Just thirteen days after the Oklahoma City Thunder hoisted the Larry O’Brien trophy, the next generation of NBA stars descend upon The Jon M. Huntsman Center as the Salt Lake City Summer League gets underway on Saturday night. The hometown Utah Jazz, Philadelphia 76ers, Memphis Grizzlies, and reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder will take part in the three-day event before all four teams head to Nevada for the Las Vegas Summer League. An opportunity awaits young players to make their statement, to show why they belong on an NBA roster, and to make a name for themselves. There are storylines galore heading into Summer League this year, but we will talk about one key storyline for each team heading into the weekend.
UTAH JAZZ: ACE BAILEY’S WELCOME TO UTAH
Ace Bailey was at the center of all of the drama on draft night; after not working out for any NBA teams, rumors speculated that Bailey did not want to play for Philadelphia, Charlotte, or Utah. After the first two teams passed on him, the Jazz saw the best player on the board fall to them at the fifth pick and President of Basketball Operations Austin Ainge knew he had to select Bailey. Fans were shocked, analysts stunned, many thought there was no way Bailey would stay in Utah and demand a trade right after the pick, but as the night progressed no movement was made, and Austin Ainge held firm on his belief that Bailey was the right first. The drama did not stop there as heading into the weekend Bailey had not arrived in Utah yet and reporters were saying there was still a rift between draftee and team, but on Saturday Ace landed in Utah. The Bailey saga seems to be over as he was introduced to the media alongside fellow rookies Walter Clayton Jr. and John Tonje. But now the new face of the franchise must turn his attention to the court and show Jazz fans what the franchise used a top-five pick on him for. Bailey as well as Clayton Jr. have a great chance ahead of them to get Jazz fans excited about their future; for a team that has been basement dwellers since moving on from Donovan Mitchell now has a new chance to change the narrative surrounding the Jazz franchise.
PHILADELPHIA 76ers: PROVE VJ EDGECOMBE WAS THE RIGHT PICK
One of the other main characters in the Ace Bailey saga was the Philadelphia 76ers, and how fitting of a matchup is it that one of the matchups on day one is between the Sixers and the Jazz. With the third pick, instead of selecting Bailey, the Sixers selected VJ Edgecombe out of Baylor. Now by no means was that a bad pick, as Edgecombe projects as one of the best athletes in the draft and pairs well with Tyrese Maxey in Philly’s backcourt; but now the Sixers need to prove that Edgecombe was the right player for them. Edgecombe struggled with efficiency while at Baylor, and this small three-game sample size in Utah will be a really good audition for Edgecombe to show the improvements he has made since we last saw him. Edgecombe alongside fellow rookies Johni Broome, and Hunter Sallis, as well as second-year forward Justin Edwards, headline the Sixers summer league team heading to Utah this weekend. Edwards should be tasked with the challenge of keeping Bailey off the stat sheet and it will be a good test for Edwards; as he showcased a great amount of potential when given big minutes towards the end of the season. Coming off a season plagued by injuries to former MVP Joel Embiid, the Sixers are looking for a rebound season and new players to step up and contribute, and there is no better place for that to happen than the summer league.
MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES: CEDRIC COWARD’S FIRST GAME IN 2025
The Memphis Grizzlies made the first major move of the offseason by trading Desmond Bane to the Orlando Magic. Many people speculated that a potential rebuild was starting to occur in Memphis, but the Grizzlies front office had a plan. On draft night they traded up to the number eleven pick where they selected Cedric Coward out of Washington State. Coward was one of the most polarizing prospects in the NBA draft, Coward started his career at a Division III school, before transferring to Eastern Washington where he was an all-conference player, before transferring to Washington State last season. After a great start to the season where he averaged 17.7 points, 7 rebounds, and 3.7 assists, Coward would miss the rest of the season with a shoulder injury. Coward would enter the transfer portal while also testing the draft waters, he committed to Duke but after an outstanding combine performance, he would keep his name in the draft. This decision paid off as he would be selected by the Grizzlies with the eleventh pick; it seems as if the Grizzlies saw Coward as their Desmond Bane replacement. This could be why they decided to move Bane to gain draft capital, as they suspected a trade-up for Coward in the cards. With all of that being said, it will still be very interesting to see how Coward comes back in his first competitive minutes since his shoulder injury. Will Coward still shoot the ball at a very effective clip like he did at Wazzu or will it look a little different now? Outside of Coward, the Grizzlies also selected two senior guards in Javon Small and Jahmai Mashack in the second round, signifying an approach to want to try and compete now in a loaded Western Conference compared to rebuilding. Coward has shown glimpses of being a very good player in college, but now we must see that translate to the NBA which will start at summer league.
OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER: NIKOLA TOPIC
Nikola Topic heading into May of 2024 was seen as a potential Top 5 pick in the NBA Draft before tearing his ACL in the Adriatic League playoffs. Many teams saw an unhealthy Topic as a risky pick early in the draft so he slid to the twelfth pick where Sam Presti and the Thunder took him with that pick. Presti knew the risk that came with Topic’s injury, but he also knew the upside of Topic’s game; a dynamic, playmaking six-foot-six point guard who can drive the lane and play make off the dribble. Topic sat out his entire rookie year, and during that time he learned from league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and won an NBA championship before ever playing an NBA game. But now Topic gets his chance to take an NBA court for the first time; after over a year waiting, rehabbing, and chomping at the bit, now Topic gets his chance. The chance to lead the summer league team, to be a veteran voice, and teach others what he has learned in his first year in the league. Topic has the opportunity to prove himself and show why he can be an effective piece in the Thunder’s rotation next season as they look to repeat as NBA champions. Unfortunately, Topic will not be joined by 2025 first-round pick Thomas Sorber, as the center out of Georgetown is still rehabbing from season-ending foot surgery. Topic and Sorber would have been a dynamic duo in the pick-and-roll but that time will have to wait; for now, it’s Topic’s time to show how good he can be at the NBA level.
Although it’s just summer league, there’s plenty of hype built up for NBA fans as they look forward to seeing their favorite teams’ high draft picks debut; and hopefully see the next superstars in the league start their careers.
Lenny Talks Sports 