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The NBA Summer League is an opportunity for players who are on the fringes of the association to prove that they belong in the league. And on Tuesday night, despite the Sacramento Kings' 107-99 loss to the Chicago Bulls in Vegas, one collegiate star who has bounced around the international circuit made a case to latch onto the team for the long haul.
In nearly 24 minutes of action, Mike Daum, the 27-year old power forward out of South Dakota State, put up 22 points and seven boards, showing his well-rounded game for all to see. He shot 7-12 from the field, including 5-9 from deep, emerging as the Kings' most reliable shooter on the night.
Daum went undrafted in the 2019 NBA Draft, and he failed to stick to a team following a short stint with the Portland Trail Blazers during the 2019 NBA Summer League. Nevertheless, since then, Daum has plied his trade overseas, helping him bring an air of experience and composure to a young Kings squad despite their loss against the Bulls.
“[The game] has definitely slowed down. I feel like I bring a lot of experience playing overseas, those four years, that some of these guys [may not have]. It's a different pace… I feel like I come to an advantage being able to come back here in the States and play a little bit. I see the game a little slower,” Daum said after the game, per Sean Cunningham of Fox40 News.
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Mike Daum making the most of his summer league opportunity with the Kings. Follows up last night's performance off bench to help Sacramento get back into the game, with a 22-point effort off the bench. A little on his journey and his NBA opportunity. pic.twitter.com/Oqvr4gdmJc
— Sean Cunningham (@SeanCunningham) July 12, 2023
At this point, making the Kings' opening night roster remains a long shot for Mike Daum. The Kings have Domantas Sabonis, Keegan Murray, Trey Lyles, Sasha Vezenkov, and Alex Len to rely on at the four and the five, while the Kings have already signed Jalen Slawson and Keon Ellis to two-way contracts.
Nevertheless, Daum knows how big of an opportunity it is to be performing this well for the Kings in Summer League, and that he wishes to continue to show just how much he can contribute.
“Obviously my goal, ever since I started playing when I was a young kid, was to make an NBA roster. For me to just keep working hard, obviously opportunities come and go, you just got to be ready to take them,” Daum added.
