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What does it mean to be in the NBA? This is a question many rookies, especially top draft picks like Dylan Harper, VJ Edgecombe, and Kon Knueppel, learn the answer to during NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.
Over the years, NBA Summer League has blossomed into more than just a scouting event. All 30 teams from around the league gather at the 11-day showcase to evaluate talent, as well as talk face-to-face about free agency, trades, and more.
That is why Summer League has rapidly become an essential part of the league's yearly schedule.
Of course, the main point of Summer League is for young talents, especially rookies, to prove what they are made of. It is also a chance for them to grasp what it's like to call themselves an NBA player and experience a new environment that is much different than the college scene.
“The atmosphere here is crazy,” San Antonio Spurs guard Dylan Harper told ClutchPoints in Las Vegas. “You got fans from all over, and yet they come together for this one event. It's really cool to play in these games, and there's a different feeling since there is no home team.”
Harper, the second pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, loved every minute and every second he got to spend on the NBA Summer League court. Whether he was playing or on the sidelines cheering on his teammates, this was an experience the top pick will never forget.
Much of the same can be said of Edgecombe's experience with the Philadelphia 76ers' Summer League squad. Although he missed some games with a thumb injury, the third-overall pick was fascinated with how intense these games got — both those he was playing in and those he watched as a spectator.
“Intensity stands out here,” Edgecombe said after taking a moment to think about his time at NBA Summer League. “It's always high at all times on that court.”
NBA Summer League is great for a multitude of reasons, but it represents the start of something new in the lives of these young men. After all, this is the first time they are truly on their own as professional athletes.
Winning matters at Summer League, to an extent, but this experience is truly about young players learning more about themselves. In a way, it acts like an NBA job fair for those who weren't recently drafted in the first round and seek a contract here or overseas.
This experience is all about standing out and understanding what it takes to be in the NBA, which is why every rookie who was just drafted a month before always comes away from Las Vegas with massive takeaways.
Harper and Edgecombe, as well as Kon Knueppel, Asa Newell, and Nique Clifford, took time to exclusively talk with ClutchPoints at NBA Summer League and discuss why this event is so special to the start of their NBA careers as first-round picks.
Dylan Harper immediately utilizing Summer League ‘energy'
Cooper Flagg was obviously the talk of the town in Las Vegas for NBA Summer League. However, the 2025-26 NBA Rookie of the Year race is definitely not a given, like it was in years past with Victor Wembanyama and Paolo Banchero.
Harper will be in this conversation throughout the 2025-26 season, and he gave fans a glimpse of his potential during Summer League. In two games, averaging about 22 minutes per contest, the second-overall pick in this year's draft averaged 16.0 points and 4.0 rebounds per game while shooting 35.7 percent from the floor.
The Spurs rookie looked much better than his numbers suggest, and he was very consistent when it came to finding his spots on the court offensively. Although he may not have improved all that much in terms of his overall skill during Summer League, Harper took these moments on the court as a way to learn what he needs to do immediately during his rookie year next to Wembanyama.
“I think when I was here previously, and definitely watching it from afar, you don't actually get that adrenaline going or that magical feel for the significance of the event,” Harper explained to ClutchPoints. “Now that I am on the court and experiencing this as a player, it's just so special. The crowd is always into every game, and it's an unbelievable feeling playing in front of those NBA fans for the first time.
“The crowd, the energy, the competitiveness — I've loved my Summer League experience.”
This energy Harper felt from the fans in attendance, many of whom showered him with cheers and applause every time he touched the ball, allowed him to ease into Summer League action. He looked a lot more confident and comfortable as the game progressed, and there were instances when he would make consecutive high-level plays on back-to-back possessions.
Perhaps his best moment from Summer League was an insane rejection against the Dallas Mavericks in the second quarter of his first game.
WHAT A BLOCK BY DYLAN HARPER 🚫
(via @TomerAzarly) pic.twitter.com/lb6bKeaBex
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) July 12, 2025
As he departs Summer League and prepares for his rookie season with the Spurs, Harper's role is locked in.
De'Aaron Fox and Wembanyama are the featured stars in San Antonio's starting lineup, but Harper will be tasked right away with leading the team's second unit. Between his playmaking abilities as a lead guard and his tenacity on defense, Harper has a chance to elevate the Spurs back into the playoff conversation, somewhere this organization hasn't been for the last six seasons.
In terms of what he expects from himself, building off what he achieved in Las Vegas and entering Year 1 in the NBA, Harper departed our conversation with one word: “Greatness.”
VJ Edgecombe's opportunity with 76ers
Edgecombe entered NBA Summer League in Las Vegas with a thumb injury he sustained while playing in the Salt Lake City Summer League tune-up games. While the 76ers were not all too concerned with the rookie's injury, he only played in one game in Sin City.
