LAS VEGAS — Chaney Johnson might be undersized, underrated and an underdog. But he won’t be outworked.
The second-year Net — who hustled his way from undrafted rookie last season to a two-way contract — is making an impression in Summer League with his hustle and athleticism.
“I knew Chaney was a beast. It’s further confirmed,” assistant coach Dutch Gaitley said. “In the ESPN thing, they asked about all of our rookies: ‘Who’s the one guy you haven’t talked about?’ I was like, ‘It’s Chaney Johnson.’ And the reason is Chaney has to play at the center just because we need him to play the center.
“If we needed Chaney to play point guard, Chaney would play point guard. He does whatever is called for the team. He’s an outstanding teammate. He plays as hard as anybody on the court. I think he’s got a really bright future.”
He’s scored double figures in all four of his appearances — from the California Classic to Las Vegas — and done it all playing out of position, asked to play center.
“That dude is a dog,” Egor Demin said. “He’s the type that he’s the favorite teammate of anybody, because he does all the hard work without feeling like we owe him something. He just does it because that’s what he’s doing.
“Sometimes I feel bad because we don’t reward him enough for his work out there to help us to be successful. He takes it very humbly from a standpoint of, ‘Hey, I’m here for you and anybody else.’ The level of my appreciation towards him is hard to explain. He’s amazing.”
Johnson is averaging 15 points on 64.7 percent shooting, 8.8 rebounds and 2.8 steals this summer.
And he’s done it being tasked with playing center despite standing just 6-foot-7.
Chaney Johnson rises up for a dunk during the Nets’ 83-76 Summer League loss to the Hawks on July 11, 2026 in Las Vegas. NBAE via Getty Images
“I hang my hat on going out there and playing hard, just controlling everything I can control,” Johnson said.
Asked if center is a position he could grow into, he replied, “It’s whatever gets me paid, you know what I’m saying? I’ll do whatever it takes. So whatever the team needs, I’m there.”
On the other end of the spectrum, Drake Powell is mired in a horrendous funk. He’s mustered just 11 points through four appearances, shooting 1-for-28 overall and 0-for-14 from deep.
Demin and rookie Mikel Brown Jr. were rested Saturday but are expected to play Tuesday vs. the Kings. … Joshua Jefferson made his debut with nine points on 1-for-8 shooting.
Danny Wolf had 20 points on 9-for-16 shooting with five boards but had just one assist with four turnovers.
“We need the inverse,” Gaitley said.
Rookie Zuby Ejiofor from St. John’s had 13 points and six boards for Atlanta.
LAS VEGAS — For Keon Ellis, it was about wanting to be where he’s wanted.
Getting to join a Nets team in desperate need of his defense, and reunite with coach Jordi Fernández, was the perfect free agent situation.
“From what I heard, he was pulling for me really hard,” said Ellis, who played two years in Sacramento when Fernández was the Kings’ associate head coach. “And I know the way he coaches. He’s very passionate. He’s about the right things. He wants to win. So, the familiarity right there was definitely good.”
Considering the familiarity between the player and coach, and how the Nets need his 3-and-D profile, it’s hard to see the fit not working out.
“With how much they were offering, that just speaks to how much the team wants you as well. So, that. And then obviously, you’ve got some guys on the staff that you’ve been with before, so you know the ropes a little,” Ellis said. “And then the opportunity here as well. When you combine all those things, they just lined up.”
Point-of-attack defenders who can actually shoot — prototypical 3-and-D types — are pricey in the NBA, but Ellis may provide some of that archetype.
Per 100 possessions last season — split between the Kings and Cavaliers — Ellis ranked in the 93rd percentile in steals (2.7), in the 95th percentile in blocks (1.5) and the 96th percentile in both turnovers forced (1.6) and deflections (6.4).
His stop percentile of 4.4 ranked in the 98th percentile.
“It’s just about the effort. I go out there and I just try to make it tough on guys,” Ellis said. “You’re playing against the best players in the world. They’re gonna score; they’re gonna get to their spots. You’re gonna have bad defensive games [and] good defensive games. But the mindset of every night trying to do the right things, be in the right spots and just attack the game plan. That’ll help everyone accomplish the goal.
Keon Ellis, who played for the Cavaliers last season, said he feels the Nets are a good fit because they appreciate his skillset. Getty Images
“I’m not the greatest defender ever, but with team defense, everyone’s on the same page, that helps everyone a little bit better. Just me coming in, I’m more of a lead by example kind of guy. So I think just me going in and playing hard, that’s what motivates the next guy to go just as hard.”
Two seasons ago, Ellis was even better. He was the only player in the league to rank in the top 10 in both steals (1.5) and 3-point percentage (.433).
But he backslid somewhat this past campaign. After averaging 24 minutes in the regular season and notching a plus-4.5 net rating, Ellis struggled in the postseason. He averaged just seven minutes and recorded a minus-15.9 net rating in 12 appearances for Cleveland.
Still, playoff woes are a luxury for the rebuilding Nets, a long way from those sorts of worries. Considering how defensively challenged they were — and how badly Drake Powell, their only guard who plays tough point-of-attack defense, has been struggling on offense in summer league play so far — it’s hard to see Ellis not playing a huge role.
Ellis is confident he can get back to his 3-and-D form of two years ago.
“Just the consistency and an established role. A lot of things were up and down and moving parts, and you just never really knew what was going on,” Ellis said. “The consistency really helped with that, that year. You knew what was going on. There weren’t too many moving parts. So, that was just the biggest thing.”
Ellis is looking forward to getting settled in Brooklyn — even if he’s suffering from sticker shock.
“Oh, my God. Trying to find a house, it’s tough,” Ellis laughed. “I have to sacrifice something, some space, the prices, it’s a lot. But I’m definitely excited to be able to kind of just walk around the city and hit different spots and all the restaurants. I hear there’s a lot of good food and a lot of things to do. So I’m definitely excited to see about that, but I’ll definitely be losing some square footage.”
