Category: NBA

LAS VEGAS — Dillon Jones logged zero minutes in the NBA Finals but made his contributions to the title as a pseudo-adviser to coach Mike Brown.

As a member of the 2025 championship Thunder, Jones offered experience in how to deal with the circumstances.

Brown not only sought his young player’s counsel, he implemented at least one suggestion by making the Knicks rewatch their Game 3 loss to the Spurs.

The Thunder did something similar for motivation a year prior when Jones was a reserve guard.

“With coach, honestly, it speaks a lot to just him more than me and whatever I had to say,” Jones said Monday after he helped the summer league squad defeat the Pistons 86-75. “The fact that he would even approach me and have a conversation with me or even ask me to help in any way. … I just think it speaks to him more than me — his humility to hear everybody out in the building. And I’m just glad I was able to help the team in any way.”

Jones said the idea to rewatch Game 3 came up in “organic conversations” with Brown.

“Nothing specific. Just conversations me and coach had,” Jones said. “And we were just talking about different things, and it came up in an organic conversation. It wasn’t like I was just sitting home plotting on what to say or anything like that. … These things — you try different things all the time. You never know what works and what doesn’t. I’m glad I was able to help the team.”

Jones is now fighting for a training camp invite.

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Mohamed Diawara (left ring finger injury) and Pacôme Dadiet (right foot soreness) both sat Monday, but the Knicks didn’t miss them — riding rookie Jack Kayil to their first summer league win.

Kayil, a second-round pick who played last season in Germany, dropped a team-high 19 points with three steals in 29 minutes.

“Very talented kid. Super gifted,” Jones said. “One thing I appreciate with him — obviously, he wasn’t available early in summer league but when he came in the group, he knew what was going on, he understood what was going on. I think that speaks to his upbringing and coming up in Europe. Very talented kid. … He’s not going there trying to overshadow. … He’s got a bright future.”

Kayil arrived late to summer league because of a contract dispute with his German club. He said he doesn’t want to be stashed overseas this season.

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Another free agent center is off the board.

Or is he?

Jonas Valanciunas appeared to push back on an overseas report that he finalized a deal to sign with Lithuanian squad BC Zalgiris, posting on social media with laughing emojis, “You wake up and see that everything has been decided for you, don’t need to do anything myself. Thank you, reporters.”

Still, Valanciunas’ signing with Zalgiris — while maybe not finalized — remains expected, according to BasketNews.

Valanciunas, 34, is a free agent after being waived by the Nuggets. He’s reportedly targeted by the Knicks, who are thin at center with only Karl-Anthony Towns and Andre Drummond on the roster.

A 10:30 NBA Summer League tipoff is for the real sickos.

Did you decide to be a normal person and go to bed instead of watching the Minnesota Timberwolves second to last Las Vegas affair? No problem.

With Joan Beringer sitting out his second consecutive game with back tightness, it was another game in which the production was going to need to spread out among a couple guys that could vye for some minutes at the end of the bench this upcoming season. Because of that, there are a handful of things I kept an eye on in this game.

1.) Can Rocco Zikarsky show me anything? The 7’4 sophomore had an extremely disappointing Summer League heading into Monday. Lacking presence defensively at the rim and shooting 27% from the field (14% three), it would be easy to head into the season feeling discouraged about where Zikarsky is at, even though he isn’t in line for consistent minutes.

2.) Could Isaiah Stewart see a few go down? One of the best shooters in the draft, Stewart had a rocky debut, going 0-9 from deep. He joined the Wolves quite literally on the fly (he was unable to practice with the team until the trade that brought him to Minnesota was approved), so perhaps some comfortability could make him seem a little more at home in his second game.

3.) Zyon Pullin has been the Wolves best player by a mile, outside of perhaps the sole game Beringer was a part of in which he shined. Is he able to stay consistent and further cement himself as the emergency point guard on the bench for the Wolves this season?

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Zikarsky went on to answer the call in the early stages. Finally finding his stroke from deep. he hit his first two threes and was able to free himself up rolling to the basket. Showing some of his offensive potential, it’s abundantly clear he still has a long way to go defensively. Finishing the first half with a team-high 10 points, he also struggled mightily to rebound the basketball, even while being he tallest person on the floor. Facing off against a big in Portland’s Yang Hansen, someone perhaps a little closer to getting consistent NBA minutes, Zikarsky was a team-low minus 20 in the first half. He ended the game with 18 points on 13 shots, and would do him to well to stack a couple of these perofrmances.