The third-overall pick scored 15 points in 30 minutes against the Wizards, and he seemed bothered at times by his injured left thumb. However, he was a perfect 6-of-6 from the free-throw line and was very active on defense. Edgecombe finished the game with three steals.
After opening his Sixer tenure with 28 points and 10 rebounds in Salt Lake City, Edgecombe came back from his thumb injury and put together a very respectable outing.
This is exactly the experience Edgecombe was hoping for. While he would have liked to play in all of the 76ers' games, he understood that the team was operating with precaution. Even so, he still made the most of his time and was a sponge on the sideline when he wasn't in the game, soaking up knowledge from his coaching staff and simply the experience of playing in Summer League.
“When you watch Summer League from the TV or the stands, the players make it look easy,” Edgecombe started to say before pausing and looking around the tunnel of the Thomas & Mack Center to absorb this moment. “They're in the NBA for a reason. But it's definitely not as easy as you think it is, and Summer League is a great way to quickly realize that.”
As he enters his rookie season, Edgecombe is expected to hold a key role in the 76ers' efforts to regain playoff relevance and respect in the Eastern Conference. Given the uncertainty surrounding Paul George's health, as well as his two-way abilities, Edgecombe's success will greatly impact how good the Sixers will be at the start of the 2025-26 season.
Even though he did not play much this summer, Edgecombe left it all on the floor and used his time at NBA Summer League to learn what he needs to work on entering training camp.
“All of us have things we need to improve, and Summer League provides the necessary time to kick-start that development. You just have to go out there and play basketball.
Kon Knueppel and the undefeated Hornets
Winning doesn't matter in Summer League, right? Well, it sure mattered to Kon Knueppel and the Charlotte Hornets, as they captured their first-ever Summer League title.
As crazy as it sounds, this was the first championship of any kind, including division and conference titles, in franchise history.
Charlotte finished NBA Summer League with a perfect 6-0 record, and this was achieved in large part because of Knueppel's contributions.
Unlike other top picks, who sat out games and were on a minutes restriction, Knueppel suited up for every game he could. This year's fourth-overall pick missed only one game, and he even played in the championship game on the final day of Summer League despite receiving five stitches above his right eye from an injury he sustained in the previous semifinal game.
Knueppel was a warrior, and he truly wanted to play in every single Summer League game because he viewed this event as a major opportunity for him to help shift the culture in Charlotte from one that is used to losing to one that can win.
After experiencing Summer League in full, the Hornets rookie pointed out why these games in Las Vegas are different than anything he's ever experienced.
“It's definitely a different form of basketball compared to the AAU circuits and college. We haven't practiced a whole lot together, so there's that component too, where you're trying to better yourself and also learn about guys who will be your teammates for these two weeks,” Knueppel told ClutchPoints. “It's definitely hard to learn how to play together on the fly, but that's a trait some of the best NBA players have, and not everyone realizes you need to be able to learn.
“Summer League is very intriguing because of the little things. You may make a mistake, but it may not ultimately be your fault since those learning curves of playing together with your teammates for the first time come into play. It's just about being the best version of yourself and making the right plays. I feel like I did that to the best of my ability, which is all that matters.”
Entering his first season with Charlotte, Knueppel is willing to hold any role his team needs of him. LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller are obviously the two young stars the Hornets are building around, which is why the Duke product is focused on finding ways to improve his defensive skills.
“For me, going from college to the NBA, the one area I've worked on a lot in the few practices we've had and in these games is spacing. It's completely different on both offense and defense. You have to be aware of how far you are from the person you're guarding and where you are filling gaps defensively since these are all elite basketball players out there on the court with you.”
Big things are happening in Charlotte. This Summer League championship is just the start of the change Charles Lee envisioned when he became the Hornets' head coach before the 2024-25 season, and these small areas of success are beginning to emerge for a franchise that has been hoping for any ounce of success over the last decade.
Knueppel understands the situation he is entering, and he's ready to continue building off his Summer League success.
“Obviously, it takes time to adjust to such a big life change like being drafted into the NBA,” Knueppel stated. “But that's why Summer League is the perfect connector.”
Summer League forged Asa Newell's ‘rookie identity'
No matter the circumstances, win or lose, Asa Newell always had a smile on his face during NBA Summer League. His charisma and work ethic stand out, and that is why the Atlanta Hawks pinpointed Newell as a player they wanted to take in this year's draft.
While the Hawks could have done so with the 13th pick, they ultimately traded this selection to the New Orleans Pelicans, who moved up from the 23rd pick while also sacrificing a 2026 unprotected pick to select Derik Queen in Atlanta's spot.
New general manager Onsi Saleh and his front office knew that Newell would be on the board in the early 20s of the draft, and this seemed like a match made in heaven. Newell, an Atlanta local, idolized Kyle Korver and the Hawks franchise growing up. He even attended several games as a kid decked out from head to toe in Hawks gear.