BOSTON - 1984: The 1983-84 NBA Champion Boston Celtics pose for a team portrait at the Boston Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. Front row (left to right): Quinn Buckner, Cedric Maxwell, Vice Chairman of the Board Paul Dupee, Chairman of the Board Don Gaston, President and General Manager Arnold (Red) Auerbach, Coach K.C. Jones, Vice Chairman of the Board Alan Cohen, Larry Bird, M.L. Carr. Back row: Team Physician Dr. Thomas Silva, assistant coach Jimmy Rodgers, Gerald Henderson, Stott Wedman, Greg Kite, Robert Parish, Kevin McHale, Dennis Johnson, Danny Ainge, Carlos Clark, assistant coach Chris Ford and Trainer Ray Melchiorre. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory copyright notice: Copyright NBAE 2002 (Photo by NBA Photos/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
My dad was born a few years before the Boston Celtics, in 1943, and he grew up playing basketball in the small town of Forestburg, South Dakota.
His parents had traveled with his father’s construction crew in his early years, but settled down near the farm where his mother grew up when he reached school age.
He was a point guard for the Forestburg Buccaneers, who were coached by Quentin C. Miles, a legend in South Dakota basketball circles. Born in 1921, Q.C. grew up playing the game when there was still a jump ball after every made basket. Miles, who also taught physics and chemistry, coached Forestburg into the state’s B tournament in 1958, where my dad saw limited action as a freshman.
Dad watched basketball on TV whenever he had the chance, and that’s how he became a Celtics fan. They were televised fairly often, and dad wanted to play like Bob Cousy.
Life, of course, intervened. Dad went to Augustana College in Sioux Falls, where he took a degree in mathematics and then a Master’s in the same subject from the University of North Dakota—at the same time that a very young Phil Jackson was tearing up the hardwood there under the direction of Bill Fitch and Jimmy Rodgers.
He spent a year teaching at Minot State before being drafted into the Army. He spent three and a half years in Arlington, Virginia, where he met my mom, before returning to Minot State.
Things didn’t work out in Minot, and my dad ended up looking for work back home in South Dakota. He would later joke that the typical response at job interviews to his Master’s in math was, “so you’re an accountant…?”
He eventually landed a gig with the state doing budget projections and data analysis for the Department of Social Services, and proceeded to raise a family of six kids in a white ranch style house with black trim near an elementary school on the east side of Pierre.
Mostly he was home every night a little bit after 5:00. There were occasions when he’d have to work after hours, and sometimes we’d get to go to the office and see where he worked on those weekends or evenings.
But, again, mostly his job was a 40-hour a week undertaking that left him plenty of time for the rest of us.
I only remember one or two business trips from those years, and the one that stands out came in January of 1984, when he had to go to Kansas City, Missouri.
He and some of his staff were put up at the Adam’s Mark near the Truman Sports Complex, a once luxurious hotel that’s fallen on hard times. It’s been fixed up for the World Cup, and the hope is that it will be the center of a mixed use development in the future, but in 1984, it was a top of the line facility.
And on Tuesday, January 17, of that year, dad and one of his work buddies traveled into Kansas City to watch the Kings play the Celtics.
The Kings were just about at the end of their run in Kansas City. These Kings were a vagabond team, starting off as the Rochester Royals before moving to Cincinnati, and then into a situation where they split time between Kansas City and Omaha and carried an awkward designation using both cities. The Kings dropped Omaha from their name after three years, although they did continue to play the occasional game there.
The Kings would move to Sacramento a little over a year after my dad saw them play. When they moved, I remember him saying that he wasn’t surprised because there were plenty of empty seats when he was there. In Sacramento, the Kings spent two years playing in a refurbished warehouse while waiting for a permanent home.
While in Kansas City, the Kings played at the Kemper Arena, a dimly lit venue with a bit of an old-school vibe to it, featuring a steep upper deck that provided good sightlines at the expense of leaving fans feeling like they perhaps needed sherpas to assist them in finding their seats.
The arena opened in 1974 on the former site of the Kansas City Stockyards. It was named after Rufus Crosby Kemper, Sr., a member of a wealthy banking family who donated $3.2 million to the construction of the $22 million arena.
Exterior view of the Crosby Kemper Arena (now Hy-Vee Arena) in Kansas City, Missouri, September 8th 1975. (Photo by UPI/Bettmann Archive/Getty Images) | Getty Images
From the exterior, the arena is dominated by three huge structural assemblies that carry the roof; there were no windows to speak of in 1984, and no principal entry point, just four facades covered in white steel panels. There were luxury suites on the concourse level, a relative novelty for the time, and a total capacity of 16,659 for basketball.
Its roof collapsed in 1979, and it hosted the NCAA’s Final Four championship round in 1988; the winner, Kansas, was effectively the home team, hailing from Lawrence, not even an hour down the turnpike from the arena.
What is now the Hy-Vee Arena is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, being the first major U.S. commission for noted architect Helmut Jahn. It’s currently a multipurpose facility that targets youth sports. The arena has basically been split in half, with a floor added between the upper and lower decks creating two arenas stacked on top of each other.
But for one night in 1984, it was the place where my dad got to see Larry Bird play.
It was cold out, and dark, with temps in the teens and a light snow falling as my dad and 11,477 other fans trekked into the West Bottoms neighborhood off I-670 where the Kings played, just about a stone’s throw from the Kansas state line.
The Celtics were coached by KC Jones—his first year in that role—and the Kings were coached by Cotton Fitzsimmons, a Hall-of-Famer whose best years were coming up in a second stint coaching the Phoenix Suns. Cotton was in his last year with the Kings, with whom he managed to eke out a slightly better than .500 winning percentage over a six-year run—and this was no mean feat, by the way, as just five of the Kings’ 32 coaches have winning records.
