2024 NBA summer league: The top players to watch on all 30 teams

Both the California Classic and Salt Lake City summer leagues have wrapped up, so it’s time to focus on the main event of the NBA offseason: Las Vegas Summer League.

The 11-day tournament will begin Friday with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Orlando Magic (4 p.m. ET) kicking things off at the Pavilion in Vegas and run through July 22, with a champion crowned at the end.

The event will be headlined by several recent draft picks, including Atlanta Hawks’ No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher and the Washington Wizards’ No. 2 pick Alex Sarr, second-year players and aging veterans looking for open spots on rosters across the league. The Charlotte Hornets’ Brandon Miller and Miami Heat’s Jaime Jaquez Jr. will both be in action after making the 2023-24 NBA All-Rookie first team.

After each team plays four games, the top four teams will then advance to the playoffs. The two semifinal games will take place July 21, with the championship game July 22. The other 26 teams will play a fifth game on either July 20 or July 21.

With the tournament schedule out of the way, it’s time for ESPN Insiders Jonathan Givony and Kevin Pelton to look at the top players to watch on each summer league team.

Atlanta Hawks

Zaccharie Risacher | Forward

Risacher will have plenty of eyes on him every time he suits up in Las Vegas, as he begins the onerous task of showing why he was the draft’s No. 1 pick in a class lacking star power. Losing second-year guard Kobe Bufkin to injury might make things difficult with a lack of quality playmaking on the roster, as Risacher is not known for his ballhandling or shot creation and will likely have to adjust to the NBA 3-point line. Atlanta’s matchup on summer league opening night with No. 2 pick Alex Sarr and the Washington Wizards (ESPN 9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN) will be highly anticipated. — Jonathan Givony

Boston Celtics

Baylor Scheierman | Forward

The Celtics were thrilled to see Scheierman fall to them at No. 30 and will be watching intently to see how close the nearly 24-year-old wing is to playing rotational minutes in the NBA. Scheierman’s shotmaking and passing are easy fits in Boston’s offense, but his ability to hold his own defensively will ultimately determine how much he can help the defending NBA champs in the short term. The front office will be paying close attention in early summer league matchups with Miami’s Jaime Jaquez Jr. (Saturday, 6:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+) and the Los Angeles Lakers’ Dalton Knecht (Monday, 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+). Keep an eye on second-year forward Jordan Walsh (No. 38 pick in 2023), who will also be trying to prove the same and is 3½ years younger than Scheierman. — Givony

Brooklyn Nets

The 2023 first-round draft picks (Noah Clowney and Dariq Whitehead)

Brooklyn’s two first-round picks in 2023, Clowney (No. 21) and Whitehead (No. 22), will be at the forefront for the Nets, who didn’t have a draft pick in the 2024 draft. Both are still teenagers and have room to become key parts of the Nets’ rebuilding process, which is fully underway in the wake of the Mikal Bridges trade with the Knicks. After extensive G League action last season, Brooklyn’s front office and coaching staff will likely be keeping a close eye on their prized youngsters to see how they are developing and determine how much playing time they can realistically be expected to shoulder in the upcoming season. — Givony

Charlotte Hornets

Brandon Miller | Forward

Fresh off an appearance with USA Basketball’s select team, Miller will be the most accomplished player competing at summer league, after finishing third behind Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren in rookie of the year voting. It’s likely we see Miller participating for only a game or two, making the Hornets’ opener against the Knicks (Saturday, 5 p.m. ET, ESPN2) one of the best games of opening weekend. It will be interesting to see what kind of jump the nearly 22-year-old wing is ready to make as a sophomore after such a promising rookie campaign. After Miller is shut down, the Hornets’ focus will likely shift to No. 6 pick Tidjane Salaun, who should be cleared to play after missing the California Classic because of a minor injury. — Givony

