LAS VEGAS — The storylines that come from NBA Summer League always seem to center around trade rumors and free agency discussions. Last year, the focus was fixated on trade situations pertaining to Damian Lillard, Pascal Siakam, and Kyrie Irving. Over the course of the first week at Thomas and Mack Center and Cox Pavilion, the talk of this summer in the NBA has been highlighted by what many have dubbed the draft class of needs.
There has been a narrative for a while surrounding the 2024 NBA Draft stating that this was the weakest pool of talent entering the league in quite some time. Many have even gone as far to say that various 2025 draft prospects, such as Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper, Nolan Traore, and Ace Bailey would have gone first over Zaccharie Risacher, Alex Sarr, and Reed Sheppard. Perhaps there is no Victor Wembanyama, nor a player of Anthony Edwards' skills, immediately entering the league, but Summer League has proven that this year's draft class fits the need many organizations have.
The Houston Rockets, for example, needed to find a way to expand on their perimeter shooting. That is why Sheppard was their selection third overall. For a team like the Washington Wizards, they simply needed to find ways to add more potential alongside 2023 first-round pick Bilal Coulibaly. Sarr, Bub Carrington, and Kyshawn George can supply the team with long-term depth and skill.
These are just a few examples of what NBA executives and scouts have talked about on the concourse at Summer League. Sure, there is still a focus on contract signings and trade buzz. But the main point of emphasis this summer has been on development and how many of these young talents handle the pressure of the bright lights.
Risacher and Sarr automatically have the weight of their franchises on their backs due to their high draft positions. Although many second-round picks are nothing more than afterthoughts, there has been one second-round draftee who is all-too-familiar with NBA fans and the media.
His name is Bronny James.
Bronny James' Summer League struggles are ‘expected'
Anyone who thought Bronny wasn't going to be the center of attention at NBA Summer League was kidding themselves. Regardless of where he was drafted, the son of LeBron James was always going to have the attention of fans and the mainstream media.
To say Bronny's performances at Summer League have been underwhelming would be accurate. At the same time, league personnel have shared similar thoughts regarding James' pending development in the G League.
“He was the 55th overall pick. The fact that he is LeBron's son is why there is all of this hype he will never be able to live up to, but to his credit, Bronny has handled himself better than almost any other player out here,” one Eastern Conference scout shared with ClutchPoints. “He is professional and is willing to change the way he has played all of these years before being drafted in attempts to find success in Los Angeles. We have to give him credit for that.”
Between participating in the California Classic and Las Vegas Summer League, Bronny has plenty of minutes under his belt already. James finally broke through on Wednesday evening against the Atlanta Hawks, recording 12 points and a steal in roughly 23 minutes during his fifth start of the summer. Bronny also knocked down his first two triples of the summer in this game. The youngster then followed that up with a 13-point outing in a 93-89 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. He added five boards, three assists, and two blocks.
“At the combine and his pro day, Bronny showed flashes of his potential,” another scout shared with ClutchPoints. “Nobody saw him as a first-round guy. With that said, there is certainly potential there for him to truly develop into a role player in the G League. Everyone needs to calm down a little bit with the label of him being a bust because these growing pains were expected. Between his heart problem last summer and having the handle the pressure of being LeBron's son, Bronny is about where a lot of us thought he would be.”
The Los Angeles Lakers and new head coach JJ Redick have a plan for the young James early on in his career. He will spend a vast majority of the 2024-25 NBA season in the G League with the South Bay Lakers, where he will work closely with the organization's developmental staff on his defensive presence and three-point shooting. These are the two areas the franchise believes he can provide value in.
As far as his character goes, Bronny has remained confident and kept his head high despite his early struggles in Las Vegas. He won't be able to achieve what his father has in this league for over two decades, but the Lakers rookie will have a chance to actually become a reliable talent in time.
Reed Sheppard, Matas Buzelis the best rookies?
