The opening day of the NBA Las Vegas Summer League provided fireworks and the debut of No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg, who struggled to find his shot in a dramatic win over the Los Angeles Lakers. Day 2 of the multi-week event from Sin City on Friday provided a further look into more prospects from last month’s draft making their debut in summer league, as well as returning players looking to improve their stock during their second and maybe even third stint participating in this event.
The game with the most intrigue came Friday, and it also had the most players likely to contribute to their respective NBA teams this season: the matchup between the Utah Jazz and the Charlotte Hornets. Utah was without star forward Ace Bailey, but this game still had plenty of star power. No. 4 overall pick Kon Knueppel didn’t score his first field goal until midway through the fourth quarter and finished with five points against the Jazz.
Cooper Flagg vs. Bronny James takeaways: No. 1 pick struggles to find his shot in summer league debut
Cameron Salerno
It didn’t take long for Miami Heat point guard Kasparas Jakučionis, the No. 20 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, to bounce back from a lackluster showing at the California Classic — which serves as a prelim to the main event in Las Vegas. The former Illinois star made just one field goal in three games but responded on Friday by scoring a team-high 24 points. He added four rebounds, four assists and two steals in a 105-98 loss to the Atlanta Hawks.
One of the sophomore stars from the second day was Detroit Pistons forward Ron Holland, who finished with a double-double (28 points, 11 rebounds) and also made an impact on the defensive end by recording three steals. Holland, the former No. 5 overall pick last summer, appears to be poised for a breakout campaign heading into his sophomore campaign.
Here are the biggest takeaways from Day 2 of summer league from Las Vegas.
Knueppel can’t find his shot, another former Duke star shines
Less than 24 hours after his former teammate at Duke struggled to find his shot against the Lakers, Knueppel also struggled to do the same. He recorded his first field goal of summer league with 6:45 remaining off a breakaway dunk and finished 1 for 8 from the floor. While his shooting struggles aren’t anything alarming long-term and could be chalked up simply because of first-game jitters, it was unusual to see him go 3 of 6 from the free throw line. For context, Knueppel was one of the best 3-point and free throw shooters in college basketball last season. In total, he went 117 for 128 (91.4%) from the charity stripe.
In short, there’s no reason to panic about Knueppel. He was elite at Duke in creating his shot within the flow of the offense. In an NBA setting, he will find his shot.
While Knueppel got off to a slow start in summer league, another former Duke product (Kyle Filipowski) shined. The second-year forward was the best player on the floor for Utah. He finished with 32 points, six rebounds and five assists. On the other side, former UConn standout Liam McNeeley, the No. 29 pick last month, provided a spark off the bench for Charlotte. He finished with a double-double (22 points and 12 rebounds) and knocked down three 3-pointers.
Yang Hansen makes electric pass during the final game of Day 2
It did not take long for Portland’s big man to get the Las Vegas crowd going. On Portland’s first possession, Hansen threw a sweet bounce back, which resulted in a layup by Sidy Cissoko. Hansen, the No. 16 pick in last month’s draft, was one of the most shocking picks of the first round. He was a projected second-round pick coming into draft night, but Portland decided to be bold and convicted and select a player with a unique skill set in the middle of the first round.
Jakučionis bounces back from his first summer league outing
During the California Classic last weekend, Jakučionis did not play his best basketball. The former Illinois star missed all 11 of his attempts from beyond the arc, committed 12 turnovers and couldn’t find a rhythm. In his summer league debut in Las Vegas, he looked like a completely different player. He knocked down three consecutive 3-pointers in the first quarter, played in control and played like someone who was a projected lottery pick before he ultimately fell all the way to pick No. 20.
The turnover part was the most impressive part of his bounce-back performance. At Illinois, turnovers were his biggest weakness. Jakučionis turned the ball over 3.7 times per game during his lone season of college basketball. If he can clean up that area of his game, it will do wonders for his overall stock. This performance against Atlanta is why it was so surprising that he fell to the 20s on draft night.
Holland appears to be a breakout candidate for Detroit
The former No. 5 overall pick from the 2024 NBA Draft looks primed for a breakout sophomore campaign and, in the process, looked like someone who is already too good for summer league. Holland scored 18 of his 28 total points in the third quarter in a 104-86 win against the New York Knicks. Perhaps the most impressive part of his performance was his shooting from beyond the arc. Holland finished 4 of 5 from the 3-point line.
Overall, this is a positive development because Holland’s shooting was one of his weaknesses as a rookie and as a prospect with G League Ignite. He shot 23.9% from the 3-point line (1.9 attempts per game last season. There is no question what Holland provides outside of his shooting. He’s an elite athlete with a high motor, capable of being a standout defender for years to come. If he can develop his jumper, it will do wonders for his game. Overreactions (good and bad) are common during summer league, but it looks like a Year 2 jump from one of Detroit’s young pieces is on deck.
Koby Brea could be a second-round steal for Phoenix
The Phoenix Suns are going through changes this offseason. The franchise traded Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets, and it appears guard Bradley Beal could be nearing a buyout with the team. The Suns acquired the No. 10 pick in the Durant trade — used to draft Duke big man Khaman Maluach — but Phoenix was also aggressive in the second round. The Suns traded up to draft Rasheer Fleming and Koby Brea in the second round.
Brea was arguably Phoenix’s best player during its blowout win over the Washington Wizards. The former Dayton and Kentucky product showed his shooting ability with an efficient 19 points in 24 minutes. Brea knocked down four 3-pointers on only five attempts and showcased how he can impact winning at the next level. Brea was one of the best shooters in college basketball throughout his career. That skill appears to have translated to (at least) the summer league.
Flagg vs. Dylan Harper headlines Day 3 in Las Vegas
The headliner game for Day 3 of the summer league from Las Vegas will be a matchup of the No. 1 and 2 picks from last month’s draft. Harper didn’t participate in the California Classic due to injury and missed San Antonio’s opener against the Philadelphia 76ers because of it. Harper is expected to return Saturday and make his summer league debut. Traditionally, the marquee matchup of the first day of summer league is the game between the top picks in the draft. Instead, the league decided to spice it up and schedule Flagg vs. Bronny James‘ Lakers as the primetime game.
It’s no secret that Flagg struggled in his first summer league game. He didn’t make a field goal in the second half and shot a lackluster 5 for 21 from the field. One positive about Flagg’s performance was he was routinely getting to his spots in the mid-range area but just couldn’t convert. Flagg did come up with a clutch play during the final two minutes of action by recording a highlight block that led to a go-ahead 3-pointer by Ryan Nembhard to secure the win. All eyes will be on Flagg and Harper.