Stewart continued his struggles, following up his 0-fer performance from deep on Saturday night without registering a field goal on Monday (finished with two points coming at the free throw line). It’s impossible to bury Evans with how little time he has had to understand the Wolves’ offense, but an assertive performance in the Summer League finale would go a long way. He’s getting nice looks and moving well without the ball…now he just needs to see a couple go in, as many young players do in order to find some confidence.

The only obvious takeaway from this game is that Pullin is the only borderline rotation player on this team. He continues to show a pretty complete skillset as a guard, but could play with a bit more pace and have a little more confidence in his jumper. That said, his willingness to get downhill is something the organization clearly likes about him.

too tuff, Z. 💪 pic.twitter.com/P4TmItxD7T

— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) July 14, 2026

Pullin wrapped the game with a 16 point double double and finished with a positive plus-minus. He also showed good effort defensively and looks to be someone that the Wolves development staff can continue to mold should his number be called at some point if needed. He came into Monday night as a top 10 scorer so far in Las Vegas, and did nothing to slow his confidence.

One for the Road

Trey Kaufman-Renn was impressive, and someone you could tell was a four-year college player. His floater was extremely effective, and made him a good pick and roll partner with Pullin. His physicality down low allowed him to rebound the ball well too, and he flashed some ability to playmake from the posts. It’s not inevitable, but I could see him in an NBA rotation eventually with some of the already-baked traits he has, while having a clear ceiling.

that's niiiiice, Trey. 🤌 pic.twitter.com/uivKtRDQlx

— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) July 14, 2026

Up Next

The Wolves will wrap up Summer League on Wednesday with a date with the Indiana Pacers. It remains to be seen if Beringer will be held back for precautionary reasons in the finale, or make it a pair of appearances in Las Vegas to go with his excellent first game of the Wolves tour.

Former Arizona Wildcats Brayden Burries and Koa Peat faced off for the first time as competitors in the NBA Summer League on Monday night.

Peat and the Phoenix Suns held on to beat the Milwaukee Bucks 95-88 in Las Vegas. Burries led all scorers with 23 points on 8-of-14 shooting, while Peat was second in scoring for Phoenix with 19 points on 8-of-15 shooting. 

DUB 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/7N5zQxLshk

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) July 14, 2026

At the half, both players were already in double figures with Burries scoring 12 and Peat 11. Phoenix now stands at 2-1 in the summer league and Milwaukee is winless at 0-3.

In Burries’ first game he scored 18 points on 6-of-15 shooting. He followed it up with a 26-point performance in the next game on 9-of-16 shooting and went 4 of 5 from behind the arc. 

The level of concentration here from Brayden is elite. pic.twitter.com/mh4WX0d21y

— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) July 14, 2026

Peat scored 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting with six rebounds and four assists in his first game. A 12-point performance followed in his second game.

KOA PEAT ARE YOU SERIOUS?????? 🤯🤯🤯 pic.twitter.com/LtoQVPTKO1

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) July 14, 2026

Burries was taken No. 10 overall by the Bucks in last month’s 2026 NBA Draft, while Peat went taken 30th overall to the Suns. Before becoming pros they helped get Arizona back to the Final Four for the first time since 2001 and showed why they were selected in the first round. They were the sixth and seventh players drafted from Arizona in the Tommy Lloyd era.

This is the only scheduled matchup of former Wildcats facing off during Summer League play, though depending on final overall records there could possibly be another matchup down the road.

POSTER 🖼️ pic.twitter.com/DcQYYw3lZE

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) July 14, 2026

Back-to-back tuff buckets from Brayden. 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/y77l0pb4SZ

— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) July 14, 2026

Show 'em, Koa 🤏😤 pic.twitter.com/sKtgHe70dl

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) July 14, 2026

Brayden Burries takes the contact plus the foul. pic.twitter.com/R3buoQKvm0

— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) July 14, 2026

CJ McCollum “wasn’t surprised” by the Knicks’ first championship in 53 years.

The Hawks guard says he told OG Anunoby they could win it all during the first round of the playoffs, despite Atlanta winning the first two games of the series.

“I wasn’t surprised they won. I actually told OG [Anunoby] at the free-throw line, ‘I think you guys can win the championship,’” McCollum said on SiriusXM NBA Radio.

