The NBA Summer League in Las Vegas is more than just an introduction to this year’s rookie class and a showcase for second-year players to demonstrate how far they’ve come in the short off-season. It’s also a big chance for NBA aspirants on the outside looking in to earn a guaranteed contract and a position on a final 15-man roster. While the Summer League games aren’t particularly noteworthy, the stakes for those seeking to make it in the NBA are enormous.
Las Vegas is a city in Nevada. The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Houston Rockets in the Summer League finals. We recently identified seven NBA sophomores who were too brilliant for Summer League, as well as the best 11 rookies in Las Vegas. Now it’s time to put a focus on the players who weren’t household names before Summer League but worked hard to win a position on an NBA roster this season.
6 Unexpected NBA Summer League Stars Deserving of Rotation
Following a strong showing in Las Vegas, these six Summer League standouts should earn a spot on an NBA team. This list excludes the rookie class, which has previously been covered.
Orlando Robinson, C, Miami Heat
No team has been better at turning undrafted free agents into big players than the Miami Heat, as you may have heard once or 100 times on their road to the NBA Finals in 2023. Orlando Robinson may be the next victim. Robinson was selected by the Heat from the UDFA pool after three years at Fresno State. While he got little play for the main team, the Heat saw enough in him to sign him to a two-year, $3.9 million contract with a partial guarantee this offseason. Robinson justified Miami’s faith in him by averaging 25.8 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.5 steals in four games in the Las Vegas Summer League.
Robinson did it while shooting 57.7 percent from the field, 35.3 percent from deep (on 4.3 attempts a game), and 82.1 percent from the free throw line.
Robinson has a fantastic blend of physicality and talent at 6’11, 245 pounds and a 7’4 wingspan. Robinson can play through contact as a roll man on offence and has the size to smash the glass and provide some rim protection. The glimpses of talent are even more entertaining: Robinson can rip a pick-and-pop three-pointer or locate an open shooter.
After Omer Yurtseven left in free agency, the Heat may have an opening at the backup five (Miami also signed centre Thomas Bryant). Robinson, who is still only 23 years old, did everything he could in Las Vegas to demonstrate that he deserved a shot.
Jaden Springer, G, Philadelphia 76ers
Springer has been a fascinating prospect since his one-and-done days at Tennessee, but NBA organisations didn’t rate him as highly as the blog guys, and he fell to the No. 28 selection in the 2021 draught. The argument has never been more simple: Springer is a big, muscular guard with outstanding defensive playmaking abilities and offensive promise as a bully-ball creator. Springer, who is still only 20 years old, is younger than many arriving rookies after two seasons in the G League, and he appeared to be one of the most physically dominant players in Vegas. In six games in Vegas, Springer averaged 22.3 points on 62.8 per cent true shooting.
Springer’s defence would be a real impact player in the NBA right now. He’s a point-of-attack bulldog and a help defender with exceptional instincts, which usually leads to huge plays the other way. With a loose handle and an unreliable jump jumper, his offence remains an adventure, but he’s still able to outmuscle opponents for baskets in the paint. With a comparable player in De’Anthony Melton firmly established, Philly isn’t quite set for him to take rotation minutes, but Springer has time on his side. As long as he continues to enhance his attacking talents gradually, he should be able to find a spot in the league soon.
You might also be interested in reading this: NBA Sophomores who are much more talented for summer league
Jared Butler, G, Oklahoma City Thunder
Butler, a tremendously gifted point guard who could blast pull-up threes, set up his teammates with fast passing reads, and be a pest as an on-ball defender, was the driving force behind Baylor’s national championship squad in 2021. Butler had just one major flaw: his size. Butler hasn’t grown in size since entering the NBA, dropping to the second round in part due to a rare heart disease that jeopardised his future, but the skill that earned him an All-American and the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player remains. Butler shown that he can be a dangerous outside shooter (44.2 percent from three on 6.1 attempts per game) while also having an outstanding feel for a lead guard.
The Thunder’s tremendously talented young core is lacking in one area: pull-up shooting. Butler is a natural fit there, but he must first defeat TyTy Washington Jr., Vasilije Micic, and Cason Wallace. Butler is still capable of finding job if things don’t work out with OKC.
Javon Freeman-Liberty, G, Chicago Bulls
Despite a great four-year collegiate career split between Valparaiso and DePaul, Freeman-Liberty went undrafted in 2022 despite earning Second-Team All-Big East honours as a senior with the Blue Demons. The Bulls signed the Chicago native to their G League squad last season, but he started Summer League as a fairly unknown guard with little chance of making the main roster. That changed following a spectacular run in Las Vegas when Freeman-Liberty was regarded as the second-best overall player in Summer League by certain measures, demonstrating his ability to score on or off the ball.
He finished his five-game streak averaging 21.2 points, 4.4 assists, and 4.6 rebounds per game while shooting 49.3 per cent from the field and 46.2 per cent from three.
Freeman-Liberty stands 6’4 and has a wingspan of 6’9. He was regarded as a defensive pest throughout his collegiate career, with a theft rate of 2.7 percent or higher in all four years, but he’s begun to make significant offensive strides. While he is not a physically dominant player, Freeman-Liberty is a skilled offensive player who demonstrated his ability to drive and finish at the rim. His three-point stroke has greatly improved, as he demonstrated on both pull-ups and spot-ups. If Ayo Dosumnu is retained, the Bulls will have too many guards on their roster, but he has enough two-way promise and shooting skill to earn a spot on the final 15-man roster as a developmental creator bet.
The Bulls once let Spencer Dinwiddie and Max Strus depart their G League affiliate, and it would be a mistake to let JFL do the same after such a good stay in Vegas.
Max Christie, G, Los Angeles Lakers
Christie was taken with an early second-round pick by the Lakers following his one-and-done season at Michigan State, although he virtually redshirted as a rookie. Summer League provided Christie with an opportunity to demonstrate that he deserved a position in the rotation for next season, and he made the most of it. The 6’6 off-guard was shooting confidently and comfortably from deep, connecting on 55% of his three-point tries on four attempts a game.
Christie’s best translation has always been as an off-ball wing who can stretch the floor and defend smaller wings with his 6’6 size. Because of the glimpses of one-on-one scoring skill he displayed with the ball in his hands, his Summer League performance was so encouraging. Christie won’t be required to generate much offence on a team that has LeBron James and Austin Reaves, but his better handling and surprising acceleration to the basket could help him attack closeouts when he’s forced to shoot from outside the three-point line. The Lakers roster is stacked at practically every position, but Christie might find a spot if he continues to improve the all-around game he displayed in Vegas.
Dominick Barlow, F/C, San Antonio Spurs
Before the Thompson brothers were first-round choices out of Overtime Elite, Barlow was the first player to gain NBA minutes in the fledgling league. The 6’10, 220-pound big man built on his 400 minutes with the Spurs last season during his Summer League performance, where he strengthened his case for a spot on the final roster while remaining unsigned. Barlow doesn’t yet space the floor, but he’s really good at typical big-man abilities. He’s an excellent screener, a strong rebounder on both ends, and he has a wonderful touch near the rim. He’s the sort of powerful, nimble big man who might complement Victor Wembanyama’s perimeter ability in the future.
He finished his six-game Summer League stint averaging 15.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game while shooting 61.2 per cent from the field. The Spurs are currently dealing with a roster constraint, so another team might sign Barlow. He’s worth a shot as a developing big man with NBA experience who is still only 20 years old.
