPG and 5.0 RPG successful 3 games. Both turnovers (4.7 per game) and fouls (4.0 per crippled successful 20.9 minutes) were an contented for Yang, and we'll beryllium watching however overmuch helium has improved successful betwixt summertime league outings. -- Pelton

Sacramento Kings

Nique Clifford | SG
2025 draft: Round 1, No. 24

Clifford is rather acquainted with the Thomas & Mack Center court, having played against UNLV successful the assemblage hoops regular season, and averaged 25.0 PPG, 10.3 RPG and 4.3 APG determination arsenic Colorado State won the Mountain West rubric astatine the league tourney successful March. Those performances helped solidify Clifford arsenic a first-round prime by the Kings. -- Pelton

San Antonio Spurs

Dylan Harper | SG
2025 draft: Round 1, No. 2

Let's anticipation we'll spot the No. 2 prime successful Las Vegas aft helium missed the California Classic owed to what San Antonio summertime manager Mike Noyes termed a "minor" groin injury. Harper would get the keys to the Spurs' discourtesy this summertime successful a mode that won't beryllium imaginable during the regular season, erstwhile helium suits up alongside De'Aaron Fox and reigning NBA Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle. Fellow lottery prime Carter Bryant did play implicit the weekend, but is not arsenic precocious successful his development. -- Pelton

Toronto Raptors

Collin Murray-Boyles | PF
2025 draft: Round 1, No. 9

Murray-Boyles was a polarizing subordinate successful the scouting assemblage implicit the past year, offering rather a spot of accumulation and evident smarts and antiaircraft versatility. But helium was besides lacking a reliable jumper with mean size for a four-man -- and doing it successful a losing discourse astatine South Carolina. How helium takes to what should beryllium a much conducive squad conception should beryllium amusive to spot successful Vegas, arsenic good arsenic however the Raptors determine to usage him connected the violative end: How overmuch they look to play done him arsenic a passer and whether he's assured taking 3s are 2 things to ticker for. -- Woo

Utah Jazz

Ace Bailey | SF
2025 draft: Round 1, No. 5

After generating tons of treatment starring up to the draught due to the fact that of his determination not to enactment retired for immoderate team, Bailey landed successful Utah without incident. Now we volition commencement to spot whether Bailey merited each the attraction aft a play astatine Rutgers, wherever helium showed large strengths successful shotmaking and rim extortion for his size, but mediocre changeable enactment and playmaking for teammates. His debut, successful which Bailey changeable 1-of-5 connected non-paint 2-pointers, wasn't encouraging successful that regard. -- Pelton

Washington Wizards

Tre Johnson | SG
2025 draft: Round 1, No. 6

Johnson figures to capable up the container people successful summertime league arsenic 1 of the draft's much polished perimeter scorers and a imaginable centerpiece of the Wizards' processing roster. The constituent of his crippled to show volition beryllium his playmaking; he's apt to gully plentifulness of attraction from defenses, but making the close decisions and becoming a much consenting passer are the adjacent steps successful his growth. Washington has the astir loaded roster successful Vegas, featuring 5 first-round picks from 2024 successful summation to Johnson and Will Riley, but Johnson figures to person a featured spot successful the Wizards' offense, some this week and travel fall. -- Woo