Everyone is always looking ahead to the start of the new season at Summer League in Las Vegas. Zaccharie Risacher and Alex Sarr may be the top two picks from June's draft, but Rockets guard Reed Sheppard and Chicago Bulls forward Matas Buzelis are the two rookies who have turned the most heads.
In reference to the 2024 NBA Draft being more about fit than immediate value, Sheppard was the best pick for the Rockets with the third overall selection. The former Kentucky Wildcat entered the draft as the best shooter in college hoops, and he has continued to find success from beyond the arc in Summer League with the Rockets. Sheppard has been aggressive and has proven to be a willing passer, contrary to the popular belief that he is solely a catch-and-shoot threat.
There is no doubt that Sheppard possesses the grit and offensive skills to be a factor in head coach Ime Udoka's system. However, his role entering the new season is unclear because of the roster construction in Houston.
“Reed is going to be a special player in this league, that is if he is given an opportunity to constantly play,” one Eastern Conference assistant coach shared. “You look at the Rockets and you see Fred VanVleet, Jalen Green, and Amen Thompson, who they really like down there. Whose minutes are going to decrease so this rookie can get the opportunity to play? If he can establish himself as a great option next to and behind VanVleet in training camp, especially as a facilitator, there will be an avenue to him seeing the court right away.”
Whereas Sheppard will need to earn his opportunity for minutes with the Rockets, Buzelis could be a starter from his very first regular-season game with the Bulls during the 2024-25 season. After getting rid of Alex Caruso an DeMar DeRozan for few assets, the Bulls have hit the reset button. Even with Zach LaVine remaining on the roster, with no teams around the league showing trade interest due to his contract, Buzelis will enter his rookie year as one of the featured players in Chicago.
In Las Vegas, Buzelis has averaged 20.3 points and 5.0 rebounds per game while shooting 38.2 percent from the floor. By using his height and long frame to his advantage, Buzelis has been to the free throw line a total of 20 times through three Summer League games.
“I just want to win games,” Buzelis told ClutchPoints. “I've built that mentality from learning from the best players in the world. Wins are all that matter to be on the court, but off the court, I am just trying to learning everyday, plain and simple. I want to be the best. I don't limit myself.”
The immediate opportunity to play out on the wing and be one of the featured scorers on the Bulls alongside Coby White and LaVine, if he remains in Chicago, has many already naming Buzelis as a potential Rookie of the Year candidate. Even so, Buzelis will still need to work on his shot selection and overall ability to help facilitate an offense.
Zaccharie Risacher, Alex Sarr remain unknowns
Upside and long-term fit are the two main topics of conversation when speaking with league personnel about Risacher and Sarr at Summer League. The two Frenchmen are great examples of teams drafting for fit this year since the Hawks and Wizards both needed athletic factors on the wing and in the frontcourt, respectively.
Risacher played in two Summer League games in Las Vegas before sitting out Wednesday night against Bronny and the Lakers due to a right quad contusion. It is unknown at this time if he will be shut down for the remainder of Summer League, but the Hawks will very likely take a cautious approach with the first overall pick.
The organization is really high on Risacher's ability to be a two-way factor next to Trae Young on the wing. In addition to seeing time at the small forward position, the rookie will also be utilized in some lineups at the shooting guard position, sources said, creating a long and athletic lineup in Atlanta. Expect to see Risacher put in positions where he can thrive defensively during his rookie year.
As for Sarr, his 12-point and seven-rebound Summer League debut has been followed up with some head-scratching performances. This is especially true after the second overall pick failed to score in close to 30 minutes against the Portland Trail Blazers recently. He shot 0-for-15 from the floor in this game, registering five personal fouls and three turnovers. That was followed up by a 1-of-6 shooting performance Thursday against the Sacramento Kings, dropping his Summer League field goal percentage to 19.1 percent, though the big man did grab 11 rebounds (six offensive) and handed out four assists.
While there were no questions about Sarr being one of the better prospects in this draft class, he failed to really establish himself as the star of the NBL this past year. At Summer League, Sarr has struggled with foul trouble and asserting himself in the paint as a legitimate scorer with his back to the basket.
