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Sometimes you win in Las Vegas, and most of the time, you lose. Inside the Thomas & Mack Center and Cox Pavilion, there were a handful of individuals and teams ending up as the biggest winners at NBA Summer League.
Aside from the constant trade and free agency roundup many of us participate in during our journey to Sin City, there is also a craving to simply watch great basketball games featuring players giving it their all.
Although many tend to think of Summer League as a showcase for rookies to prove what they can do on the big stage, it has evolved into so much more. Sure, seeing top prospects like Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper is exciting, but there are so many other great stories that come out of Summer League every year.
There are those looking to begin their professional journeys by earning an opportunity overseas, and there are also young talents who end up earning an opportunity to advance with their NBA dreams via two-way contracts.
So much happened over the last week and a half in Las Vegas, and there is plenty to discuss regarding the biggest winners of NBA Summer League, starting with Utah Jazz forward Kyle Filipowski and his standout performances.
Kyle Filipowski – Utah Jazz
As you can see, NBA Summer League isn't just about rookies.
Filipowski was drafted 32nd overall by the Jazz last year after somehow falling to the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft. Since Utah was dealing with multiple injuries in their frontcourt to Lauri Markkanen, John Collins, and Walker Kessler, Filipowski saw a lot of minutes early in his career.
The former Duke big man played 72 games last season, averaging 9.6 points and 6.1 rebounds while shooting 50.2 percent from the floor and 35.0 percent from 3-point range.
However, in Las Vegas at Summer League, Filipowski proved to be stronger, more aggressive, and ready to take a big jump in his second NBA season. Although they only won one game in Summer League, the Jazz found something in Filipowski.
In his three games, Filipowski averaged 29.3 points and 7.7 rebounds while shooting 56.1 percent from the floor and 39.1 percent from 3-point range. Filipowski's best performance at Summer League was a 35-point, 11-rebound night against the San Antonio Spurs in his final game.
Flip's first quarter:
10 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block 👀#TakeNote pic.twitter.com/wv9LRFZuTX
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) July 11, 2025
Since his rookie season, Filipowski has looked a lot more confident as a playmaker, and his footwork has been a lot smoother as well. Entering his second season with Utah, Filipowski will likely see an elevated role in the frontcourt.
If NBA Summer League has proven anything for the Jazz, it's that the 21-year-old big man is ready to take on more responsibilities for his rebuilding team.
Nique Clifford and the Sacramento Kings
While they came up just short in the NBA Summer League championship, this was a great showcase for the Sacramento Kings. Aside from learning a lot about first-round pick Nique Clifford, the Kings learned more about Maxime Raynaud, Isaac Jones, and Devin Carter.
Before the 2025 NBA Draft, there were some teams overlooking Clifford because he was a 23-year-old senior from Colorado State. As an older prospect who didn't play for a big-name school and isn't the most explosive athlete, Clifford wasn't standing out like other high-potential players in the draft.
Well, the Kings' rookie made those who turned their back on him look dumb in Summer League, as he averaged 15.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game while shooting 45.8 percent from 3-point range.
He may not excel at one thing, but Clifford does a ton of little things on the court to help put his team in a position to win. Oh, and those who had concerns about his 3-point shooting have been pretty silent since Summer League started. Sacramento got a steal in Clifford, and he is going to hold a key role as an essential piece of their roster for many years to come.
Jones and Raynaud also had strong Summer League showings alongside Clifford, who brought out the best in his teammates. Whereas Jones was one of the most efficient paint scorers in Las Vegas, averaging 64.6 percent shooting from the floor, Raynaud proved to be the stretch big man the Kings have been looking for.
Although he will need to hit the weight room to really make an impact, Raynaud appears to be a young talent the Kings are excited about.
Carter, who missed a vast majority of his rookie season due to injury and wasn't in the rotation much, finally got a chance to showcase his abilities as a lead guard next to Clifford. In Summer League, Carter averaged 4.5 assists per game and showed flashes of his two-way potential. It will take time, but the 2024 first-round pick offered promise as a versatile, lengthy guard the Kings can utilize.
This was a great Summer League for the Kings.
David Jones-Garcia – San Antonio Spurs
When you look at all the lesser-known players who participated in Summer League this year, David Jones-Garcia is the one who made the biggest name for himself. After going undrafted in 2024, Jones-Garcia spent the last year working on his craft in the NBA G League before getting an opportunity to play for the San Antonio Spurs in Summer League.
