Who are the top names to watch at the NBA summer league in Las Vegas? We have you covered.
Both the California Classic and Salt Lake City summer leagues have wrapped up, so it’s time to focus on the main event of the offseason: NBA 2K26 Las Vegas Summer League.
The 11-day tournament begins Thursday and runs through July 20, with a champion crowned at the end.
The event will be headlined by the fresh faces of the 2025 draft class, as well as other recent draftees such as Bronny James, Reed Sheppard and Rob Dillingham, and unsigned veterans looking for open spots on rosters across the league. Top 2025 picks Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper and VJ Edgecombe will all be in action Thursday as games tip off.
After each team plays four games, the top four teams will advance to the playoffs. The two semifinal games will take place July 19, with the championship game July 20. The other 26 teams will play a fifth game between July 18-20.
With the tournament schedule out of the way, it’s time for ESPN analysts Kevin Pelton and Jeremy Woo to look at the top players to watch on each summer league team.
Kobe Bufkin | SG
2023 draft: Round 1, No. 15
This is an important year for Bufkin, who is nearly seven months removed from season-ending shoulder surgery going into his third NBA season. The guard out of Michigan entered the league in 2023 with real promise, but he has appeared in just 27 regular-season games. The 21-year-old has a key window to solidify himself as part of Atlanta’s future, with the Hawks retooling, and led by a new front office that didn’t draft him. Bufkin will be under the microscope as he returns to action. — Woo
Hugo Gonzalez | SG
2025 draft: Round 1, No. 28
Gonzalez is walking into a good situation in Boston as the team’s lone first-round pick in a year when there will be plenty of vacant wing minutes. After he averaged 10 minutes per game at Real Madrid last season, the NBA will now get a much longer look at the 19-year-old, who is known for his motor and should enter a much better opportunity to play and develop. We’ll see how Gonzalez fares when the training wheels come off, but he could develop into an important role player for the Celtics in time. — Woo
Egor Demin | PG
2025 draft: Round 1, No. 8
The headliner of the Nets’ five-man draft class, Demin will be the most intriguing in his new situation, with Brooklyn presumably planning to coax as much as they can out of him as an on-ball playmaker. Expect him to rotate those reps with the Nets’ other rookies, but Demin’s passing vision should shine in what’s typically a wide-open on-court environment in Vegas. I’m curious how he’ll look in this context, and I’d love to see Demin play in creative pick-and-roll with fellow Nets draft classmate Danny Wolf. — Woo
Kon Knueppel | SF
2025 draft: Round 1, No. 4
Knueppel presumably will be the focal point of the Hornets’ Las Vegas operation, giving him an opportunity to showcase his excellent shooting (64.8 true shooting percentage at Duke) and the breadth of his ability as a secondary playmaker. He figures to be one of the most advanced rookies out of the gate, and this should be a nice platform for him to get up plenty of shots. — Woo
Check out some of Kon Knueppel’s top plays at Duke as he heads to the Hornets with the fourth overall pick.
Matas Buzelis | SF
2024 draft: Round 1, No. 11
Buzelis presumably won’t play more than a game or two in Las Vegas, but his second-half emergence (13 points on 46% field goal/36% 3-pointers/83% free throw splits post All-Star) was a huge development for the Bulls, who are set to increasingly lean on him over the next few seasons. He should have plenty of opportunities to score on a summer league roster that’s more or less built around him. I’m also quite curious about 2025 No. 12 overall pick Noa Essengue, who gives Chicago a second big, versatile forward to build around. — Woo
Jaylon Tyson | SG
2024 draft: Round 1, No. 20
The Cavaliers only made two second-round selections this year, meaning last year’s 20th overall pick (Tyson) is the headliner of their summer league group. He was called upon sparingly on a very good Cleveland team in 2024-25, but he could be ticketed for more of a role next season after the Cavs traded Isaac Okoro to the Bulls for Lonzo Ball. Tyson’s positional size and offensive chops should stand out in Vegas. — Woo
Cooper Flagg | SF
2025 draft: Round 1, No. 1
Borrowing from a playbook he used with 2013 first-round pick Giannis Antetokounmpo while coaching the Milwaukee Bucks, Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said, « I want to make him uncomfortable and see how he reacts », about summer plans for Flagg. « Being able to run the show, being able to play the 2, play the 3. » A power forward at Duke, Flagg will have to play the perimeter in the NBA because of the Mavericks’ crowded frontcourt. We’ll get a first look at how Kidd’s plan goes in Las Vegas. — Pelton
Check out the best plays from Duke freshman Cooper Flagg as he is taken by the Dallas Mavericks with the No. 1 overall pick.
DaRon Holmes II | PF
2024 draft: Round 1, No. 22 by Phoenix
The biggest disappointment of last year’s summer action was Holmes suffering an Achilles rupture late in his Denver debut. Subsequent surgery and rehab cost Holmes his first NBA season. Now, the 2024 first-round pick is ready to get back on the court. Holmes’ ability to produce as a rookie could prove especially important if the Nuggets can’t convince Jonas Valanciunas to pass an offer from Greek club Panathinaikos days after Denver dealt for the veteran to back up three-time MVP Nikola Jokic. — Pelton
Ron Holland II | SF
2024 draft: Round 1, No. 5
Holland played a limited role in a crowded Pistons wing rotation as a rookie, but should have a chance to break through moving forward, with Detroit selecting him higher than most expected in 2024.