"Being from the A… it means a lot."
Hometown kid Asa Newell in his new @ATLHawks threads 🙌 pic.twitter.com/tNyUbS54Cr
— NBA (@NBA) July 15, 2025
Now that he is officially a member of the Hawks, Newell isn't taking any moment for granted, and he is entering every day with the mindset that he can improve some aspect of his game. As it relates to Summer League, Newell was motivated to prove that he is more than a force in the paint, a narrative that stuck with him during his freshman year at Georgia.
“Entering Summer League, and even throughout the pre-draft process, I wanted to prove that I can stretch the floor and be a three-point threat,” Newell told ClutchPoints. “This experience has allowed me to showcase that ability in real-game situations instead of just practices.”
The Summer League experience is different for every new rookie entering the league.
Whereas some spend time perfecting certain aspects of their game, others, like Newell, pick up on the little things of what it means to actually be an NBA player, which allowed him to conquer any challenge he faced during Summer League.
“Honestly, the pace, strength, and physicality needed to play Summer League are a lot higher than many realize. I knew there were obvious things I needed to work on entering my rookie year, but I now have a greater appreciation for understanding my body and learning about the different things I need to do to become stronger. You can physically and mentally prepare yourself for one of these games, but it's different when the adrenaline gets going and you realize this is now the NBA.
“It's about forming that rookie identity.”
When you get to know Asa Newell, you realize that he is a unique plug-and-play talent not just on the court, but off it as well. As good as he is as a stretch big man, Newell's personality allows him to fit in immediately with his teammates in the locker room.
Although it is just a short amount of time, Summer League allowed him to form strong bonds with the Hawks coaching staff and those he would take the court with in Las Vegas.
“I haven't played real, meaningful basketball since March Madness, so being able to knock off the rust in Summer League and finding chemistry with my teammates is essential,” Newell said. “I love my teammates. All of them may not be on the Hawks' actual roster, but I'll definitely remember these moments here.”
Expect Newell to get plenty of opportunities to prove himself with a new-look Hawks team early on in the season. Atlanta has definitely made eye-opening moves this offseason to put itself into the conversation at the top of the Eastern Conference.
Steal of draft? Nique Clifford shines in Summer League
Would it be crazy to say that Nique Clifford was the best rookie performer at Summer League this year? Although Flagg had his moments and Knueppel led the Hornets to the title in Las Vegas, Clifford went from a draft pick many overlooked to now being in the discussion to start right away for the Sacramento Kings.
The Sacramento Kings pinpointed Clifford as a player they wanted to trade up into the first round to try and get him if he fell to the 20th pick, and so the organization acquired the 24th pick from the Oklahoma City Thunder to select the Colorado State product.
In Summer League, Clifford stood out in a handful of ways. Many questioned his three-point shooting abilities in college, yet Clifford shot 45.8 percent from deep in Las Vegas. Some doubted Clifford's abilities to be a main playmaker and facilitator. He essentially served as the Kings' lead guard and averaged 4.2 assists in Summer League.
Every question and challenge Clifford faced, he silenced all of the doubters who existed. Clifford made the Kings one of the best teams in NBA Summer League, and this is exactly what he planned to do upon being drafted by Sacramento.
“You see it on TV. You see how competitive Summer League is and how electric the environment can be with the fans wanting to see all the new rookies. Honestly, it's kind of what I expected because I've been preparing myself for this and maintaining my focus,” Clifford said with a smile on his face when talking with ClutchPoints. “Of course, it's a little different because I've never experienced it before as a player, but I did get to watch Summer League one year and be a part of that atmosphere when I was a little younger.
“Being on the other side of it now, it's super cool to just go out there and compete with the best of the best every night. It's a really humbling experience and a great learning experience to be a part of as well.”
While Clifford and the Kings fell short of their ultimate goal of winning the Summer League championship, this franchise can walk away from this summer's spectacle as the biggest winners because of what they found in their rookie guard.
Amid all the questions and worries surrounding the Kings as a franchise, Clifford stands out as a bright spot. With Summer League ending, Clifford is ready to get back in the gym, work on his game, and prepare to flip the narrative surrounding the Kings in the Western Conference.
“I'm only going to be in the gym working on what I could've done better. Going into training camp, I can't wait to actually sit down and get to know the guys I will be playing with,” Clifford continued. “I got to spend time with DeMar [DeRozan] out here, and it's going to be a lot of fun meeting the rest of the guys for the first time.
“It's going to be a great experience when I walk into training camp, and I know we can accomplish special things for the Kings community.”
Teams utilize Summer League to evaluate the talent they have, both physically and mentally. Clifford checks off all the boxes, and he will be a player the Kings look to build with for many years to come.