Out of every player who participated in at least five Summer League games, Jones-Garcia ranked second in scoring with 21.6 points per game while shooting 52.7 percent from the floor and 52.9 percent from 3-point range. He trailed only Jordan Miller (22.0 PPG) for the highest scoring output for those who played in at least five games.
Not many players stood out from three-point range during Summer League, but Jones-Garcia knocked down 20 of his 36 jumpers from the perimeter. As a result, he is not only on the radar of multiple NBA teams wanting him on a two-way contract, but the 23-year-old is also receiving a lot of international interest from premier European clubs.
This right here is the reason why NBA Summer League is great, as Jones-Garcia went from being a player not many knew about to being one of the best to step on the court in Las Vegas. Now, he will be able to put pen to paper on a new basketball contract and continue his professional journey.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Nobody is talking about the Cleveland Cavaliers and some young talents they have been working with behind the scenes. Well, the Cavs had three players stand out at Summer League this year: Tyrese Proctor, Jaylon Tyson, and Nae'Qwan Tomlin.
Proctor, who was drafted in the second round of this year's draft, looked very confident in his abilities during Summer League. The rookie guard dished out at least four assists in three of his four games, and he put together a fantastic 35-point scoring performance in his final game against the Kings.
There is a chance Proctor could wind up fitting into a key role off the bench for the Cavaliers during his rookie season, especially with Darius Garland injured and Ty Jerome now with the Memphis Grizzlies.
Tyson is another young talent the Cavaliers could look to insert into their nightly rotations, given his two-way presence. Cleveland has been very hard on Tyson this offseason because of the potential he possesses. He was among the better second-year players in Las Vegas for NBA Summer League this year, averaging 19.7 points, 6.7 assists, and 6.0 rebounds per game while shooting 34.8 percent from 3-point range.
His all-around abilities could prove to be very valuable on the wing in Cleveland.
Lastly, Tomlin was a standout frontcourt performer for the Cavaliers. After spending last season on a two-way contract and in the G League with the Cleveland Charge, Tomlin showed up looking strong and ready to go in Summer League. He averaged 19.6 points and 8.2 rebounds per game, which may have been enough to convince the Cavs that he is deserving of a roster spot behind Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley.
Charlotte Hornets finally won something
The Charlotte Hornets have never won anything of significance. This is what people used to say before the Hornets finally claimed their first Summer League Championship on Sunday night in Las Vegas.
While many will say winning in Summer League doesn't mean anything, this statement is only half true. It may be true that the wins don't really count for anything, but Summer League is utilized by many teams to help set a standard and culture, especially for younger teams trying to forge a new identity.
That is the boat the Hornets find themselves in, as second-year head coach Charles Lee has been preaching accountability and focus to his young guys in Las Vegas.
Kon Knueppel, Liam McNeeley, Ryan Kalkbrenner, and Sion James all resemble the character Lee wants on his team, and all four rookies put together solid performances.
Although none of these four players are freak athletes or star-like talents, they all fit the mold of being dependable, reliable options for the Hornets to begin setting a new standard in Charlotte.
This should be the main takeaway of why the Hornets are the ultimate winners from Summer League.
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets have been very busy this offseason between moving Michael Porter Jr. in a trade for Cam Johnson and reshuffling their bench depth in free agency. Now, the Nuggets may have even more options after the emergence of Curtis Jones and DaRon Holmes II in Summer League.
Holmes was the Nuggets' first-round pick in 2024, but he suffered a torn Achilles in his first Summer League game last year. As a result, he missed all of the 2024-25 season rehabbing this injury and facing a comeback attempt on the same floor in Las Vegas that the start of his career derailed on.
Depth behind Nikola Jokic has been one of Denver's major weaknesses. In addition to adding Jonas Valanciunas this offseason, the Nuggets can now slowly integrate Holmes into their rotation as a stretch big man who is a force inside the paint and on the glass. Only six players averaged at least 10 points and nine rebounds per game in Summer League, and the Nuggets' big man was one of them.
As a double-double threat who shot over 40 percent from 3-point range, Holmes could wind up being in the All-Rookie conversation this year.
Then there is Jones, an overlooked undrafted rookie who ended up leading the Nuggets in scoring during Summer League. Jones averaged 20.2 points per game on 46.7 percent shooting from the perimeter in five games.
His offensive success, primarily from 3-point range, is what captivated Denver's attention and resulted in them signing him to a two-way contract. Shooting is all the Nuggets need to surround Jokic with to contend for another title, which makes Jones a potential upgrade from his two-way deal later on in the 2025-26 season.