The Kings were led by Eddie Johnson, Larry Drew and Mike Woodson (now an assistant coach with Sacramento), and were on their way to a 38-44 record.
The Celtics… well, the Celtics were on their way to another championship and another banner.
Boston was wrapping up a three-game road trip. They had just suffered their worst loss of the season, a 106-87 drubbing at the hands of the Milwaukee Bucks, on Sunday. In that game, Bird hit just three shots on thirteen attempts.
Kansas City was coming off a win against the hapless San Diego Clippers, who were themselves just about to relocate to Los Angeles.
My dad had been watching the Celtics play on TV for more than half his life by this point in time, and he was finally going to get to see them in person.
They did not disappoint.
Larry Bird hit 15 of 21 shots and finished with 38 points, nine rebounds and thirteen assists, while Dennis Johnson, Robert Parish and Kevin McHale finished with 20 points apiece. As a team, the Celtics shot 59%.
They shot 67% in the first quarter and established their final nine-point margin of victory by the close of that quarter.
To their credit, Kansas City kept Boston honest despite enduring a poor shooting night from the team’s stars, Eddie Johnson and Larry Drew (a combined 11-32 from the field). On the offensive end of things, they were led by reserve center Lasalle Thompson and Mike Woodson, who finished the game with 21 and 18 points, respectively.
The Kings made things interesting early in the fourth quarter, clawing their way back from a sixteen-point deficit to draw nearly even with the Celtics, 95-94, with just under nine minutes left in the game.
The Celtics responded with a 20-9 run.
Bird, McHale and Parish accounted for fifteen of those twenty points.
Bird was at the peak of his abilities in 1984, the first of three consecutive years in which he would win the league’s MVP award, and he was the unquestioned star of a game that featured four future Hall-of-Famers.
After the game, Kings rookie Dane Suttle said, “He lets people see what they came to see.”
For a kid from Forestburg, this was certainly true.
P.S. If you want to see a great photo from that game, click here. We don’t have the rights to this photo, but I can still share it from my Newspapers.com account.
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 10: Mohamed Diawara #51 of the New York Knicks looks to pass the ball during the game against the Brooklyn Nets during the 2026 NBA Las Vegas Summer League on July 10, 2026 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Candice Ward/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
To start what should be a pretty obvious point to get across, if you seriously have concerns about a player because of Summer League, you should do the following:
Use your free will to turn the game off
Do something else (read a book, watch the World Cup, go outside)
Watch a YouTube video of the Finals run
Relax
The greatest prospect of all time could go 1-for-45 in a Summer League game, and it wouldn’t matter at all. The only use of Summer League is extra reps for young guys, and so that fans can get a quick look at the shiny new toys they got in that year’s draft.
As someone who is very opposed to Shiny New Toy syndrome, I too have fallen for our latest toy, ol’ Double (K)Nickel’s
But while Nickel has looked outstanding as a spot-up shooter, pretty much everyone else sucks. Pacôme Dadiet has done some good things, and Jack Kayil looked solid in the second half on Saturday, but other than that? Yeesh. The one center they have is doing this.
Frankly, watching them is a chore. They’ve scored a pitiful 65 and 49 points in their two games. The latter total is the first time in 10 years that someone scored less than 50 in a Vegas Summer League game. The 2016 Kings, led by Skal Labissiere, are not ones to emulate.
It’s fair to have been extremely disappointed in just how feeble they’ve looked, even if we’re literally just over four weeks removed from an NBA championship and this roster has as little projectable talent as humanly possible.
Over the next three games, the four guys we’ve been looking forward to seeing will continue to be showcased, but you really have to hope we can at least get something out of Mo Diawara, who’s been… bad, to say the least.
Mohamed Diawara per game through 2 summer league games:
Hell, this isn’t even the “well, it’s only Summer League” excuse. For a player specifically like Diawara, this setting is literal hell for him.
I worried in my pre-summer storylines piece from earlier this week that Diawara would be tasked with handling the ball too much. While he’s not completely running point guard, he’s getting pretty much all of his touches 30+ feet from the basket as an initiator.
He is not an initiator.
Summer League is for testing boundaries and challenging guys with roles they aren’t comfortable with. For Diawara, the Knicks are giving him some truly unreasonable challenges.
A guy with a very limited offensive bag at the moment is being tasked with initiating an offense with negative firepower (except for Nickel). Pretty much every shot he’s taken is either a grenade, contested, or not in rhythm. I didn’t watch much of Saturday’s game with other things on TV, but Friday’s looked like the team was intentionally trying to make things harder for him.
Diawara is a sponge. His play quality reflects that of his teammates.
We saw him have some extremely impactful minutes in the regular season when he had real NBA rotation players around him. This is the same guy who fearlessly rained threes on the Western Conference champions and locked up Jaylen Brown.
Mohammed Diawara
2/8/2026
10 PTS | 3 REB | 1 AST | 1 STL | 100 FG%
The Knicks rookie gave fans reasons for excitement many times throughout the season including elite defense against Jaylen Brown and the Celtics along with perfect shooting pic.twitter.com/R9G2Vqgmr1
The ugliest minutes for Diawara have come when his teammates around him are at his level. Starting when he was permanently booted from the rotation in late March to all the garbage time minutes he received in the playoffs, he looked clunky. His shots were way off, his touches were in awkward spots, and he was asked to do too much.
Now in Summer League, he is the best player out there. When a 20-year-old who was picked No. 51 overall less than 13 months ago is the best player on the floor, that’s a problem. It’s even more of a problem when there’s no point guard to run the show.
Ultimately, that’s what makes this look so ugly. The entire offense is disjointed because there’s no floor general to stabilize it. It’s five headless chickens running around trying to put a ball in the basket. Their shot quality is disgustingly bad.
I was disappointed when I saw Tyler Kolek wasn’t doing Summer League because I feared this. I truly believe that you’d be seeing a lot more quality looks and Diawara being able to really do what made him so effective last year off the ball if he had a maestro like Kolek out there.