“Looking at their roster, how they were playing, meshing, and their focus and intensity, I saw a team capable of making a deep run.”

McCollum said the entire Hawks team realized how good the Knicks were during the series, highlighting their shot-making and Jalen Brunson.

Brunson averaged 28.4 points, 6.1 assists and 3.2 rebounds across 19 games in the 2026 playoffs.

McCollum, who became a Knicks villain during the series, continued, saying the Knicks made perfect adjustments offensively to combat the Hawks, which was a valuable lesson to take out of a first-round matchup.

“We pushed them to the limit, I’m sure they appreciated the fact that we tested them and got them ready,” McCollum said.

He said sometimes teams can glide to the later rounds of the playoffs because of their talent, but crumble once they face a team of equal skill.

“[The K​​nicks] figured something out. We pushed them to the limit”

CJ McCollum reflects on the Hawks’ series loss to the Knicks in the first round of the playoffs with @termineradio, @jumpshot8, and Ryan McDonough.

Hear our Summer League coverage:https://t.co/jnEcXNELrspic.twitter.com/bLe95lmkom

— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) July 12, 2026

The Knicks certainly did not glide through the first round, fumbling their homecourt advantage with a Game 2 loss to the Hawks at the Garden.

Then, they fell behind in the series 2-1, when McCollum drained a clutch jumper in Atlanta.

The Knicks were forced to make the adjustments for Game 4, but three straight wins propelled them into a historical playoff run.

They went on to win the NBA Finals with just one loss in the final three rounds.

“I’m not saying this is the greatest team ever. If they win these next two games, this is one of the greatest runs in playoff history,” Charles Barkley said on “Inside the NBA” before the Knicks beat the Spurs. “It’s one of the greatest runs. You have to give them their props.”

Vegas has not been kind to Utah before their game against Chicago, and their game against Chicago was not kind to those who decided to tune in and watch. This is the stat to best exemplify the struggle it was to get through this game – there were 54 fouls combined between both teams in 40 minutes of gameplay, which is 1.35 fouls every single minute, or a foul about every 45 seconds (although I am rarely heralded for my skills as a mathematician). This isn’t even an indictment on the officials – I couldn’t complain about most of the calls themselves as much as I could complain that the players were acting so recklessly. When the teams weren’t fouling, they were turning the ball over or missing shots; there were 39 turnovers between the teams, and they shot a combined 32% from the field.

While I just shifted some of the blame for the stinted gameplay away from the officials, it wasn’t just the players contributing to the tough watch – it was easy to tell that both the referees and even the announcers were going through an auditional Summer League as well. Erroneous flagrant reviews and long-winded conversations about horoscopes, combined with the obviously poor basketball, made it clear this game was a learning period for everyone.

However, no matter the ugliness of the gameplay and presentation, the Jazz finally came away with a win. They outscored the Bulls in each of the 4 quarters, and it never did feel too close. Utah was able to maintain consistent momentum by incessantly stealing the ball from Chicago – Hayden Grey and Trey Alexander ended the game with 4 and 6 steals, respectively.

The story of the day was obviously intended to be the battle between the #2 and #4 overall picks, but with Darryn Peterson resting on the bench, Caleb Wilson was set to star. He was largely a disappointment for the first 3 quarters of the game – his free throws weren’t dropping, his defensive motor waxed and waned (I think his 5 blocks overstate his defensive impact by just a bit), and he struggled to make his presence felt consistently on the offensive end. In the 4th quarter, however, he began to catch fire, scoring the majority of his points which were emphasized by the arena-electrifying dunk below.

CALEB WILSON OH MY GOODNESS pic.twitter.com/rSCuxwHvfN

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) July 14, 2026

Jonas Aidoo continued to impress on both ends for this Jazz Summer League squad. He’s clearly the best defensive anchor on the team, even if he did get detonated upon by Caleb Wilson. Additionally, he really impressed me with his hands on a few of his catches today – a lot of the offense is based upon a simple screen-and-roll, and he was able to take advantage by grabbing some genuinely difficult pocket passes. I wouldn’t hate a reallocation of our two-way contract spots that gives Aidoo a spot on the regular season team in 2026-2027. While he likely isn’t the level of player Jaxson Hayes or Mo Bamba are right now, the difference might be marginal and, with the younger Aidoo, there is still some room for improvement.

