Vegas lights. Flagg flights. And all 30 NBA teams ready to roll.
The NBA 2K26 Summer League is officially here.
5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀
July 10, 2025
Desert Guide: Your all-in-one map to NBA 2K26 Summer League in Vegas
Watch List: Cooper Flagg headlines a slew of can’t-miss rookie debuts over the next two days
First Frames: Summer League pics of No. 1 picks through the years in Vegas
Emirates NBA Cup: Dive into 3 key storylines for each of this year’s 6 groups
PlayStation Creator Cup: Team T Jass gets the win as the top creators put on a show
1. NBA 2K26 SUMMER LEAGUE GUIDE: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW
The 21st year of NBA summer ball in Las Vegas brings all 30 teams together for the NBA 2K26 Summer League, which tips off today and culminates on July 20 with a winner-take-all final.
Acclimate to the desert circuit with everything you need to know below:
What’s the format of the NBA 2K26 Summer League?
- The Slate: A total of 76 games will be played in the 11-day tournament, with all 30 teams playing at least five times
- The Playoffs: After each club plays four games, the top four teams advance to a single-elimination semifinals, capped by the championship on Sunday, July 20 (10 ET, ESPN)
- The Seeding: The four playoff teams will be determined by winning percentage, with head-to-head matchups and point differential serving as the first two tiebreakers
- More Action: The 26 teams that do not advance to the four-team playoff will play a fifth consolation game
El Pics/NBAE via Getty Images
Which players are participating in the 2K26 Summer League, and why is it important?
- Why It Matters: Since its inception in 2004, the Summer League in Las Vegas has established itself as a main stage for emerging talent, showcasing future NBA stars year after year
- Why It’s Special: That includes seven active Kia NBA MVPs, the last five Finals MVPs and 14 Kia Rookie of the Year winners – including the last four: Scottie Barnes (2021), Paolo Banchero (2022), Victor Wembanyama (2023) and Stephon Castle (2024)
- Who’s Hitting The Floor: The 2K26 Summer League is stacked with talent – from highly-touted rookies and sophomore standouts to young vets aiming for a breakout, plus unsigned hopefuls looking to make a splash
- Who To Watch: See all 30 official rosters here, along with 15 key players to watch
How can I watch each game, and where are they played?
- Game Locations: The games will be split between the Thomas & Mack Center and Cox Pavilion on the campus of UNLV
- How To Watch: All 76 games will air on ESPN platforms (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN+ and ESPN3) or NBA TV
- Full Schedule: Check out the entire 11-day slate
2. WATCH LIST: FLAGG FRONTS SUMMER LEAGUE DEBUTS
Two summers ago, he was lighting up New York City’s iconic Rucker Park in the 2023 SLAM Summer Classic.
Last July, he was turning heads in Vegas at Team USA Olympic training camp, going toe-to-toe with NBA stars before logging a single college minute.
One year later, Cooper Flagg is back in the desert for his first official NBA action – slated to make his Summer League debut tonight against the Lakers (8 ET, ESPN).
- Duke Dominance: A versatile two-way wing, Flagg guided Duke to the 2025 Final Four in his lone collegiate season, leading the Blue Devils in points (19.2), rebounds (7.5), assists (4.2), blocks (1.4) and steals (1.4) per game
- No. 1 Mentality: 15 days after being selected with the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s Draft, he’s already showing he’s hungry for more – according to Mavs assistant Josh Broghamer, who is coaching Dallas’ Summer League squad
- “He’s one of the first guys in the gym,” said Broghamer on Flagg this week. “We had to make him sit down on the Fourth of July just because he wanted to be here working already…
- “I think that’s something you see with him first, and then the talent.”
More First Looks: While eight teams got an early taste of summer hoops in the California Classic (GSW, LAL, MIA, SAS) and Salt Lake City Summer League (MEM, OKC, PHI, UTA), Vegas will mark the NBA Summer League debut for rookies on the 22 other teams.
