Basketball Operations Brief

Gregory Spicer – nba summer league – 07/14/25

The NBA Summer League began in 2001 as an opportunity to get young talent some professional experience under their belt before taking on the long 82-game season. It has also served as a platform for many G-League and international players to compete for the final open spots on NBA rosters; however, since its creation 24 years ago, the Summer League has evolved into a multi-city celebration of basketball that caters to everyone, not just the league’s young players. 

The Summer League is now a 15-day integrated experience where the walls between fans, media, players, and front offices come down. This environment was originally developed to cater to fans’ desire for a more intimate experience with the NBA, but the growth of Summer League also presents NBA front offices with a unique opportunity to enhance their rosters. 

The summer competition, which takes place primarily in Las Vegas (2025 also has games in Salt Lake and San Francisco), happens two weeks after the NBA Draft. Beyond just providing professional experience for players before the regular season, organizations can test the strengths and weaknesses of their athletes in low-pressure situations that still simulate the difficulty of a real game.

For example, Cooper Flagg, the number one pick of the 2025 draft, played a unique role for the Mavericks in their loss against the Spurs on Saturday. Instead of taking on the usual forward role of off-ball cutting and half-court creation that would be expected from a player of his size, he was given the primary ball-handling duties for his team. Flagg brought up the ball almost every time the Mavericks ran a half-court offense. 

While the six-foot-nine, 200-pound rookie likely won’t be the point guard on a team with Kyrie Irving and D’Angelo Russell, it is still important for the Mavericks to evaluate how much Flagg can be trusted to run the offense in his rookie year. Irving has a torn ACL and probably won’t return until January, and Russell is coming off a career-worst season (12.6 PPG on 39% FG), meaning Flagg’s development as a creator could be vital for his squad’s success this season. It’s safe to say Saturday’s experiment was a success for Dallas, as Flagg put up 30 points with 13 free throw attempts, actually looking more comfortable as a guard than he did as a forward.

On top of this chance to experiment with player roles, the Summer League allows front offices to evaluate which rookies from the previous season have made big sophomore jumps. Seeing a second-year player compete at a high level in July can lead to a spot in the rotation for the upcoming season, which allows front offices to focus on upgrading other holes in their roster. 

Sophomore Tristan Da Silva of the Orlando Magic has taken full advantage of this opportunity so far. In game one, Da Silva put up a 19-7-5 line and followed it up with an efficient 18-point 3/7 3PT showing in game two. These performances from Da Silva are huge for the Magic’s roster depth. After investing the bulk of their draft capital in the Desmond Bane trade and extending Paolo Banchero for over $200 million, they need their current rookie contract players to assert themselves just as Da Silva has. With Jalen Suggs and Bane holding down the backcourt, Banchero and Franz Wagner at forward, and Da Silva leading the bench, the Magic can comfortably invest any future resources into their center position. 

These evaluations and experiments are certainly huge for front offices, but the most vital part of Summer League is the chance to add low-cost talent. With most participants being either G-League or undrafted, the Summer League is the ultimate affordable player showcase. 28/30 teams are on pace to begin the 2025/26 season above the salary cap (only the Jazz/Nets sit below), so general managers for every organization will be looking for budget-friendly players to fill out their rotations.

Lakers point guard DJ Steward has been a notable beneficiary of this dynamic so far. The Duke graduate from Chicago had already established himself as one of the G-League’s best players for Memphis and Chicago, but now gets to compete for a spot on a very thin Lakers roster. With backups Gabe Vincent and Bronny Jr struggling in limited time last season, Steward is making his game recognized. In five starts, the point guard is averaging 13 points, 4.0 assists, and 3.6 rebounds with efficient shooting (45% FG and 55% 3PT) while locking up on the defensive end. A potential two-way contract accumulating in the 500k-600k range would allow Steward to play 50 games for the professional team in 2025/26 while keeping the Lakers’ spending reasonable. With no sure option as a backup to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, the Lakers have to capitalize on this opportunity to increase their depth.

From superstar rookies like Cooper Flagg to proven NBA sophomores like Tristan Da Silva to talented G-Leaguers competing for contracts like DJ Steward, the Summer League provides a wide array of EVALUATION OPPORTUNITIES for front offices. Teams are in desperate need of talent, yet don’t have the cap room to spend, which means the 2025 NBA Summer League may be their last chance to make season-altering additions.