Hayden Gray also really impressed me, even if the box score was less-than-exceptional. Only 2 points and 5 assists, but it was clear that the offense ran much cleaner when he was the one at the top of the court running the show. Additionally, he was game-changing on the defensive end, where his 4 steals were LOUD – it seemed that the announcers couldn’t stop talking about how proactive Gray was in the passing lanes, and their praise was justified. While I’d like a more experienced third string ball-handler, Gray has shown me enough on both ends to the point that I wouldn’t hate keeping him around.

The mood of the win was dampened near the end of the 4th quarter. After what seemed to be an ordinary and completely commonplace foul by Caleb Wilson on a drive to the hoop, Trey Alexander collapsed behind the basket and had to be stretchered off the court in a neck-brace. I can’t see how his neck could’ve been injured on this play (video linked below), so if there are any doctors who regular SLCDunk, please explain below what might’ve happened to Utah’s newest two-way player. The play is especially scary due to the fact that it’s hard to diagnose with the naked eye, so prayers up for Trey.

Trey Alexander injury summer league jazz nba pic.twitter.com/DsD33o6WWM

— Moonball (@moonball30) July 14, 2026

The Jazz next play Wednesday at 7:30 MST against the Spurs. While a win is a win, let’s hope this next game is a more pleasant viewing experience.

With some key guys out, the Milwaukee Bucks undoubtedly played their best game thus far in Vegas but lost 95-88 to the Phoenix Suns. Yet again, Brayden Burries starred for the Bucks with 23 points, eight rebounds, six assists, and four steals, while Khaman Maluach led the Suns with 21 points, 10 rebounds, and four blocks.

NBA.com Box Score

Game Recap

I expected a bunch of guys in street clothes for this one, given it was a back-to-back—and there were some in Cormac Ryan and Kasparas Jakucionis—but luckily, Brayden Burries and Nate Ament suited up; Kam Jones also got his first minutes in Vegas. The first quarter was low-scoring and even throughout. Koa Peat was throwing his big body around for the Suns, while Burries and Pete Nance were doing most of the work early for the Bucks. Milwaukee went on a 5-2 run to close the quarter via a Burries three and a majestic layup by my fellow countryman Luke Travers to grab a 22-19 lead after one.

The Suns had a great start to the second quarter, with the 7’2” second-year man Khaman Maluach asserting his dominance on the interior; before long, Phoenix had grabbed a 30-26 edge. The Bucks tried to make Ament more of a primary ball-handler, and it wasn’t pretty, as he turned it over a few times after getting outmuscled. Koby Brea—who had been struggling mightily through Summer League—nailed his second three to extend the Suns’ lead to nine, 35-26, about halfway through the second, but that was immediately matched by a transition bomb from Ament to open his account. The Bucks made a few charges to reduce the deficit to ~six points, but the Suns’ Darius Brown made two timely threes to stretch it back out each time. Finally, the run stuck, with Markovic and Burries leading an end-of-quarter sprint to have the Bucks down just one, 45-44, at the half.

Both teams were trading blows early in the second half, with Burries nailing a step-back three over his college teammate Koa Peat to open the third—joking with Peat after he made it—followed by another Darius Brown triple. Then, the floodgates finally opened for Bogi, who nailed his third and fourth triples of the game after struggling all week—Bucks up 53-51 in the opening minutes. Some great flashes by Ament followed: he took the first bump from the more experienced Brea but powered through to get fouled under the hoop; then, he nailed his second transition three of the night a possession later, followed by a strong drive to the hoop to draw another foul; Bucks up 60-57 with six minutes left in the third. The next few minutes were very uneventful, but with Burries, Bogi, Jones, Nance, and Ament all off the floor to end the quarter, the Suns closed on a 12-0 run to lead 69-60 after three.

BJ Boston’s personal 5-0 run to start the quarter, followed by a Kam Jones’ and-one, had the Bucks down just four in the early stages. Minutes later, Boston answered Brea’s triple with another bomb of his own, Nance nailed the floater, and we were all tied up at 75 with just over six minutes left. The Suns went on a 6-0 run, but the Bucks answered right back with a 5-0 run. Blow for blow. Rasheer Fleming nailed the roll-replace wing three, and Burries came down for the fancy and-one around Maluach. Some great on-ball pressure from Ament forced Peat into a turnover, leading to a transition Euro-step by Burries to put Milwaukee up 1 as Phoenix called a timeout; the Bucks were hyped. Unfortunately, the Suns responded with an 8-2 burst—including two massive threes by Brea—to take a 92-87 lead late, and that was the game.