That includes two more top 10 picks who will see their first NBA action today – beginning with the tournament’s opening game.
- Jeremiah Fears (No. 7, NOP): An electrifying guard out of Oklahoma, Fears will look to lead New Orleans alongside 13th overall pick Derik Queen – a smooth-operating big – as the Pels tip things off in Vegas against the Wolves (3:30 ET, ESPN2)
- Egor Demin (No. 8, BKN): A crafty forward who set the freshman single-season assist record at BYU, Demin and the Nets face the Thunder – including 2024 lottery pick Nikola Topić, who flashed in Salt Lake City (5:30 ET, ESPN2)
On Friday, six more lottery picks are expected to take the floor, highlighted by a showdown between two sharpshooters as Kon Knueppel (No. 4 overall) makes his Summer League debut against Ace Bailey (No. 5) and the Jazz (7 ET, ESPN).
- Tre Johnson (No. 6, WAS) & Khaman Maluach (No. 10, PHX): A pure three-level scorer in college, Johnson will look to get his first buckets with the Wizards, while Maluach will patrol the paint for the Suns as the two sides square off (9 ET, ESPN)
- Collin Murray-Boyles (No. 9, TOR) & Noa Essengue (No. 12, CHI): An hour prior, Murray-Boyles – known for his defensive motor – faces off against the versatile French forward Noa Essengue as the Raptors battle the Bulls (8 ET, NBA TV)
3. FIRST FRAMES: SUMMER LEAGUE PICS OF NO. 1 PICKS
Before Cooper Flagg makes his much anticipated Summer League debut, let’s take a look back at some other No. 1 overall picks who suited up for summer ball in Vegas – from its inaugural circuit 21 years ago to last July.
Dwight Howard (2004) & Derrick Rose (2008) | Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images
Blake Griffin (2009) & John Wall (2010) | Garrett W. Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images
Cade Cunningham (2021) & Paolo Banchero (2022) | Ethan Miller + Bart Young/NBAE via Getty Images
4. EMIRATES NBA CUP GROUP DRAW RESULTS
The six groups for the 2025 Emirates NBA Cup were revealed on Wednesday, setting the stage for the third installment of the NBA’s annual in-season competition.
Group Play begins on Oct. 31 with each team playing one game against the other four teams in their group.
The Group Play schedule will be released at a later date, but knowing the groups, we can dive into the potential storylines now.
East Group A: Cleveland, Indiana, Atlanta, Toronto, Washington
- Playoff Rematch: The Pacers defeated the top-seeded Cavs in the East Semis on their way to reaching the NBA Finals
- New-Look Hawks: Last year, Atlanta made the Cup Semis behind All-Tournament selection Trae Young. This year, the Hawks have a deeper cast with offseason additions Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Kristaps Porziņģis and Luke Kennard
- We Meet Again: East Finals MVP Pascal Siakam and Indy will face Toronto, where Siakam spent eight seasons, including the franchise’s first NBA title
East Group B: Boston, Detroit, Orlando, Brooklyn, Philadelphia
- Gearing Up: Detroit is coming off one of the biggest single-season turnarounds in NBA history – a 30-win leap that included a 3-1 record in Group Play in 2024
- Sparking Magic: Orlando looks to build off its quarterfinal appearance in last year’s NBA Cup, adding Desmond Bane to join the core of Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs
- A Storied Rivalry: Boston vs. Philly has seen 470 regular season games and 114 Playoff games. But this will be the first time they meet in the NBA Cup
East Group C: New York, Milwaukee, Chicago, Miami, Charlotte
- The Champ Is Here: Led by Emirates NBA Cup 2024 MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee will look to defend its NBA Cup championship
- Another Classic Rivalry: Last year, NY went unbeaten in Group Play to reach the Cup quarterfinals. To do so again, the Knicks will need to beat longtime rival Miami
- Tournament Foes: The Bulls and Heat have met in the NBA Play-In Tournament in each of the past three seasons – with Miami eliminating Chicago each time – now they’ll meet in a different tournament
