Starting 5, July 12: More scorching hoops from day 2 of NBA Summer League in Vegas

In his Summer League debut, Washington’s Tre Johnson submits his entry for the craftiest move of the summer.

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5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀

July 12, 2025

Top 10 Picks: Kon Knueppel, Tre Johnson & Khaman Maluach make their summer debuts

Sophs Shine: Ron Holland II, Matas Buzelis & Reed Sheppard rep for the 2024 Draft class

Friday Roundup: Blazers rookie Hansen Yang gets in his bag, Celtics roll & Hawks rally

No. 1 vs. No. 2: Saturday sees the top two picks in the 2025 Draft scheduled to meet

Saturday Preview: Key players to watch during an eight-game day of summer hoops

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BUT FIRST … ⏰

Day to night hoops on a Saturday…

Eight more games tip off today, including a matchup between the top two picks in the 2025 NBA Draft – Cooper Flagg (No. 1) taking on Dylan Harper (No. 2) – when the Mavs and Spurs square off at 4 ET on ESPN.

ICYMI, on Friday the Timberwolves & Lynx introduced Marc Lore & Alex Rodriguez as new controlling owners … and Bucks officially introduced new signing Myles Turner.

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1. FRIDAY IN VEGAS: TOP 10 PICKS MAKE SUMMER DEBUTS

Suns 103, Wizards 84: In a matchup of top-10 picks – a high-level scorer in Washington’s Tre Johnson (18 pts, 3 reb, 3 3pm) and a defensive force in Phoenix’s Khaman Maluach (14 pts, 5 reb, 2 blk) – it was the Suns that took the Summer League opener for both teams. | Recap

• Move Of The Night: Johnson got crafty with a self assist – using a pump fake to get Maluach in the air, throwing the ball off his leg, recovering the loose ball in stride and floating in for the layup
• Maluach Mic’d Up: The rim protector was making all the defensive calls on the court and pumping up his teammates from the bench: “You know the rules. Hand down, man down.”
• Suns Second Rounders: Koby Brea (41st pick in 2025) led the Suns with 19 points, while Oso Ighodoro (40th pick in 2024) had 11 points, 14 boards, three steals and this thunderous lefty slam
• Wizards First Rounders: Kyshawn George (24th pick in 2024) put up a game-high 24 points with seven boards and three steals while Alex Sarr (2nd pick in 2024) added 15 points and three blocks

Hornets 111, Jazz 105: Charlotte rookie Liam McNeeley said he’s “still learning the rules,” but he knew enough to drop a team-high 22 points, 12 boards, six dimes and three 3s to lead the Hornets past the Jazz. | Recap | More Mic’d Up McNeeley

• Triple Buzz: McNeeley was one of three Hornets to score 20+ points on Friday as 2024 draft picks KJ Simpson (21 pts, 5 ast, 4 3pm, 3 stl) and Tidjane Salaün (20 pts, 7 reb) combined for 41
• Hornets In The House: LaMelo Ball, Miles Bridges, Brandon MIller and newly acquired Collin Sexton were courtside to witness the dub, as Miller discussed his bond with Sexton
• Sophomore Spotlight: Utah’s Kyle Filipowski (32 pts, 6 reb, 5 ast, 3 3pm) led all scorers, while Cody Williams had 21 points and three 3s for the Jazz
• First Look At The Rooks: No. 18 pick Walter Clayton Jr. splashed four 3s and finished with 21 points for the Jazz, No. 4 pick Kon Knueppel finished with five points and four assists for the Hornets, while No. 5 pick Ace Bailey (hip) missed the game for the Jazz

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2. FRIDAY IN VEGAS: SOPHOMORES SHOW OUT

Pistons 104, Knicks 86: All five Detroit starters scored in double figures – led by Ron Holland II’s 28 points, 11 boards, four 3s and three steals – as the Pistons never trailed to open Summer League with a win. | Recap

• Standouts: Tolu Smith (16 pts, 11 reb, 2 blk) and Daniss Jenkins (18 pts, 3 3pm, 2 blk) combined to add 34 points for Detroit, while Pacôme Dadiet (17 pts) and MarJon Beauchamp (15 pts) led NY
• Supporting Their Squads: Detroit’s Cade Cunningham and Tobias Harris were in the building to watch the summer Pistons get the dub, while New York’s Mikal Bridges and Miles McBride were courtside to support the Knicks