Stat That Stood Out

Koby Brea’s six triples really hurt the Bucks. Brea had struggled mightily before this game, and they let him feel good about himself.

The Lakers (2-0) aim to keep their undefeated run in Las Vegas going as they take on the L.A. Clippers (1-1) on Tuesday.

Start time and TV schedule

Who: Los Angeles Lakers vs. L.A. Clippers

When: 7 p.m. PT, July 14

Where: Thomas & Mack Center

Watch: Prime Video

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The Lakers have now played two games at the Las Vegas Summer League and have proven one thing: This is the best summer squad assembled since 2017 when the team won the championship courtesy of Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma and crew.

This year’s team began its campaign by dominating the first two games, winning by a total of 33 points. The best part about their run — dating back to the California Classic tournament — is that multiple players have shined in the process. In Friday night’s impressive victory against the Mavericks, it was Arthur Kaluma.

Arthur Kaluma had a big night in @NBASummerLeague action!

34 PTS (11-16 FGM)
5 REB
6 3PM

The Lakers picked up the win against the Mavericks!
pic.twitter.com/0uVo5bBZPI

— NBA (@NBA) July 12, 2026

Kaluma, who is currently signed under an Exhibit-10 contract, made a loud case for a two-way deal. It’s ironic that the members who have stood out on this year’s Summer League roster are the 3-and-D guys, the exact type of players the parent team could use.

In Lakers post game interview, Arthur Kaluma said he considers himself a 3&D. He said he got hot but prides himself on the defensive end.

I also noticed that he said the team has great camaraderie who wants everybody to succeed. Hopefully, that culture carries on to the Lakers. pic.twitter.com/i0q8SdFxir

— Devin ☀️ (@DevDock) July 12, 2026

That said, one great performance isn’t enough for these aspiring players to seal their fate. They’re going to have to keep balling out as the stakes continue to rise. The best way for the Lakers to do that is to keep winning games or, better yet, go all in for the Summer League championship.

The Clippers are coming off a commendable 104-82 victory against the Jazz. Led by Keaton Wagler — their No. 5 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft — this team is composed of Summer League veterans like Cam Christie and Kobe Sanders. If they’re active for the game, expect these three to lead the way. The Lakers will have to match firepower with firepower.

Ideally, the purple and gold shouldn’t have a problem doing just that given the fact that that’s how they’ve won their last two games in dominant fashion. That and a collective effort on defense have been their key to success. Let’s see if they can keep that going and go up 3-0 with a win against the Clippers on Tuesday.

Notes and Updates

• Besides Kaluma, Adou Thiero and Chris Mañon also played very well in the absence of Cameron Carr last game. Thiero and Mañon deserve a ton of credit for their consistency over the last couple of games.
• Current two-way signee Peter Suder also had his best performance yet with 14-points off the bench.

You can follow Nicole on Twitter at @nicoleganglani.

LAS VEGAS — The Phoenix Suns beat the Milwaukee Bucks 95-88 on Monday in their third Summer League game to put their record at 2-1 in the Las Vegas games. Khaman Maluach and Koa Peat had strong showings throughout, putting pressure on the rim on both offense and defense, and Koby Brea had a bounce-back game after struggling with his shot in his first two games of summer league. The three combined for 59 points.

After some offensive struggles yesterday against the New Orleans Pelicans, Phoenix bounced back and answered every run that the Bucks made, especially down the stretch thanks to Brea’s two big triples late.

Game Flow

First Half

It was an encouraging sign for the Suns to see Rasheer Fleming knock down two threes in the first seven minutes after his struggled in the first few games, but the Suns as a whole were shooting a measly 5/16 from the field to start. Former Arizona guard Brayden Burries was pushing the issue for the Bucks. He had 8 points, including two threes.

After 1, the Bucks led 22-19.

After some ambiguity regarding his status to play today, Khaman Maluach asserted his presence in the first half. Drawing fouls, playing strong on defense, and working in the pick-and-roll game helped the Suns retake the lead early in the second quarter.

Khaman Maluach drawing fouls pic.twitter.com/rIjGxPWziQ

— Bright Side of the Sun (@BrightSideSun) July 14, 2026

Another encouraging sign for the Suns? Koby Brea knocked down a few triples in the first half. The 2025 second-rounder had some struggles in the team’s first two summer league games that had people concerned in the Suns world.

