UCLA basketball players prepare for 2025 NBA summer league journey
As of July 5, the former UCLA guards playing in this year's summer league are the Minnesota Timberwolves' Amari Bailey and Jaylen Clark, the Golden State Warriors' Jules Bernard, and the two rookies: the Orlando Magic's Lazar Stefanovic and the Atlanta Hawks' Kobe Johnson. The Philadelphia 76ers announced they will have their 2024 second-round pick power forward, Adem Bona, on a summer league roster.
Jaylen Clark is a particularly intriguing player to watch, given that the Minnesota Timberwolves have reached the NBA Western Conference Finals the past two seasons. If Jaylen Clark can develop his game and become a more prominent role player, the T-Wolves could take the next step and reach the franchise's first-ever NBA Finals.
The other player who will take center stage at the summer league is Kobe Johnson, an NBA rookie who was not drafted and needs to show the Atlanta Hawks a reasonable level of upside to justify a permanent place on the 2025-2026 roster. The Hawks made significant roster upgrades in the offseason. Kobe Johnson sticking on the Hawks would be a great story if it happens.
The summer league games will be played in Las Vegas from July 10-20 and are available live on ESPN or NBA TV, according to the NBA.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hamilton Spectator
27 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Masai Ujiri posts emotional farewell message to Raptors fans: ‘You will win again in Toronto'
In an emotional video, Masai Ujiri said goodbye to what he called his 'hometown' with a heartfelt message: 'Toronto, Canada, I love you,' the recently deposed president and vice-chairman of the Raptors said in a YouTube video released by his Giants of Africa charitable foundation Monday morning. The nearly six-minute soliloquy gave Ujiri a chance to touch on all the salient points of his 12-year career running the Raptors. He spoke of the enduring 'bond' with Raptors fans and the 'access to space, wellness and collaboration' his foundation has created around the world, and said that he was 'proud that our Raptors staff reflected the talents of every woman.' Ujiri and the Raptors 'parted ways' about 10 days ago in a shocking end to a reign that saw Toronto, among other things, win its first NBA championship. The Raptors parted ways with Ujiri last week, ending 12 years at the helm of the organization. 'This bond we will share forever … You made this big city feel home,' Ujiri said. 'As a city, as a nation, as a team, we became champions.' And he said they will become champions again. 'My dreams of a second championship are alive and well and that pursuit will surely carry on as my next chapter continues,' he said. 'The Raptors family, to our fans, every single player that's worn the uniform with passion and pride, I love you and I thank you. 'This team has reached the summit once before. With strong leadership in place, the Raptors will continue to climb that mountain back to an NBA championship. 'You will win again in Toronto.'
Yahoo
34 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Nets trade acquiring Terance Mann, Drake Powell from Hawks is official
The Brooklyn Nets have made some interesting moves over the course of the 2025 NBA offseason as they seek to improve the roster ahead of the 2025-26 campaign. Brooklyn is coming off a 2024-25 season that saw them finish with a 26-56 record in the regular season, but they have now officially added two players who should help the team win more games. The Nets announced on Monday that the trade in which they acquired forward Terance Mann and the draft rights to North Carolina forward Drake Powell is now official. Prior to the 2025 NBA Draft that happened last week, Brooklyn engaged in a multi-team trade with the Atlanta Hawks in which they received Mann and the 22nd overall pick, which later became Powell. Advertisement Before the trade happened, the Nets already had four picks in the first round: eighth, 19th, 26th, and 27th, but they decided that they wanted to add more picks instead of trading some away. In addition to Powell, Brooklyn selected BYU guard Egor Demin (eighth), French guard Nolan Traore (19th), Israeli guard Ben Saraf (26th), and Michigan forward Danny Wolf (27th). Mann, 28, is a player that the Nets added to the roster most likely because the Hawks were willing to attach a first-round pick to him to get him off the team, something Brooklyn has been trying to take advantage of this summer. Similar to what the Nets did when they traded forward Cam Johnson to the Denver Nuggets in exchange for forward Michael Porter Jr. and a 2032 first-round pick, Brooklyn was willing and able to take on extra salaries from other teams. Mann, native of Brooklyn, New York, is also a veteran that can help the team on the floor due to his experience and his ability to be a 3-and-D wing for the team right away. Mann averaged 7.7 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game last season while shooting 49.6% from the field and 36.8% from three-point land as he split time between the Los Angeles Clippers and Hawks. This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Nets trade acquiring Terance Mann, Drake Powell from Hawks is official
Chicago Tribune
37 minutes ago