Raptors 116, Bulls 72: Trailing by three after the 1st quarter, the Raptors broke the game open with a 27-9 2nd quarter and never looked back. A.J. Lawson (22 pts, 6 reb, 2 stl) and Alijah Martin (16 pts, 5 reb, 5 ast) led five Raptors in double figures in the win. | Recap

• Statement Slams: Martin, Toronto’s 2025 second-round pick, printed his first NBA poster with a driving one-handed hammer. Matas Buzelis, Chicago’s 2024 first-rounder (and 2025 AT&T Slam Dunk participant) unleashed a windmill on the breakaway
• Chicago Duo: Javon Freeman-Liberty led the Bulls with 21 points while Buzelis added 17 points, five boards and two blocks

Clippers 95, Rockets 92: The Clippers got a combined 44 points from Jordan Miller (23 pts, 11 reb, 2 stl) and Cam Christie (21 pts, 6 reb, 2 stl) and held off a late rally from the Rockets, who cut LA’s lead to two points in the closing seconds. | Recap

• Sheppard Shines: Houston’s second-year sharpshooter, Reed Sheppard, scored a game-high 28 points with six 3s, eight boards, four assists, four steals and three blocks. Kennedy Chandler added 22 points for Houston off the bench
• Double Kobes: Kobe Brown (14 pts, 4 ast) and Kobe Sanders (10 pts, 2 3pm) combined for 24 points, while Trenton Flowers (13 pts, 6 reb) rounded out LA’s five double-digit scorers

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3. FRIDAY IN VEGAS: HANSEN SHINES, CELTICS ROLL, HAWKS RALLY

Blazers 106, Warriors 73: Portland opened the game on a 9-0 run and never looked back, leading by as many as 35 in a wire-to-wire win that showcased third-year guard Rayan Rupert (23 pts, 9 reb, 4 ast, 2 stl) and rookie center Hansen Yang (10 pts, 4 reb, 5 ast, 3 blk). | Recap

• Hansen In His Bag: The 7-footer showed his all-around game – a driving layup for his first bucket, threading the needle on a dime to a cutting DJ Carton, a spinning layup between two defenders, a banked-in triple and a rejection at the rim
• Dubs’ Dozen Duo: Will Richard (12 pts, 4 reb, 3 ast, 3 stl) and Jackson Rowe (12 pts) combined for 24 points to lead the Warriors, who dropped to 1-3 this summer between the Cali Classic & Vegas

Celtics 92, Grizzlies 78: Behind Jordan Walsh’s game-high 17 points and Charles Bassey’s double-double (14 pts, 11 reb) off the bench, the Celtics built an 18-point lead and held off multiple rally attempts by the Grizzlies to win their Summer League opener. | Recap

• Boston Rook: In his summer debut, Celtics first-round pick Hugo Gonzalez filled the box score with 12 points, four boards, five dimes, two blocks and three 3s – including this stepback triple
• Memphis Trio: GG Jackson took flight for two of his team-high 16 points as he and fellow returning Grizzlies Cam Spencer (15 pts) and Jaylen Wells (13 pts) combined for 44 points

Hawks 105, Heat 98: Kobe Bufkin scored 17 of his game-high 29 points in the 4th quarter as Atlanta outscored Miami 37-22 in the final frame to pick up the win. Jacob Toppin added a double-double (19 pts, 10 reb) for the Hawks in their summer opener. | Recap

• Preps To Pros: Before taking the court for the first time as a Hawk (and posting 8 pts, 8 reb), first-round pick Asa Newell met up with former high school teammate and top pick, Cooper Flagg, pregame
• Young Heat: Rookie Kasparas Jakučionis did a bit of everything (24 pts, 5 3pm, 4 reb, 4 ast, 2 stl, this spin-and-layup) in his Vegas Summer League debut, while Javonte Cook (18 pts, 4 3pm) and Pelle Larsson (16 pts, 3 ast) combined for 34 points

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4. SATURDAY PREVIEW: TOP 5 PICKS IN THE SPOTLIGHT

On Thursday, we got our first look at No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg, but his fellow top three selections – San Antonio’s Dylan Harper (groin) and Philadelphia’s VJ Edgecombe (thumb) – missed the opening night of NBA Summer League while nursing injuries.