The Hawks and Wizards remain high on their rookies, yet league personnel have classified both players as “unknowns” due to both players being long-term projects.
Who else stands out at NBA Summer League?
No matter what game you attend at NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, there are always names who stand out. The focus may be on guys like James, Sheppard, Buzelis, and other top picks, yet plenty of other rookies and experienced NBA talents are catching the attention of scouts, agents, and other team personnel in attendance.
For starters, Brandin Podziemski of the Golden State Warriors is one of these players. As the Warriors enter a new era without Klay Thompson on their roster, Podziemski has seized the full belief from Golden State's braintrust that he can be the leader of their future.
After playing in three Summer League games, one of which was during the California Classic, the Warriors shut the All-Rookie guard down because there was nothing left to prove. Podziemski was the best scorer, rebounder, passer, and overall talent on the court during Summer League, which is why owner Joe Lacob said during the team's game on Wednesday that the second-year guard is special.
“It was a revelation to be quite honest,” Lacob said of Podziemski's rookie season. “We're really excited. We think we have a future All-Star. We really do.”
The Warriors are not interested in parting ways with Podziemski amid recent trade rumors this offseason, league sources told ClutchPoints. His recent play in Las Vegas further backs the organization's reasoning as to why they want to keep him.
Another second-year player at Summer League who has performed really well is Indiana Pacers forward Jarace Walker, the eighth overall pick last summer. Walker has been thrown in many different positions by the Pacers because of his athleticism and versatility, which is why he has found so much success at NBA Summer League. In a total of four games, the 20-year-old has averaged 18.0 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game while shooting a very efficient 42.6 percent from the floor and 45.8 percent from three-point range.
After spending a lot of his rookie season in the G League working on his two-way abilities and positional versatility, Walker has made it a point to showcase that he can wear multiple hats for the Pacers heading into the 2024-25 season.
“I have gotten better and better from each of these games,” Walker told ClutchPoints on Thursday. “Coming out here, I really wanted to show I am capable of playing hard every single minute and bringing that intensity that's needed of me. It starts off with those two things. I could just come out here and take shots when I can, but I want to play the game the right way to set my team up for success. We can and will continue winning.”
Due to Pascal Siakam and Obi Toppin dominating minutes at the power forward position, Walker has been working on his play at both the small forward and shooting guard positions this offseason in attempts to break his way into the Pacers' rotations. His efficient shooting numbers and ability to impact play on both ends of the court make Walker a very intriguing prospect for Indiana to continue working with.
The three underrated rookies league personnel have been talking about the most inside of Thomas and Mack Center and Cox Pavilion are Dalton Knecht, Ryan Dunn, and Bub Carrington.
With Bronny dominating all the attention for the Lakers, Knecht has slipped under the radar. Throughout the California Classic and into Las Vegas Summer League, Knecht has displayed his confident shooting stroke from three-point range, as well as his toughness when fighting for rebounds. Many scouts and agents identified the Lakers as the best fit for the Tennessee product, especially now that he can learn from first-year head coach JJ Redick, whom Knecht studied in college.
The Phoenix Suns barely have any draft assets over the next few years. After shopping their first-round selection, they ended up grabbing Ryan Dunn from Virginia, a strong defensive player with two-way upside. Scouts have raved about Dunn's toughness and his ability to take on the challenge of guarding anyone defensively.
“He's a legit defender,” one Western Conference scout said. “He won't wow you in shooting drills, but when it comes to live play, Dunn has that ‘it' factor many teams search for. You can teach shooting, and he will learn some better mechanics in Phoenix. I think the Suns are going to have a very dependable player in this kid for years to come.”
Carrington has been one of the best guards in Las Vegas. His all-around play has many believing he has All-Rookie potential, especially since the Wizards may look to integrate Carrington as their starting point guard alongside former NBA champion Jordan Poole.
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