Does Kolek have anything to prove out here? Probably not, but for a guy who received zero seconds of meaningful playoff action, he isn’t totally above this.
Ultimately, if you decided not to watch a second of the next three games, I wouldn’t blame you. We’ve watched too much good basketball of late to see our logo associated with whatever this is. Hopefully, things get better with Kayil seemingly fully integrated into the plans now.
At the end of the day, we’re still champs until we ain’t.
LAS VEGAS — Jack Kayil, the Knicks draft pick from Germany, made his desire clear Saturday: He doesn’t want to be stashed overseas.
“My goal is to play in the NBA,” the 20-year-old point guard said after his summer league debut in an ugly 70-49 loss to the Spurs. “That’s why I went into the draft.”
Kayil was picked 39th overall last month but took a while to join the Knicks amid reports of a contract dispute with his team in Berlin. On the contract problems, Kayil was mum — “there were things going on that I don’t want to get into,” he said — but it’s clear he wants to stay with the Knicks.
Jack Kayil, who scored 12 points, drives to the basket during the Knicks’ 70-49 Summer League loss to the Spurs on July 11, 2026 in Las Vegas. NBAE via Getty Images
“It’s not my decision, so I’m just trying to show myself in the best way, and it is what it is,” he said, adding later, “I’m super happy I also got drafted, and we’ll see what happens in the next days, weeks, whatever.”
If he joins the NBA next season, Kayil is a candidate for a two-way contract and perhaps development in the G-League.
He showed playmaking potential Saturday, but overall the Knicks’ offense was atrocious — similar to Friday’s loss to the Nets.
Kayil, who didn’t play Friday, finished with 12 points, five rebounds and three assists on 5-for-14 shooting in 21 minutes.
He and fellow rookie Tyler Nickel were the only offensive threats for New York, with Mohamed Diawara going scoreless in another dud.
“It’s difficult to say [what the differences are from the German league],” Kayil said. “It’s only one game. For me, it still feels like basketball, and [I] try to play the right way. And everywhere, it’s kind of same. It’s obviously different players to play against and a different kind of speed and everything. But I’m used to different systems, so it wasn’t difficult to adapt to that. So for me, it wasn’t that big of a difference.”
TJ Saint, the Knicks’ summer league coach, was complimentary.
“Really liked him. Started watching him on film after the draft,” Saint said. “Thought he could get in the paint. Thought he had a quick burst.”
LAS VEGAS — For obvious reasons, Tyler Nickel prefers to wear No. 5.
But that uniform was taken by Knicks guard Jose Alvarado. So Nickel settled for double-nickel.
“T-Nick is my nickname, but a lot of people call me T-5,” said Nickel, the No. 47 overall pick in last month’s draft. “So [No.] 5 has been me. So when [No.] 55 was available, I was like, ‘OK, I can’t get [No.] 5, so [No.] 55 is cool.’ ”
If Nickel carves out an NBA career, he’ll be defined by a different digit — 3.
Knicks second-round pick Tyler Nickel shoots a 3-pointer during the Knicks’ 70-49 Summer League loss to the Spurs on July 11, 2026 in Las Vegas. NBAE via Getty Images
As the second-round pick demonstrated in his first two summer league games, his greatest asset is his proficiency from beyond the arc.
Nickel dropped six treys on 10 attempts Friday against the Nets, the lone positive in a blowout defeat that featured ugly performances from summer league vets Mohamed Diawara, Pacôme Dadiet and Dillon Jones.
On Saturday, Nickel again was the Knicks’ leading scorer with 16 points on 6-for-14 shooting in 30 minutes in the Knicks’ 70-49 loss to the Spurs.
“I definitely feel like I have some comparisons in the league. I feel like I’m a mix of some different guys: my size, my strength, my shooting ability,” Nickel said. “I feel really comfortable shooting off the move, so like [Detroit’s] Duncan Robinson, [Cleveland’s] Max Strus, [Boston’s] Sam Hauser. But then I have my own type of way of being. So it’s kind of a mix of a lot of people but also myself.”
All those players, including Nickel, have two things in common: They’re catch-and-shoot specialists, and they’re white.
Tyler Nickel, who scored a team-high 16 points, looks to make a move during the Knicks’ Summer League loss to the Spurs. NBAE via Getty Images
“Hey, listen,” the 22-year-old Vanderbilt product laughed when told he was making just white-player comparisons. “They got roles in the league.”
Nickel, who is from Virginia and talks with a Southern twang, will struggle to stay on an NBA court if he can’t competently defend.
It’s considered his weakness, but the 6-foot-7 Nickel has the size to make it work with enough effort.
According to TJ Saint, coach of the Knicks’ summer league team, Nickel committed to defense during minicamp last week.
“He’s been shooting all right. His defense has actually been impressive in the camp,” Saint said. “When we were in the airport the other day, I went over to talk to him, and he was studying our playbook, so I already like where he’s at, getting ahead of the game.”
Despite his promise, Nickel is unlikely to command a standard contract for the defending champs.
He’s a candidate for a two-way deal, though, and that should all be sorted out during training camp in late September into October.
Nickel’s 18-point game against the Nets drew the attention of Josh Hart, who tweeted during the action, “[No.] 55 got a chop,” in reference to the forward’s shooting stroke.
As Kevin McCullar Jr. and especially Diawara demonstrated last season, there always could be unexpected opportunities for young players.
In the meantime, Nickel’s wearing two 5s in Vegas and taking 3s.
“I heard my name called [at the draft], and seeing it being the Knicks, I was super excited,” Nickel said. “Obviously, a championship organization. I thought it was perfect; a perfect situation to see what winning is all about. The standard that they hold everybody to in the program, I feel like it’s perfect for me to be on.”
Vegas intel
Everybody is awaiting The Decision 2.0 from LeBron James — including another future Hall of Famer on the market.
According to a league source, Russell Westbrook is a candidate to join the Heat but not if LeBron signs in Miami.