Tonight, all three are scheduled to be in action again, including a head-to-head showdown between the top two picks when Flagg’s Mavs face Harper’s Spurs in a Texas-sized clash in Las Vegas.

Mavs vs. Spurs (4 ET, ESPN): While Flagg showed flashes of his two-way talent in Dallas’ win over the Lakers on Thursday, Harper could only watch as his Spurs rolled over the Sixers and both teams enter tonight’s matchup at 1-0.

• Flagg’s Follow Up: Cooper came up clutch with a key block-to-assist sequence for Dallas’ game-winning bucket, but shot just 5-of-21 in his Summer League debut, something the No. 1 pick said was not up to his standard
• Harper’s Debut: The Spurs held the No. 2 pick out of the California Classic and the opening game in Las Vegas out of precaution, but multiple reports indicate that the elite playmaker is expected to play tonight
• Two More To Watch: After leading the California Classic in scoring, David Jones-Garcia dropped 24 in San Antonio’s opener in Vegas. While all eyes were on Flagg, fellow rookie Ryan Nembhard had team-highs of 21 points and 5 dimes in Dallas’ win

Hornets vs. Sixers (6:30 ET, ESPN2): How do you follow up a clash between the No. 1 and No. 2 picks in the Draft? How about the No. 3 and No. 4 picks going head-to-head with VJ Edgecombe and Kon Knueppel scheduled to meet tonight.

• Edgecombe’s Status: After a dazzling performance in the opener of the Salt Lake City Summer League, No. 3 pick VJ Edgecombe has been sidelined with a thumb injury. He is set to be evaluated today to gauge his availability for tonight
• Knueppel’s Second Showing: One of the best shooters in this year’s draft class is still searching for his first Summer League triple after going 0-of-5 from deep in Charlotte’s Summer League opening win. Can he find the range tonight?

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5. SATURDAY PREVIEW: EIGHT MORE GAMES ON THE WAY

In addition to the top four picks in the spotlight, Saturday features a full eight-game slate with plenty of players to watch.

• Cavs vs. Bucks (3:30 ET, NBA TV): These teams were on the opposite ends of thrilling one-point finishes on Thursday. Cleveland was unable to withstand (another) Indiana rally, while Jamaree Bouyea hit a game-winning 3 at the buzzer for Milwaukee
• Pacers vs. Thunder (5:30 ET, NBA TV): Just three weeks removed from finishing an epic NBA Finals, Indy and OKC meet on the Summer League stage
• Kings vs. Bulls (8 ET, NBA TV): After executing a pair of blockbuster trades with each other in the past calendar year that reshaped both rosters, these teams meet in Las Vegas. Three draft picks to watch: Chicago’s Noa Essengue (No. 12) and Sacramento’s Nique Clifford (24) and Maxime Raynaud (42)

• Lakers vs. Pelicans (8:30 ET, ESPN2): NOLA’s two lottery picks – No. 7 Jeremiah Fears and No. 13 Derik Queen – combined for 27 in their summer debut. For L.A., can Cole Swider – 19.7 ppg in the Cali Classic, 22 in his Vegas opener – stay hot? And what do sophs Dalton Knecht and Bronny James have in store?
• Wolves vs. Nuggets (10 ET, NBA TV): Keep an eye on these two first-round picks – Minnesota’s Joan Beringer (No. 17 in 2025) had a strong summer debut (11 pts, 8 reb, 6 blk), while Denver’s DaRon Holmes II (No. 22 in 2024) had 15 pts in his first action since suffering a torn Achilles at last year’s Summer League
• Grizzlies vs. Blazers (10:30 ET, ESPN2): On draft night, Memphis moved up to acquire the rights to No. 11 pick Cedric Coward, sending No. 16 pick Yang Hansen and future picks to Portland. While a shoulder injury has Coward sidelined, Hansen showed out on Friday. Can he do it again tonight?