9 Former Alabama Players Appear on NBA Summer League Rosters
The Alabama Crimson Tide have produced several NBA players in recent years. Although not all of them reach the NBA immediately, many go on to have long professional careers. Part of the journey for many of those players is to play in NBA Summer League.
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NBA teams started to announce their NBA Summer League rosters this week. With the league set to start its action on Thursday, Alabama fans were able to find out how many former Crimson Tide players would be competing this summer. On Saturday, analyst Blake Byler reported that there will be nine former Alabama players on summer league rosters this year.
Alabama Crimson Tide guard Mark Sears (1).Will McLelland-Imagn Images
The players set to suit up for NBA Summer League are as follows:
Mark Sears - Bucks
Grant Nelson - Nets
Cliff Omoruyi - Raptors
Chris Youngblood - Thunder
Kira Lewis - Heat
Jaden Shackelford - Warriors
Alex Reese - 76ers
Aaron Estrada - Grizzlies
Josh Primo - Bulls
Sears, Nelson, Omoruyi and Youngblood were all members of the Crimson Tide this past season but did not get drafted. Instead, they signed with NBA teams as undrafted free agents. The other five players finished their college careers within the past five years but have struggled to carve out a permanent spot on an NBA roster.
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The only players out of this group of nine who were drafted were Kira Lewis, who was drafted with the 13th pick in 2020, and Josh Primo, who was drafted with the 12th pick in 2021.
Related: Former Alabama Star Mark Sears Reveals Jersey Number for Rookie NBA Season
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 5, 2025, where it first appeared.
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