Westbrook, 37, is a diminished version of his former MVP self but still averaged 15.2 points over 64 games last season with the Kings.
James, meanwhile, is sifting through his options in free agency. Miami, Cleveland and Philadelphia are considered the front-runners.
Westbrook and James were teammates with the Lakers for 1 ½ seasons and struggled, winning just 33 games and falling to 11th in the West in 2021-22.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - JULY 06: Arthur Kaluma #47 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on against the San Antonio Spurs at Chase Center on July 06, 2026 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) | Getty Images
LAS VEGAS — They say America is the land of opportunity, but in the NBA world, that place can be narrowed down to Las Vegas in July.
On Saturday, the Lakers were shorthanded against the Mavericks with Cameron Carr ruled out shortly before tip. Arthur Kaluma took advantage of the opportunity.
He was magnificent in LA’s 91-70 win over Dallas, scoring 34 points on 11-16 shooting from the field, including six of his 10 3-pointers.
“It’s just his confidence,” Lakers coach Ty Abbott said about Kaluma’s game after the win. “And understanding of how to play without the ball in your hand. Last night was a situation where he’s just finding windows, he’s crashing, he’s creating extra possessions, getting putbacks, tip-ins, and he’s getting fouls, and he’s taking advantage of smaller defenders. Today, he had some actions run for him and he was ready.”
A performance like this puts a spotlight on a player and left many wondering if the Lakers should make him a permanent member of the roster.
Arthur Kaluma is a very gifted offensive player – has to be one of the best in Vegas not currently on a two-way deal. https://t.co/2Gm0Ojb1hI
LA has all three two-way spots by Chris Mañon, AK Okereke and Peter Suder, so Kaluma would have to unseat one of those players. However, just because someone is signed to a two-way contract today doesn’t mean it’ll be that way tomorrow.
While Mañon has had some quality games, Okereke and Suder have struggled during Summer League. And with a performance like this, Kaluma is making a compelling case for LA to figure out how to give him a two-way contract before someone else does.
In LA’s first game in Las Vegas on Friday, he was literally perfect from the field, knocking down all five of his shots and scoring 18 points. Saturday was more of the same.
Kaluma wasted no time getting to work. He scored the team’s second basket with a nice pump fake and then a drive inside. Kaluma absorbed the contact and finished in the paint.
He repeated this process throughout the first half, and then, when the opportunity to hit a three presented itself, he took advantage with a pair of makes from beyond the arc.
During the second half, Kaluma stayed hot. Whenever the Mavericks were threatening a comeback, he seemed to hit a timely three to keep them at bay.
Kaluma has been part of the Lakers ecosystem before. He played with South Bay last year and was also on the Summer League roster. With a year of professional development under his belt, he’s been able to showcase it in Las Vegas.
“There’s a certain hunger that you have to have in order to be successful in the G [League],” Kaluma said. “And I feel like that drive that I had my first year in it pushed me into this summer to really get better and work on my game and come here and have the opportunity to perform at Summer League.”
That’s the thing about a player like Kaluma: he’s trying to carve out a role, so he’ll be hungry and ready for any chance he gets. The moments have arrived for him during Summer League and he’s delivered.
Everyone at Summer League has something to prove. The top draft picks want to prove they are worth the hype. The second-year players are trying to prove they don’t need to be here and the two-way guys want to keep their spots or earn standard deals.
Kaluma fits outside of this box. He is an Exhibit 10 player trying to keep his career going and find a role at a higher level. Thanks to his play this weekend, that moment could happen sooner rather than later.
Lakers forward Arthur Kaluma, shown here defending against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Bennett Stirtz in an NBA Summer League game on Friday, scored 34 points in a 91-70 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday night. (Ethan Miller / Getty Images)
The door opened for Arthur Kaluma to show his worth for the Lakers in the NBA Summer League on Saturday night.
He did so in a big way.
Kaluma had 34 points and five rebounds during the Lakers’ 91-70 win over the Dallas Mavericks at the Thomas & Mack Center.
He was 11 for 16 from the field and six for 10 from three-point range.
Late in the fourth quarter, Kaluma lined up a three-pointer, setting his feet and scoring from 29 feet out. He flashed three fingers and smiled. His teammates on the bench stood and cheered, as did the fans.
Kaluma played for the South Bay Lakers last season. He averaged 14.6 points per game, 4.9 rebounds and shot 55% from the field, 37% from three-point range.
Kaluma wasn’t alone in helping the Lakers improve to 2-0 in Summer League play.
Adou Thiero ran the court, took a lob pass from Chris Mañon and threw down a two-handed dunk. He had another solid outing with 15 points and four rebounds. He shot just four for 12 from the field, but was a plus-15.
Lakers rookie guard Cameron Carr was unable to get more reps because of a right thumb contusion that kept him sidelined.
Carr, the 24th pick in the NBA draft, is averaging 17 points per game.
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 11: Arthur Kaluma #47 of the Los Angeles Lakers dunks the ball during the game against the Dallas Mavericks on July 11, 2026 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Candice Ward/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Behind a remarkable performance from Arthur Kaluma, the Lakers earned their second win in as many nights at the Las Vegas Summer League, knocking off the Mavericks, 91-70.
Kaluma poured in 34 points, helping the Lakers pull away in the fourth quarter. LA remains undefeated in Vegas and has won four straight games this summer after dropping its opener.
The Lakers had a rough start, going down by five. Tobi Lawal and Ryan Nembhard scored all of Dallas’ points. Adou Thiero scored the first points for LA, converting on a three-point play.
Jon Elmore provided a spark off the Lakers’ bench, scoring six points. Peter Suder also had productive minutes off the bench for Los Angeles with four points. Zhaire Smith converted on a fadeaway jumper to put the purple and gold up by two at the end of the first.
The Lakers lead the Mavericks 21-19 after one quarter of play. Jon Elmore has a team-high six points.