At the half, the Suns led 45-44. Peat and Maluach combined for nearly half of the team’s points thanks to their forceful presence inside.

Second Half

Koa Peat started the second half attacking the rim.

Wait for it more Koa Peat slamming pic.twitter.com/eROQPM7LYL

— Bright Side of the Sun (@BrightSideSun) July 14, 2026

As much as the Suns’ young prospects continued to shine, Burries kept showing out for Milwaukee and kept the game close. However, thanks to Maluach’s intensity, Phoenix built a bit of a cushion heading into the fourth to a 69-60 lead.

Khaman Maluach pic.twitter.com/2VVDRMnkRf

— Bright Side of the Sun (@BrightSideSun) July 14, 2026

The Bucks went on a 15-6 run to tie the game in the first four minutes of the fourth. With a little over three minutes left, the Bucks led the Suns 85-84 as the two teams started to battle it out as the crowd got more into the game.

Down 1, Koby Brea hit back-to-back triples that helped the Suns stay ahead for the rest of the contest and secure the victory.

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Up Next

On Wednesday, Phoenix will play its fourth summer league game against another Eastern Conference foe, the Detroit Pistons, at 3:00 pm Phoenix time.

Illini Isaac is joined by Joey Linn, beat reporter for the LA Clippers, to discuss Keaton Wagler’s NBA Summer League performances so far and future role for the franchise.

Check out State Farm Agent Brian Hanson for a home, auto, business, and life insurance needs quote today: https://gtlk.link/5zlx5Emx

The Cleveland Cavaliers are one of the handful of teams that are waiting for LeBron James to officially announce where he’s playing basketball next season. For the last two weeks, interested teams have been pitching James’s agent, Rich Paul, on why he should play for them. Now, it seems like that period is over.

NBA insider Chris Haynes reported during the Cavs Summer League game on Monday evening that he spoke with Paul about James’s free agent plans. Paul relayed to him that James has all the information he needs. It’ll now be up to LeBron to make the final call, saying James is now in the “deliberation phase.”

"I've talked to LeBron James' agent Rich Paul and he said [LeBron] has all the information needed. So now it's all up to LeBron James to make a decision."@ChrisBHaynes with an update on LeBron James' free agency. pic.twitter.com/y0N042t5zv

— NBA on Prime (@NBAonPrime) July 14, 2026

While we know that James is getting closer to making a decision, which team he will actually sign with is anyone’s guess. Based on reports coming out of Las Vegas during Summer League, nobody definitively knows what LeBron is going to do.

Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints says that the “overarching consensus among rival team personnel at NBA Summer League is that James will sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers.” However, Siegel also noted that the Golden State Warriors are a “stronger consideration” for James after he spent time with Draymond Green this past weekend.

Alex Schiffer of Front Office Sports has backed up that the Warriors are still in the race. The consensus of those polled by Schiffer was that James would pick between either Golden State or Cleveland. “Some executives are skeptical of the growing narrative that a third Cleveland stint is a certainty,” Schiffer wrote.

We’ll see what direction James ends up taking this. He is reportedly looking for “happiness” from his next destination while also having a chance to compete for a championship. The Cavaliers should check both of those boxes quite well. Whether or not LeBron chooses a final chapter in Cleveland remains to be seen.

The Summer Mavericks (1-2) got knocked around by Cam Boozer and the Summer Grizzlies (1-1) early on, but turned it around for a 96-88 win in their third NBA Summer League game on Monday at UNLV’s Thomas & Mack Arena.

Morez Johnson Jr. missed the game with calf soreness and is likely done after two games, just like Cooper Flagg last year. Ryan Nembhard also missed the game against the Grizzlies with an illness.

Cam Boozer led the Grizzlies with 21 points and eight rebounds, and former Maverick Olivier-Maxence Prosper had 18 for Grizzlies in the loss. Mavericks’ rookie guard Sergio de Larrea came alive late to complete a double-double with 16 points and 12 assists for Dallas in the win.

Here are three key stats from the third of four Summer League games for the Mavs.

4: Alley-oop finishes for Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu

KO ALLY OOP!! pic.twitter.com/8Li3GtE1SK

— MavsHighlights (@MavsHighlights) July 13, 2026

After Boozer bullied the Mavericks starters for six quick points, Mavericks coach Joe Boylan inserted the former Memphis Tiger Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu into the game. Akobundu-Ehiogu immediately ignited a Mavs run by filling running lanes in transition, scoring his first three buckets on the fast break in rapid succession. He also blocked a Cedric Coward driving attempt midway through the first with the game tied at 10-10.

