There’s no better time for unbridled hope and optimism for basketball fans than the NBA Summer League. I had the pleasure of attending the first weekend of games in Las Vegas, Nevada, watching plenty of high-level prospects up close and in person.
Summer league performances are often misleading, especially for young players. Older players struggling in Vegas can often indicate general stagnation, but we expect rookies playing their first NBA games to struggle.
Still, it’s always fun to glean little nuggets of information from Summer League performances. Let’s discuss five standout performers from the 2025 Draft class that I watched over the weekend.
Cooper Flagg, F, Dallas Mavericks
The number one overall pick continued the tradition of generationally-touted prospects underwhelming to begin their careers. Just as Victor Wembanyama did in 2023, Flagg posted an underwhelming scoring night in his debut. Though Flagg’s impact extended beyond the box score as usual, he didn’t score up to his abilities.
He rectified this in his second game against second overall pick Dylan Harper and the San Antonio Spurs, dropping 31 points (10-21, 8-13 from the line). In more typical Flagg fashion, he poured in points from all over the floor, nailing triples and driving to the basket.
Despite facing tons of ball pressure from the rangy Carter Bryant and other defenders, Flagg turned the ball over just twice against the Spurs. His poise and decision-making with the ball are well beyond his years as an 18-year-old rookie. It’s the kind of dominant performance that will help Dallas feel comfortable shutting him down for the rest of the summer.
Carter Bryant, F, San Antonio Spurs
The aforementioned Bryant matched up with Flagg for much of the game, blanketing him on the ball. He’s averaging two blocks per game in three Summer League contests, evidence of his phenomenal range and instincts. Against Flagg, Bryant glued himself to his fellow rookie, smothering with his fluid hips and size.
Yeah man. Carter Bryant’s defensive prowess on full display early in this Summer League. pic.twitter.com/9jJauiX8SM
— Mr Ass (@JohnchoVilla) July 12, 2025
Bryant’s communication and activity stood out in person. He’s constantly collaborating with his teammates to blow up actions off the ball. Young players often idle on defense and Bryant rarely does this, though he will lose sight of his man while chasing the ball as many young defenders do.
Offense will remain Bryant’s biggest hurdle; he’s averaging 4 points on 12.5% shooting across three contests so far. He hasn’t made his outside shots (8.3% on 3-pointers) and struggles to punish scrambling defenses as a driver or playmaker. Bryant has tons of room to grow on offense, but it’s promising to watch him impact the game on defense at a high level already.
Nolan Traore, G, Brooklyn Nets
A maligned Brooklyn draft class has struggled to impact winning for the summer Nets across the board through two games. Nolan Traore flashed the most promise despite an unremarkable box score against Washington — 7 points (3-10), 6 rebounds and 3 assists.Â
Traore’s remarkable speed let him touch the paint and consistently bend Washington’s defense, leading to plenty of easy kickout threes that his teammates largely didn’t convert (Brooklyn made 16-42 threes). His speed is jarring to watch in person, as few basketball players burn up and down the court as quickly as Traore can that I’ve watched.
He continued his strong defensive season in the Summer League setting, defending the ball with length and rotating to protect the back line. Traore must add tons of strength to maximize his paint pressure, but he’s already finding ways to impact winning more consistently than his rookie peers.
Sarr still such a ‘small’ finisher, but Nolan with a nice little rotation at the rim: pic.twitter.com/hnlX3eZG18
— Lucas Kaplan (@LucasKaplan_) July 14, 2025
Hansen Yang, C, Portland Trail Blazers
Portland shocked the draft world by drafting the Yang in the top 20, but he’s proving the Blazers prescient with his Summer League showing. Yang’s passing immediately pops out in person, especially from our bird’s eye view of the court. He’s averaging 4 assists per game through two contests, leading all big men in Vegas so far.
Yang rarely misses obvious passing reads and fits balls into tight windows for layups and open jumpers. His sixth sense for playmaking lets him thrive as a high-post passer, with enough ball-handling skill to beat slower bigs to the hoop.
His defense looked a bit shakier, as bigger, more athletic big men scored over him in the paint and quicker players tested his reaction time and foot quickness. But Yang’s passing and even some willingness to shoot from beyond the arc flashed the promising offensive talent that led Portland to spend the 16th pick on him.