Mavs rookie Morez Johnson had a solid start to the second period for Dallas, scoring six points. Arthur Kaluma was the only Laker to score early on a layup. Both teams were shooting 47% from the field.
Dallas was up by two when Los Angeles called a timeout.
Out of the break, Thiero was fouled and converted to tie the game. Kaluma continued to shine, pushing his point total to 12, the first Laker in double figures. LA’s shooting took a slight dip to 45% while Dallas was shooting 50%.
The half ended with the teams exchanging triples. Kaluma’s impressive half got even better as he now had 18 points and was shooting 75% from the field. At halftime, the Lakers were up by three.
Both teams missed seven shots combined to start the third period. Tobi Lawal was the first player from either team to score, converting on one free throw for two points. William Hickey got the Lakers on the board with a layup. Kaluma drained his third 3-pointer of the game.
At the 5:46 mark, LA was up by four.
Chris Mañon was another spark for Los Angeles with his six points. The rest of the quarter belonged to the Lakers as they built a lead of 10 going into the fourth period. The purple and gold beat Dallas by seven in the third.
After a jumper from Johnson started the final frame, LA responded with a 7-0 scoring run. Kaluma knocked two more triples, giving him 34 points for the game.
The rest of the fourth happened.
Key Player Stats
Kaluma finished with 34 points and five rebounds. Thiero ended with 15 points, going 4-12 from the field. Mañon had 10 points with eight rebounds.
Peter Suder scored 14 points in 17 minutes. Smith logged six points with three assists and two steals. Elmore pitched in with six points, four rebounds, five assists and three steals.
The next Lakers Summer League game will be against the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday at 7:00 PM PT.
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 11: Chaney Johnson #31 of the Brooklyn Nets dunks the ball during the game against the Atlanta Hawks on July 11, 2026 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Candice Ward/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Brooklyn Nets fell to the Atlanta Hawks, 83-76 Saturday night in Las Vegas, their fifth game of Summer League action.
Overall, counting their record from the California Classic, the squad is 3-2 since heading out to the West Coast, while in the main event (the Las Vegas portion), the team is 1-1, having blown out the New York Knicks on Friday evening.
After each scored 20 points on Friday, Egor Dëmin and Mikel Brown Jr., hopefully the Nets’ backcourt of the future, didn’t appear in Saturday’s clash, the only two players who were sidelined. However, Joshua Jefferson, the 28th overall selection in this year’s draft, made his debut in black-and-white, but finished the game with just eight points in 24 minutes. Jefferson, a 6’9”, 240 pound point forward, went 1-of-8 from the field, adding an assist, a rebound, two steals, and two turnovers.
Chaney Johnson, one of the Nets’ confirmed two-way players, continued his excellent Summer League. He scored 12 points throughout seven minutes in the first quarter while corralling six total rebounds, including three offensive boards and two steals, while shooting 2-3 from deep and 5-6 from the field.
The Auburn product finished the game with 20 points, tied for the team lead with Danny Wolf, as well as 10 boards, four steals, and five offensive rebounds.
While he is certainly undersized for a traditional center, at 6’7”, he has consistently been able to hold his ground last year in the G League and so far this summer, a big testament to his strength and competitiveness. If he continues to play at this level throughout the preseason, it isn’t be too far-fetched for the Nets to offer him a standard NBA contract at some point.
The Nets’ other two-way and second-round rookie, Tyler Bilodeau, cooled off after a stretch of very hot performances, going 1-of-6 from the field and finishing the game with just five points, four rebounds, and an assist, while missing all four of his 3-point attempts.
Over the past couple of games, his defensive struggles have also often become evident. He has consistently showcased a tendency to give up the baseline on defense and get beaten down low.
Danny Wolf, Ben Saraf, and Drake Powell had varied performances. Powell’s significant struggles continued as he shot 0-of-7, missing both 3-point attempts, as he has now converted just one of his 27 field-goal attempts throughout the two summer leagues. That’s 3.7%.
Saraf finished the night with 15 points, though he did so on inefficient shooting, going 4-for-14 from the field and knocking down five of his seven free-throw attempts. He also had five assists while facilitating the Nets’ offense at times.
As for Wolf, every time he is on the floor, his strength and physicality down low are evident. Couple that with his shooting ability, and he undoubtedly has the tools to be a stretch big in the NBA. For him, it’s just a matter of consistency.
On Saturday, the Michigan product was quite effective, compiling a 20-point outing on 9-of-16 shooting with five rebounds and a steal.
The Nets’ three players on Exhibit 10s, Ben Humrichous, Dion Brown and Duke Brennan, each have shown flashes at points, but neither had a noteworthy performance on Saturday. Brown and Humrichous combined for four points. Brennan didn’t find the floor.
While the Nets didn’t pull away with a win, it was certainly refreshing to see Johnson and Wolf dominate.
Next Up
Brooklyn will have a few days off before returning to the court against the Sacramento Kings on July 14 at 6:00 pm ET.
It remains uncertain which members of the Nets’ or the Kings’ young core will be active. It could be the latest showdown between Darius Acuff Jr. and Mikel Brown Jr. a rivalry that goes back to high school and AAU. It’s what both fanbases would like to see, especially the Acuff truthers within Nets Twitter.
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 11: Damion Baugh #23 of the Minnesota Timberwolves looks on during the game against the Denver Nuggets during a 2026 NBA Summer League game on July 11, 2026 at the Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
On a blisteringly hot Saturday night in Las Vegas, the Minnesota Timberwolves took on the Denver Nuggets for their second game of 2026 Summer League.
The Wolves were a bit shorthanded in this one. Joan Beringer did not play in the game as he was out due to back tightness. Trey Kaufmann-Renn also left the game in the first half with what the Wolves called a mouth contusion and did not return. Enrique Freeman also left the game for some time after hitting his head on the floor, but eventually returned.