His ability to finish on the run ignited a 20-4 run that lasted most of the rest of the frame, as Dallas finished the first up 24-19. Akobundu-Ehiogu finished the game with 16 points and four rebounds. He will likely get a lot of run in the Mavs’ final Summer League game on Thursday.

The lob 🔥
The finish 🔥 pic.twitter.com/2IYWbCCgFb

— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) July 13, 2026

He guided home his third alley-oop finish of the first half early in the second quarter, displaying a surprising hit of athleticism to go along with his 6’10” frame. He was born in Nigeria and now plays in Spain’s La Liga for Manresa. His fourth came in the fourth quarter to extend the Dallas lead to 72-77.

5-of-5: First-half 3-point shooting for Jaden Springer and Darin Green Jr.

Darin Green Jr. connected on his first four shots of the game for the Summer Mavs, including his first three from 3-point range. His third came on a drive-and-dish find from Jaden Springer with 3:43 left in the second quarter and put the Mavericks ahead 43-31.

Springer, a Tennessee product and an unrestricted free agent after playing last season for the G-League affiliate of the New Orleans Pelicans, the Birmingham Squadron, hit his first two long balls in the first half as well.

Neither of these guys appears poised to crack the conversation for making the Mavericks’ roster (even on a two-way deal) any time soon, mind you.

The Mavs took a 50-46 lead into the halftime break. Green hit his first 3-ball of the second half as well, after stealing the ball from Boozer near the top of the key, then running straight for the 3-point line on a transition sprint-out. He knows what he’s there to do, and he was feeling it on Monday. His fourth of the game gave the Mavs a 58-55 advantage midway through the third.

Green led the Mavs with 18 points and five boards in the win.

16/12: Sergio de Larrea points and assists

De Larrea No Look 👀 pic.twitter.com/YD0pO4RsY6

— The Mavs Blog (@TheMavsBlog) July 14, 2026

The Mavericks’ second first-round draft pick, Sergio de Larrea, flashed his playmaking ability all night long in his third Summer League game, then he finally found the shooting touch late. He can certainly pass the basketball. See the second embedded tweet above for his connection to Akobundu-Ehiogu on his third alley-oop finish of the first half on Monday.

De Larrea dished 12 assists against the Grizzlies on Monday and turned the ball over just three times. That’s a hell of a number, especially in light of his four turnovers (to just four assists) in Saturday’s game against the Lakers, and especially in light of how inefficient the shooters are around him in this setting.

If you’re a de Larrea truther, this was your game. He was 0-for-3 from 3-point range and just 2-for-13 for Summer League before he nailed his first of the game with 3:05 left to play. He crossed over and stepped back over Boozer on that make, which gave the Mavs an 82-77 lead late. Those are the plays we want to see to go along with his creativity in finding the open man.

He rattled in a second from the left wing with just a minute to play to make it an 87-80 and give him 12 points and 12 assists for the game.

Sergio De Larrea stepback on Boozer‼️ pic.twitter.com/HwhbtNFdI2

— The Mavs Blog (@TheMavsBlog) July 14, 2026

The Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Miami Heat 90-73 in their first win of the 2026 Las Vegas Summer League. They were led by rookie Meleek Thomas, who was on fire from start to finish and ended the game with 35 points.

Thomas set the tone early by scoring 11 points in the first seven minutes. His on-ball shot-creation is a standout. Thomas has looked comfortable navigating the floor and dribbling into some supremely confident jumpers. This pull-up from near the logo is an example:

Damn near logo three on a pull up from Meleek Thomas. pic.twitter.com/eb0DnBOOjH

— RealCavsFans.com (@realcavsfans) July 14, 2026

Thomas continued to dig deeper into his bag as the game went on. He nailed a flurry of floaters and mid-range jumpers in the second half. These shot attempts offer a valuable counter for when defenses are packing the paint.

You never want to rely entirely on the mid-range, but a skilled shooter can punish teams that make it too easy for them.

rook cant be stopped.@cavs@ThomasMeleek | #ChargeOn#LetEmKnowpic.twitter.com/5LWwKi0EsP

— Cleveland Charge (@ChargeCLE) July 14, 2026

Thomas tied the franchise record for points in a summer league game and fell just seven points shy of matching the overall record of 42 points in a single game. He didn’t seem to care, however.

