It’s no secret that the modern NBA considers itself a year-round product. The never-ending calendar continues with the opening of the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas next week, just a few weeks after the NBA Draft and conclusion of the NBA Finals.
We’re still a week out, but the free agency onslaught is finally slowing down enough to extend some attention to the upcoming edition of an annual staple.
Stepping Stone or Last Ditch Effort
This 10-day stretch (July 10-20) provides fans with their first opportunity to watch the incoming rookie class in NBA action, and it also serves as crucial developmental ground for many second-year players. Not only that, for players on the fringes of the league, a solid week-and-a-half in the hot gyms of the Thomas & Mack Center and Cox Pavilion could be what gets you signed for the upcoming season.
If you’re a lottery pick, you’re probably hoping to just play a few games to get your sea legs in the league before you get deactivated in order to focus on the upcoming season. For a player on the fringes, you better hope you stick around for the whole 10-day stretch, championship game included. And you certainly want to be a key contributor.
More Than Hoops
Beyond the on-court hoopla, no pun intended, Summer League also serves as the premier networking event for the NBA. From media to scouts to coaches to players, the piping hot hub in the Southern Nevada desert becomes the capital of the basketball world in mid-July. Not to mention the fact that just about every NBA executive worth their salt stops by for at least a quick stint.
Summer League is the one week on the NBA’s jam-packed calendar where it truly feels like everyone involved with the league, regardless of stature, is there. Fans in attendance get to rub shoulders with some of their favorite players as they walk through the concourse between gyms, because there are no VIP escorts at The Mack. The luckiest of fans may even run into an NBA superstar at one of the many resorts on the Las Vegas Strip, an experience I’ve had more than once around this time of year.
Hit or Miss
Every year isn’t a hit. Last year, for example, the biggest story from Summer League centered around the participation of Bronny James, who was drafted with the 55th overall pick. This season, with potentially generational prospect Cooper Flagg in the wings, you can probably expect at least a few days of big-time ticket sales.
Victor Wembanyama was a big-time draw in 2023, but the all-time attendance record for a single Summer League still belongs to 2018. That year was headlined by Luka Doncic and Trae Young but also featured the debuts of some under-heralded prospects at the time who became superstars in the coming years in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Brunson.
Opening Night
July 10, the first night of Summer League, is certainly one of those marquee slates. The first overall pick Flagg will make his professional debut against Bronny James and the Lakers in the first game of a nationally-televised back-to-back on ESPN that will conclude with No. 2 overall pick Dylan Harper making his debut against No. 3 overall pick VJ Edgecombe and the Philadelphia 76ers.
📢 #NBA Programming Update:
— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) June 27, 2025
July 10, @ESPNNBA will present an @NBASummerLeague doubleheader ft. the Mavericks debut of @Cooper_Flagg against the Lakers & Bronny James⁰
🏀 8p ET | @dallasmavs vs @Lakers
🏀 10p ET | @spurs vs @sixers pic.twitter.com/XwQ1lbCoUv
Those are just two of seven games on Summer League’s opening day. The NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder will be in action at 5:30 pm EDT against the Brooklyn Nets at the Thomas & Mack Center, while the Eastern Conference champion Indiana Pacers will tip off against the Cleveland Cavaliers a half-hour earlier at 5 pm at the Cox Pavilion.
Editor's Pick
Ballislife Exclusive: Chris Brickley Interview