With the LaMelo Ball trade getting finalized on Friday, Timberwolves second-round pick Isaiah Evans made his Summer League debut. He struggled to get his shot to fall, making just two of his 15 shots. While he did take some good shots, he was not able to get a 3-pointer to fall, missing all nine attempts.
Zyon Pullin was great again for the Wolves, leading them with 24 points, five rebounds, and three assists. He went 8-16 from the field while knocking down a pair of 3-pointers.
Rocco Zikarsky struggled again offensively, putting in just three of his 11 shots, including four misses from beyond the arc. Zikarsky did utilize his size to protect the rim with five blocks in the game.
Jaylen Clark, newly signed to a three-year contract, was one of the Timberwolves players in attendance for the game and spoke to Chris Hine of the Star Tribune about his new deal, among other topics.
Jaylen Clark, fresh off getting some Dippin’ Dots, talks his new three-year contract with the Timberwolves, LaMelo Ball and how his recovery from an Achilles tear might be different from Donte DiVincenzo’s pic.twitter.com/AXQD4W2WWQ
The Wolves eventually fell 101-82 for their first loss out in Vegas. For those interested in the Summer League playoffs, the Wolves will likely need to win both of their remaining games by a wide margin to make the semifinals.
Up Next
The Timberwolves continue their Summer League journey on Monday against the Portland Trail Blazers. It’s a late-night tip-off in Vegas with the game beginning at 10 PM CT.
Gary Trent Jr. #5 of the Milwaukee Bucks drives down court as Danny Wolf #2 of the Brooklyn Nets gives chase during the second half at Barclays Center, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in Brooklyn, NY.
The Bucks are making moves after trading Giannis Antetokounmpo late last month.
Milwaukee re-signed swingman Gary Trent Jr. to a four-year deal worth $64 million, ESPN reported on Saturday.
Trent, 27, has been a key piece on the Bucks since arriving there on a league minimum deal two years ago, averaging 9.7 points while shooting 39.1 percent from beyond the arc through 139 games played with the franchise.
Milwaukee’s Gary Trent Jr. drives down court during the second half the Bucks’ blowout loss to the Nets at Barclays Center on Dec. 14, 2025 at Barclays Center. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
Before the start of last season, Trent agreed to a two-year, $7.5 million deal with the Bucks, but he opted out of his player option, making him a free agent this offseason.
Ahead of his new deal with Milwaukee, Trent was garnering interest from other teams through potential sign-and-trade deals, ESPN reported.
Trent’s re-signing now gives Milwaukee a plethora of options for their backcourt.
Additionally, the Bucks already have Ryan Rollins and Kevin Porter Jr. on their roster, along with drafting Brayden Burries with the No. 10 pick in this year’s draft.
Trent’s contract is also the latest deal Milwaukee has made as they look to retool after trading away Antetokounmpo.
Once the trade became official on Monday, the two-time MVP posted an emotional video to social media thanking the Bucks and the city of Milwaukee.
“I hope bringing a trophy to this city meant something to them because it meant so much to me,” Antetokounmpo said in the video. “I want you to hear it from my mouth: The city of Milwaukee will always be in my heart. This is my home.”
“No matter where I am, Milwaukee will always be my city, my team, my family,” he added.
In his second game in the summer league, Knicks second-round pick Tyler Nickel impressed, but New York fell to the Spurs, 70-49.
The loss drops the Knicks to 0-2 in the young summer league season, but there were some positives to glean from the game.
The aforementioned Nickel scored a team-high 16 points on 6 of 14 shooting and 4-for-11 from three. While he wasn't as accurate from the field as he was in the Knicks' summer league opener, the Vanderbilt product earned the start. He also added two rebounds, one assist, and two blocks in his 30 minutes on the floor.
Alongside Nickel in the starting lineup was Pacome Dadiet, who led the Knicks with 20 points in Friday's loss. However, he wasn't as effective, scoring 13 on 4 of 12 shooting -- just 1-for-6 from three -- along with three rebounds, one assist, two steals and one block in his 23 minutes on the floor.
Mohamed Diawara's early struggles in the summer league continued. After scoring just seven points in 23 minutes on Friday, the second-year Knick was held scoreless on 0-for-5 shooting, including 0-for-3 from downtown. He did give five rebounds, an assist and a block in 26 minutes.
Center Liam Robbins was also held scoreless in his 13 minutes while Dillon Jones started as the Knicks' point guard. Jones scored six points on 2 of 5 shooting while dishing three assists, coming down with a rebound, a block and two steals in his 20 minutes on the floor.
Another notable performance from the Knicks was rookie Jack Kayil's debut. The second-round pick played 21 minutes and posted 12 points -- on 5 of 14 shooting -- five rebounds, three assists and two steals.
On the defensive end, the Knicks had a hard time stopping third-year forward Carter Bryant, who scored a game-high 19 points on 7-for-10 shooting. UConn product Tarris Reed Jr. scored five points in his 23 minutes while Ja'Kobi Gillespie contributed 14 points as the team's starting point guard.
The Knicks will look to get into the win column when they take on the Detroit Pistons on Monday.
West All-Stars North Carolina State Quadir Copeland (14) rushes up the court Friday, April 3, 2026, during the Reese's DI College All-Stars game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. | Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Rockets Vs Raptors
Time: 8:30 PM CST
Watch: Prime Video, not sure if VSL is on SCHN?
Location: Vegas
And we’re back! NBA Las Vegas Summer League, the NBA’s trade convention plus basketball exhibition rolls on, with the 1-0 Rockets playing the 0-1 Raptors.
Tonight’s big question is whether #31 pick Bruce Thornton can continue to keep up his scoring pace with top NBA draft picks in game two of VSL. Thornton matched the 27pts of AJ Dybantsa, but the Bulls Caleb Wilson scored 35pts on 12-21 shooting and 7-11 from three point range. Wilson, if he hadn’t been injured might well have been picked ahead of Daryn Peterson and Cam Boozer, or he might not have. Going #4 is nothing to be ashamed of, and we’ll see if the three point shooting holds at a high (but not 7-11 high, most likely) level.