Chicago Bulls

Matas Buzelis | Forward

On a roster with limited playmaking options, it looks like Buzelis could be asked to shoulder a pretty significant role. This should give us good insight into how ready he is to play a major role for the Bulls as a rookie and in what position. The Bulls took a clear step back this summer, trading Alex Caruso and DeMar DeRozan, and Buzelis’ ability to develop into a centerpiece of their rebuilding efforts will surely play a role in determining their long-term outlook. Knocking down shots consistently and making good decisions with the ball this summer will be a good start for him. — Givony

Honorable mention: Julian Phillips

Cleveland Cavaliers

Jaylon Tyson | Forward

Tyson will likely play a significant role for Cleveland as its lone 2024 draft pick, along with 2023 second-rounder Emoni Bates. Tyson was a primary ball handler and playmaker for Cal this season and should shoulder plenty of on-ball reps in Vegas, giving us a chance to see the shot creation that enticed the Cavs to use the No. 20 pick on him. A matchup with Anthony Black and a stacked Orlando Magic squad (Friday, 4 p.m. ET, ESPN+) should prove a stern test right out of the gates, both for him and 20-year-old rising sophomore Bates, who showed promising flashes in the G League last season. — Givony

Orlando Magic

Anthony Black | Guard

Black, the No. 6 pick in the 2023 draft, played 17 minutes per-game through 71 games for the Magic, but he could be due for an expanded role as a sophomore with starting point guard Paul George, along with Kelly Oubre, Eric Gordon and Caleb Martin. McCain’s ability to space the floor and play off starting point guard Tyrese Maxey could make him a bench option for a team that is still filling out its roster, which makes his performance in Vegas important. The same can be said for Ricky Council IV, who was on a two-way contract last season and had some impressive outings in the California Classic. — Givony

Phoenix Suns

Ryan Dunn | Forward

It will be interesting to see how the Suns use both Dunn and Oso Ighodaro, their two draft picks this June. Both big men are known for their defensive versatility but not their shooting range. Ighodaro never made a 3-pointer in four years at Marquette, while Dunn shot 23.5% on just 51 career attempts at Virginia. If Phoenix can’t space the court with Dunn and Ighodaro playing together in Las Vegas, it’s a bad sign for the rookies’ chances of finding immediate playing time. — Pelton

Portland Trail Blazers

Donovan Clingan | Center

Going against summer opposition, Clingan should have the ability to hang back near the basket and put a lid on it with his size and length on defense. It will be more interesting to see Clingan away from the hoop, whether it’s defending on pick-and-rolls against stretch 5s or spacing on the offensive end. Clingan impressed with his shooting in pre-draft workouts. We’ve yet to see that in games; he made two 3-pointers in nine attempts during two seasons at UConn. — Pelton

Sacramento Kings

Keon Ellis | Guard

After starting 21 games in his second NBA season, including the last 15 after Kevin Huerter was lost to shoulder surgery, Ellis is overqualified for summer league. The Kings adding DeMar DeRozan could create even more need for Ellis’ on-ball defense in their 2024-25 starting five. This is a chance for Ellis, who had a 12% usage rate in 2023-24, to stretch his wings more as a shot creator. Ellis averaged 20.3 points in three games at the California Classic. — Pelton

San Antonio Spurs

Stephon Castle | Guard

During two games at the California Classic, Castle averaged 15.0 points and 4.0 assists. The Spurs signing Chris Paul to team with Tre Jones at point guard takes the pressure off Castle to be a playmaker right away in the NBA, freeing him to focus on his secondary passing and his movement without the ball, something we saw at UConn. It will also be fun to see Castle match up with No. 1 pick Risacher when the Spurs face the Hawks on Sunday. — Pelton

Toronto Raptors

Gradey Dick | Guard

Dick, the No. 13 pick in the 2023 draft, got off to a slow start for the Raptors as a rookie but caught fire as the season moved on, hitting 40% of his 3-pointers from January through April. With starting wing Gary Trent a free agent and seemingly not in the Raptors’ plans, Dick has a runway to emerge as an important rotational player as a sophomore. It will be interesting to see what kind of role he plays this summer as the Raptors’ roster also features top-20 picks Ochai Agbaji and Ja’Kobe Walter, who have similar opportunities to impress on the wing. — Givony

Utah Jazz

Isaiah Collier | Guard