“Just get a win, that’s all,” said Thomas, who had 21 points at halftime. “Not really worried about the accolades, if it happens it happens, I wanna win this game.”

This has been a strong summer for Thomas. The 34th pick has shown elite scoring touch and a level of playmaking that I didn’t know he had. Of course, we take all of this with a grain of salt. But you have my permission to get carried away and start buying as much Thomas stock as you can.

Other standouts from tonight include Ernest Udeh Jr, who played his best game of the summer. Udeh was highly active, scoring 8 points, grabbing 7 rebounds, and blocking 4 shots.

Jaxson Robinson and Malaki Branham also contributed double-digit scoring figures. Robinson had 13 points and 6 rebounds while Branham scored 11 points on 5-of-11 shooting.

The Cavs closed the door early in the fourth quarter and earned their first win of the tournament. They’ll play again on Wednesday, this time against the New Orleans Pelicans at 5:30 PM. This is their last game before the knockout round begins.

The Dallas Mavericks won their first NBA Summer League game on Monday night, defeating the Memphis Grizzlies, 96-88. Sergio De Larrea led a very balanced effort from Dallas with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Darin Green Jr. was the Dallas high scorer with 18 points. Third overall pick Cameron Boozer ground his way to a 21-point, eight-rebound effort for Memphis in defeat.

With the Mavericks electing not to play both Ryan Nembhard and Morez Johnson Jr (illness and calf soreness, respectively), Dallas went with an all-overseas-born lineup. Memphis forced the ball to Boozer early and, with Vsevolod Ishchenko drawing that defensive assignment, it looked like it might be a rough game for Dallas. However, the Mavericks played strong team defense and pushed after missed Memphis shots to tie the game at 10 halfway through the period. Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu had a surprising impact early, scoring six points via dunks as he flew toward the rim with authority. Dallas grew the lead to double digits before a flurry of Taylor Hendricks threes closed the gap. Dallas led 24-19 after one period.

The Mavericks blitzed the Grizzlies in the second, pushing off of misses and Memphis turnovers, leading to repeated three-point looks on the break. Dallas knocked down shot after shot and rebuilt their double-digit lead from the first period. Back-to-back threes from former Maverick Olivier Maxence-Prosper cut the lead to single digits with two minutes remaining in the half. Memphis cut the lead down to four and entered halftime down 50-46.

The Memphis rally continued to start the second, tying the game a few minutes into the third quarter. The two teams then exchanged baskets, ties, and leads. Strong shooting from Dallas helped them hold off Memphis and the Mavericks entered the fourth quarter up 68-65.

De Larrea’s flashy passing paired with Maverick shotmaking helped Dallas hold off the Grizzlies for much of the period. Memphis closed the gap to tie the game at 77 with five minutes remaining. Dallas exploded out of the next timeout, scoring seven straight, including another rim-rocking dunk from Akobundu-Ehiogu on a putback. Boozer connected on a corner three to give Memphis a chance, but a De Larrea and Darin Green Jr. hit threes in the ensuing possessions to effectively end the game. Dallas walked away with their first win in Vegas, defeating the Grizzlies, 96-88.

Sergio De Larrea, Vsevolod Ishchenko make for a fun backcourt

Some may quibble with this subheading, noting that Ishchenko is kind of omni-positional at the moment, but bear with me. These two, dribbling and initiating the Dallas offense, were a delight against a Memphis team that looked ready to be done with Summer League basketball.

De Larrea’s playmaking chops and vision are obvious. The question becomes how he deals with NBA physicality and I think that he’ll be just fine over the long haul. It helps when teammates make shots, of course, and the Mavericks fulfilled my summer league wish of putting the ball in the basket.

Ishchenko’s more of a mixed bag, but the fearlessness was on full display as he guarded Boozer and put regular pressure on the rim. He really loves a right-handed over-the-head pass when a simpler one will do, but his downhill mindset is more enjoyable than Nembhard’s mechanical implementation of the Dallas offense. He’s got to get much, much better about finishing, but getting there is hard enough, so I suspect the strength will come where he’s able to lay the ball in through contact.

We know De Larrea is on the Mavericks next season; Ishchenko is still up in the air. I suspect this might be the last time we see Sergio for a while, so I encourage people to seek out this game if they missed it.

Game 3 of the Summer League.