- Chicago Tribune
Chicago Bulls youngsters Matas Buzelis and Noa Essengue prepare to lay a foundation in summer league
Matas Buzelis is embracing his new role as a young leader for the Chicago Bulls — even if it just lasts for the short duration of the NBA Summer League. A year ago, Buzelis was a teenager stumbling through the new jargon of a professional team during the lengthy days of summer league practices. Just months ago, he was still carrying out his rookie duties during road trips for the Bulls. But as the most experienced player on the summer league roster for the Bulls, Buzelis is taking his new role as a standard bearer seriously. That begins with rookie Noa Essengue, a French teenager drafted at No. 12 by the Bulls who came to the U.S. with a few years of professional experience in Germany. 'He's only 18,' Buzelis said in response to a question about Essengue's skill set after Monday's practice at the Advocate Center. It was a gentle reminder from a second-year forward who is only 20 years old himself — and a reflection of the shared youth and hefty expectations that will bond the pair in Chicago. Buzelis won't turn 21 until October. Essengue won't turn 19 until December. But both players see themselves as future stars in the NBA and as a crucial foundation for the Bulls as a franchise. 'We have the same goal to be better every day,' Essengue said. 'He plays a little bit like me and got already one year experience and I think he played really good. That's just helped me to have a role model on the court.' After finishing last season as a starter for the Bulls, Buzelis will at most play two games during the summer league. If it was up to him, the forward would play every single game of the tournament, but he isn't going to fight the front office for more minutes. The Bulls don't need Buzelis to play in summer league at all — after finishing his rookie season as a starter, the coaching staff and front office know exactly what they're getting from the second-year forward. But summer league provides an important opportunity for the Bulls to test how the two players share the court. It took Buzelis four months into his rookie season to begin regularly playing serious shifts of 20 or more minutes. At times, this slow progression drew the ire of fans, who were desperate to see glimpses of the promising young rookie who eagerly threw down dunks and scrambled to the floor for loose balls. This patient process ultimately paid off — Buzelis credits the slow build of his rookie season for his success in the final three months. Essengue could see a similar timeline for his rookie outing. The forward is even younger than Buzelis. Although he brings some professional experience, he's also unlearning the habits — and a few of the rules — of FIBA basketball. The Bulls will likely opt to taper Essengue's minutes in the regular season. As a proponent of this technique, Buzelis hopes to provide guidance and support to help Essengue acclimate as quickly as possible to the NBA. 'It was a tough transition for me, but the more you play basketball and the more you play in the NBA, the game slows down,' Buzelis said. 'Being around elite guys with high IQ — like (Josh) Giddey, Coby (White), Vooch (Nikola Vučević) — the game just slows down for you and becomes easier. So Noa's going to go through a transition period and I think he'll be fine. He's mentally strong.' Buzelis and Essengue will have to wait for Friday's summer league debut against the Toronto Raptors to test out their partnership in a live game. But in practice, the pair are already clicking — even as competitors. Chicago Bulls set full summer league roster, which includes Matas Buzelis, Yuki Kawamura and Josh PrimoEssengue has insisted on guarding Buzelis in every drill. Buzelis said the two spent most practices 'going at it' — a physicality that drew immediate respect from the second-year, who spent his entire rookie season challenging more veteran teammates in the same manner. Essengue was purposefully drafted for many of his similarities to Buzelis. On defense, their physical profiles echo one another — 6-foot-10 wings with sprawling wingspans who can gobble up shots near the rim and redirect smaller ball handlers on the perimeter. 'I feel like defensively we're going to be a problem,' Buzelis said. Buzelis prides himself on his work ethic — especially his tendency to be the first one in and last one out of the gym. So Buzelis was surprised when he showed up for the first day of summer league practices and found Essengue already getting to work at the Advocate Center before the team's scheduled workout. It didn't happen again. 'Once I saw that, I was like nah,' Buzelis said with a laugh. 'Nobody's beating me in.' But Buzelis doesn't mind the competition. He believes in the future the franchise is trying to build around young players like himself and Essengue. And as the Bulls rapidly rebuild this new foundation, Buzelis feels the team might have found a long-term fit in his newest teammate. 'What I look at when I'm speaking to prospects is how much they love the game,' Buzelis said. 'Because if they love the game, they'll do anything it takes to figure out what they're missing, what they need to do to add to their game and what to build. I see the love that he has. That's what matters.'