West Group A: Oklahoma City, Minnesota, Sacramento, Phoenix, Utah
- Another Shot At Gold: The reigning NBA champion Thunder look to add the Emirates NBA Cup title after losing to the Bucks in last year’s Cup Championship
- West Finals Rematch: The last time we saw OKC and Minnesota clash was in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals as the Thunder advanced to the Finals
- Scorching Scorers: This group features three of last season’s top 10 scorers – scoring champ Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Anthony Edwards (No. 4) and Devin Booker (No. 9)
West Group B: Los Angeles Lakers, LA Clippers, Memphis, Dallas, New Orleans
- Familiar Foes: Luka Dončić and Anthony Davis will face their former teams when the Lakers – who won the inaugural in-season competition – face the Mavs
- Five No. 1s: This cohort will feature five No. 1 overall draft picks: LeBron James (2003), Davis (2012), Deandre Ayton (2018), Zion Williamson (2019) and Cooper Flagg (2025). It would be six, but Kyrie Irving (2011) will be unable to play (ACL)
- Four Top 75s: This group features four members of the NBA 75th Anniversary Team: AD, LeBron and the Clippers’ duo of James Harden and Kawhi Leonard
West Group C: Houston, Denver, Golden State, Portland, San Antonio
- First Round Rematch: After reaching the NBA Cup Semis and earning the 2-seed in the West, the Rockets were eliminated by the Warriors in a seven-game series. They’ll run it back in Group Play, now with 15-time All-Star Kevin Durant in H-Town
- Hardware Galore: This group features three Kia MVPs and three Finals MVPs in Durant, Steph Curry & Nikola Jokić, along with 2024 Kia ROY Victor Wembanyama
- On The Rise: The Spurs and Blazers – both featuring young, up-and-coming players – look to take the next step in the competitive West
5. TEAM T JASS WINS PLAYSTATION NBA CREATOR CUP
Before the next generation of NBA stars take the court at Las Vegas Summer League today, the top creators in the game hit the hardwood last night for the fourth NBA Creator Cup.
Let’s look back at some of the top moments from the night, both on and off the court.
- All About The Fans: The Pavilion was packed with fans ready to meet their favorite creators before the game tipped off
- Player ➡️ Coach: After showing out in the first three Creator Cups, T Jass made the move to coach this time out – and he had his suit ready for the occasion
- Warming Up Right: Jenna Bandy didn’t even need to see the rim to knock down the backward 20-footer on the first try
Once the game tipped off, the squads wasted no time racking up viral moments.
- First Play, First Highlight: Team Mark started things off with a bang with Duke Skywalka throwing down the alley-oop off the dime from Marcelas Howard
- CC Doing Work: The 6-foot-7 creator showed off his touch on the fadeaway jumper and his power with the double-clutch dunk as he took over the 1st half
- Baron In The Building: NBA legend Baron Davis sat courtside to take in the action, rooting for Trey Phills – the son of Baron’s former teammate, Bobby Phills. And on cue, Trey delivered a 360 slam to ignite the crowd ⬆️
Team T Jass led 46-33 at the half – which featured a shooting showdown between commentators Jesser and FaZe Rug with PlayStations on the line for a pair of young fans.
Despite trailing at the break, Team Mark made a run in the 3rd quarter, cutting the deficit to a single possession with plays like this fastbreak slam that had their coach hyped.
- Team T Jass regained control in the 4th, helping them charge toward the target score of 73
- Sitting on 70 points, Bandy found an open Bjorn Broman sitting behind the 3-point line. With no hesitation, he launched the game-winning triple to bring to Creator Cup championship to Team T Jass
- “I told you we were coming away with the dub!” – Bjorn breaks down the game-winning bucket
- CC = MVP: With a 26-point, 10-rebound double-double in the win, CC earned MVP honors in the fourth NBA Creator Cup