This really does look like a great class so far, but it’s always worth remembering: this is Summer League. It might tell you something about the players, and their core skills, strengths and weaknesses. It’s also low stakes and fun. What it doesn’t tell you is how a young draftee will hold up against NBA players on an NBA team. Summer League amounts to GLeague pick up basketball, with a sprinkling of top prospects, and notional organization. It’s useful for evaluation to a degree. Looking terrible in summer league is rarely a great sign, but isn’t necessarily fatal, especially for players that rely on others to set up their scoring.
It’s a low stakes way for players to be introduced to a higher level of professional basketball (because if we’re paying NCAA players, it’s professional basketball, isn’t it?). And it is, of course a hoops trade show, not just for the NBA, but for the world. Players will be signed to contracts in other countries out of VSL, and a few might make their way into the NBA or GLeague from VSL, as well.
Anyhow the Rockets are playing again. The Raptors, unlike Denver where we didn’t see #26 pick Taris Reed play, should have their #19 pick, Alan Graves, out of Santa Clara available.
Of the Rockets with a good +/- from last night, all three are the players you might expect to get some minutes, or stick around as two way players or as Rio Grande Vipers: Thornton, Quadir Copeland, and Isaiah Crawford. Undrafted Purdue center Oscar Cluff (at 6’11” and at least 255) had a nice game, controlling the boards, and might stick around with the Rockets in some fashion as well, though he’s not super athletic or mobile.
The Rockets main attraction remains Thornton, and I’d urge some patience. Of course the smallest guy on a defense is going to be attacked. That’s pretty much going to happen with any player. As the New York Knicks amply demonstrated, whilst nearly sweeping the final three rounds of the NBA playoffs, a good coach, and team defensive structure can compensate for that, and if it can’t, then at least one of the coach and structure isn’t good.
Also, ESPN’s generative AI recap of the previous Rockets game gave us this gem:
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 11: Labaron Philon #00 of the Philadelphia 76ers dribbles the ball during the game against the Indiana Pacers on July 11, 2026 at the Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Mike Kirschbaum/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
If you’re the Sixers, the thing you most want to see throughout the Vegas Summer League is the duo of Labaron Philon Jr. and Johni Broome stand out.
So far, so good.
The 2026 first-rounder and 2025 second-rounder were the Summer Sixers’ best players as they narrowly took down the Pacers 100-93 in overtime Saturday. Philon led all scorers with 24 points and added six assists and three rebounds, while Broome finished with 23 points, 11 rebounds and three assists.
Here are a few takeaways from the victory.
First quarter
More impressive stuff from Philon to start this one. He hit a pair of middies off the pick-and-roll. I’ve been most impressed by his passing reads. He found Saint Thomas with a beautiful pocket pass (Thomas missed the layup).
I didn’t know much about Dante Maddox Jr. coming in, but he can really shoot it. He nailed a pair of threes in the first quarter. He might deserve a look on an Exhibit 10 deal.
I still don’t know what to make of Johni Broome. He was productive in the first game and had nine points in the first on Saturday, but the lack of athleticism is so obvious.
Holy shit … Gerald Ayayi? Don’t know much about him, but he threw down one hell of a dunk. He’s French, he’s 6-foot-5 and apparently capable of some things.
Matt Rogers with a couple nice cuts and a three in the first. He seems like a smart offensive player. He’s a 6-foot-9 forward from American University. He led the Sixers with 11 points through one.
Second quarter
Philon continued to show off his extensive bag in the second. He made a gorgeous Euro-step teardrop finish. He then found Taye Fields with another gorgeous bounce pass which led to a foul. He only had one assist in the first half, but his passing skills were front and center.
Philon and Broome were working the pick-and-roll well. One action led to a Broome layup, the other a Philon three. The Summer Sixers extended the lead to 12.
Again, I knew nothing about Ayayi before this game, but this kid has some juice. He had another nice finish and was picking up full court, playing Purdue legend Braden Smith tough.
This was a dominant first half for Philon (13 points, three boards, two assists) and Broome (17 points, seven boards, two assists). It’s exactly what you want to see if you’re the Sixers. They led 59-45 at the half.
Third quarter
Broome opened the quarter with a nice baseline jumper and then buried a contested three. He’s been awesome since he checked back in for his second stint.
And another three from Maddox. Shooting is not easy to find. I know he’s 6-foot-2, but he’s the kind of guy you’d probably like to keep around the organization in some capacity.
Credit to T.J. DiLeo who is coaching the summer league team. These guys are locked in. They’re flying around, playing team basketball and dominating. They built a 20-plus-point lead.
Man, Philon talks, but he walks the walk, too. He told Chris Haynes there’d be “more cookin’” in the second half during his interview. He buried a three as the Sixers were leaking oil a bit towards the end of the third and then shushed the boisterous Pacers’ veterans who were in attendance. He had 18 through three and the Sixers held a 80-67 lead.
Fourth quarter
Another trait Philon seems to have is just knowing when his team needs a bucket. It was another slick drive which temporarily kept the lead at double-digits.
For as good as Broome has been, the lack of athleticism still shows up. He had a particularly rough sequence where he went up weak on a roll, was blocked by Jalen Slawson and then was beat down the other end by Slawson for a transition dunk. The Pacers cut the lead to six.
Credit where it’s due, Broome shook off a tough stretch and muscled his way to a bucket when the Sixers desperately needed it. Philon followed up with another strong finish.
It was an ugly, ugly close for the Sixers. Indiana tied things up on Braden Smith free throws with 5.7 second left. The Sixers got the final possession, but Philon stumbled during a dribble handoff with Broome and couldn’t get off a clean look. Summer league overtime. Yay.
Overtime
Just like in regulation, Broome and Philon came through with buckets — the only two field goals scored in OT for either team.
