The 2K25 Las Vegas Summer League came to a close last night, with the Miami Heat crowned champions. In a thrilling game that required an overtime finish for Elam, we saw 2023-24 waiver list players like GG Jackson and Scottie Pippen Jr. play in a setting where they We are the stars. It doesn’t matter if you’re a beginner or a veteran, this is an opportunity to improve, and several players did so throughout the 11 days in Vegas.
Only a few of these players will qualify as potential fantasy basketball assets, but after discussing the five most notable players from opening weekend, here are the rest of my players rising and falling for Vegas Summer League.
NBA Summer League candidates
Matas Buzelis – Forward, Chicago Bulls
DeMar DeRozan led the league in minutes played last season, so his departure freed up plenty of playing time on the wing in Chicago. Buzelis, the 19-year-old rookie from the now-defunct G League Ignite, made waves in Vegas, delivering several highlight-reel plays while instilling confidence in the Bulls’ burgeoning youth movement.
Buzelis has been the best option, with 17 shot attempts per game. Although inefficient (34/21/74 shots split), he has been able to get to the line and finish through contact – which is promising given his age and slender frame.
Additionally, his defensive efforts, averaging four steals (two steals + two blocks) per game, could earn him immediate playing time. If he continues to apply what he’s learned from watching Andrei Kirilenko, he could emerge as a player to target over recently re-signed Patrick Williams.
Kel’el Ware – Center, Miami Heat
Ware was the most impressive big man I saw in all of summer league. He landed on my watch list after making noise at the California Classic and took that energy to Vegas. He was a big reason the Heat went 6-0 in Vegas, finishing third on the team in scoring (18.0 g/g) and first in rebounding (8.3 g/g) while averaging 2.5 stocks in 26.5 minutes per game.
The versatile big man looks like a starter right away for the Heat, potentially pushing Bam Adebayo to his more natural power forward position. At worst, Ware can be an effective backup center at the minute because of his ability to shoot, catch lobs, rebound, and protect the basket. I’ll draft him for his potential in the late rounds next season.
Brandin Podziemski – Goalie, Golden State Warriors
The second-year point guard will be Golden State’s starting guard next season, so it was great to see Podziemski openly wanting extra reps this summer. It started with his participation in USA Basketball, playing for the USA Select team, and ended with two Vegas Summer League games — an exercise that proved fruitful, as he was one of the best players to touch the floor.
Podz was cut after just two games, during which he averaged 18.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 1.5 steals and 3.5 three-pointers per game. Like a few other sophomores on the rising roster, Podz was too good for Summer League, but his willingness to get valuable reps with his teammates shows a level of maturity and leadership from the young combo guard.
He’ll be a good late-round pick next year, and his potential is something to watch in the upcoming NBA season.
Karlo Matković – Forward/Center, New Orleans Pelicans
I know you probably remind me of Snoop Dogg’s “Who?” meme, but the 51st overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft stood out more than any other Pelicans player during Summer League. The stats aren’t obvious, but he made an impact every time he took the court.
Pelicans general manager David Griffin has nothing but praise for him, and I can see why. His reach, his blocking, his athleticism and his efficiency in the pick-and-roll earned him a three-year deal in Vegas, not a two-way deal.
He can immediately push for a timeshare with Daniel Theis. Matković adds another offensive dimension than Theis, and with rookie Yves Missi looking extremely raw, I see Matković as a depth player for next season.
Donovan Clingan – Center, Portland Trail Blazers
Robert Williams is officially on the hot seat, while Deandre Ayton could soon be eyeing him as Clingan looks to be a force inside. He led Summer League in rebounds (12.3) and blocks (4.3) per game. While Clingan only shot 36 percent, he doesn’t appear to be a big-time scorer in the league. It’s possible he could have a Walker Kessler-like impact in his rookie season, especially if Clingan gets at least 20 minutes a night in the regular season.
Others who impressed without the path to fantastic relevance (for now)
Summer League Fallers
Alex Sarr – Forward/Pole, Washington Wizards
The second overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft has clearly proven himself on defense, but offensively, it was a different story. In four games, Sarr shot 11 percent from three-point range on four attempts per game and 19 percent overall on 12 attempts per game. He had a two-game stretch of 1-for-21, wow. Even Bronny James wasn’t down that much.
He’ll be fine – he’s only 19 – but it was clear he was pushing the envelope. He’ll need to recalibrate his shot selection and use his size to be a better prospect at the rim and mid-range. Poor shooting aside, his ability to generate stock, in addition to potentially seeing starting minutes, offers some intrigue as a late-round player heading into next season.
Jordan Hawkins – Goalie, New Orleans Pelicans
The sophomore guard was on my watch list because I predicted he would play a pivotal role in running the offense with a nod at shooting guard. I mean, the kid played 67 games last season and did well, so he tended to fall into the “too good for summer league” group.
Spoiler alert: he wasn’t.
In four games, Hawkins is shooting 28% from the field and has only provided 5.2 rebounds and assists combined with 1.2 bluffs and 3.6 turnovers. He’s seen his usage rate sit at 31%, so seeing almost no counting stats is disappointing. For what it’s worth, he didn’t play well last year either, so maybe Summer League just isn’t his thing. However, New Orleans’ backcourt is loaded and this performance gives me no reason to target him in fantasy.
MarJon Beauchamp – Forward, Milwaukee Bucks
The 24th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft averaged 12.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.8 steals and 3.5 turnovers per game on a 33/30/85 shooting ratio. If the counting stats were correct, Beauchamp’s ship has sailed as the Bucks recently signed Taurean Prince and Gary Trent Jr.
Phew, buddy. Doc Rivers just said MarJon had trouble making quick decisions to play with Giannis/Dame/Khris. It might be over.
He also ASKED FOR ANOTHER FREE DINNER
–Ti Windisch (@TiWindisch) July 17, 2024
Beauchamp’s poor decision-making and ineffectiveness are still present beyond the stats. While he is a former first-round pick, he is unlikely to be part of the rotation, with Doc Rivers publicly expressing his lack of progress in certain areas.
Marcus Sasser – Guard, Detroit Pistons
Sasser struggled with turnovers (3.4 g/g) and couldn’t find his shot for most of his five games in Las Vegas. He shot 33 percent from the field and 25 percent from three-point range — those inefficiencies are concerns as he enters his second NBA season. He’ll likely play behind Cade Cunningham at point guard, but wing Bobi Klintman emerged as the best playmaker on the Summer League roster.
I don’t know what happened, but Sasser took a step back this summer and won’t be on my fantasy radar.
Yves Missi – Center, New Orleans Pelicans
The Baylor rookie averaged three more minutes per game than Matković and yet produced similar numbers with far less efficiency. Given that the Pelicans’ only offseason change in the frontcourt was the addition of Missi and Theis, I thought Missi had an opportunity to get minutes right away, but I’ve since fallen back on that idea, knowing how far apart his and Matković’s offensive games are.
Missi’s true shooting percentages (.512) and snap shooting percentages (.462) were below average, along with his 97.7 offensive rating. He had a chance to earn playing time soon, but now the more NBA-ready Matkovic will leave him out.
Others who disappointed