Summer League standouts so far

Welcome back to another edition of Enjoy Basketball!

The offseason has quieted down a bit. After the Rudy Gobert and Dejounte Murray deals, nothing much has happened. It seems as though the entire league has entered a mutual stalemate until the Brooklyn Nets trade Kevin Durant. But when one of the NBA’s greatest players of all time is available for trade, that should be expected.

In the meantime, Summer League is fully underway! Most of the league’s top prospects have already had their chance to shine. Past that, though, some unlikely names have emerged as top performers thus far.

Overreacting to Summer League games can sometimes be a one-way ticket to disappointment once the regular season rolls around, but simultaneously, it’s exactly what makes this time of year so much fun.

Let’s take a look at some of the best Summer League players so far.

(Note: We will not be including players (with NBA experience) who are very clearly too good for Summer League. This list includes Josh Giddey and Moses Moody, among others.)

Before we get into that, though, we have a quick question for you. Of those listed, what’s your favorite basketball movie? If your favorite isn’t listed, let us know on Twitter!

Keegan Murray, Sacramento Kings

On draft night, the Kings were clowned for picking Murray with the fourth-overall pick. Many saw Jaden Ivey as the obvious choice, and when the Kings passed on him, they were called fools. “Kings are gonna King” was the common phrase used, but through his first few games of action in Summer League, Murray has made the doubters look silly.

The 6’8 forward has looked like a legitimate professional. He’s ready to impact winning right now, and that’s exactly what Sacramento is looking for. With De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis as the primary pieces in Sactown, Murray projects to fit in seamlessly.

His high motor and underrated scoring should compliment the two young stars beautifully. Murray should be able to play the three or the four, too, giving the Kings plenty of lineup flexibility. The rookie has been everything the Kings have ever wanted and then some. It’s only been five Summer League games, but Murray looks amazing.

He can even hit the big-time shots...

Jalen Williams, Oklahoma City Thunder

Chet Holmgren has been stealing the spotlight for Oklahoma City, and rightfully so. But flying under the radar has been Williams, who was the 12th-overall pick in this year’s draft. He began the year ranked outside the top 100 prospects, but by the end of the season, he was receiving lottery consideration. So far throughout Summer League, he’s shown why.

Williams plays with an infectious energy. He’s a solid ball-handler, drives to the basket well, and has a smooth shooting stroke. Stats won’t do Williams’ game justice. As is so often the case nowadays in the NBA, what he brings to the court goes well beyond the box score.

On a team with Josh Giddey and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams projects to be yet another guy capable of handling the basketball at a high level and making plays for the Thunder. But simultaneously, he’ll be able to nail shots off the catch for OKC. Watching Williams is a joy, and he’s yet another reason to catch as many Thunder games as possible this upcoming season.

Jaden Hardy, Dallas Mavericks

Just replace the “L” in JALEN Brunson with a “D” and that should be good enough. At least, that’s what the Mavericks are probably thinking at this point. After losing Brunson in free agency, Hardy is looking like he’ll be an immediate replacement at the guard position for Dallas.

Above all, Hardy just looks comfortable out there. He’s always been a great scorer, and he’s shown that in Summer League. But the most promising thing to note is that he’s looked far more NBA-ready than most people anticipated. Obviously, it’s been an extremely small sample size thus far, but based on what Hardy has done this summer, he has a chance to get rotational minutes from Day 1.

And on top of that, Hardy is oozing with potential. At the beginning of this past season, he was in the top three of many mock drafts. The top three! By the time the draft came around, he was listed as a second-round talent, which meant the Mavs could trade into the draft to snag him at 37. It was insane value for Dallas then, and now that he’s played in Summer League, Hardy looks like the steal of the draft.

Gui Santos, Golden State Warriors

Will the Warriors ever stop finding talent? Probably not. Santos was selected with the 55th pick in this year’s draft. Hailing from Brazil, Santos only got to the US in time to attend two practices with his new Summer League teammates. Despite that, he’s put on a show from his very first game.

Santos can do a bit of everything on the court. At 6’8, Santos can handle the ball, drive to the rim, and shoot threes at a solid clip. But more impressively, he seems to have mastered the EuroStep. Santos said that he’s known in Brazil for how well he can pull off the move, and he hasn’t been shy to put it on display all throughout Summer League. The rookie just looks extremely comfortable out there.

The 20-year-old may or may not end up coming over to the NBA this season. At first glance, it looks like there won’t be many opportunities for him to earn playing time in Golden State next year, but anything is possible. In all likelihood, he’ll either stay in Brazil for a year or come over on a two-way deal. But based on what he’s shown in Summer League so far, he has a shot to be an impactful NBA player sooner rather than later.

Cole Swider, Los Angeles Lakers

After the Lakers’ failed attempt at building a championship contender last offseason, they’ve taken a new approach this year. Max Christie has already been signed to a two-year deal, and with how well he’s been playing, Swider could be next.

Swider was a sharpshooter in college, and so far in Summer League, he’s continued that trend. He’s nailing well over 40% of his threes and attempting roughly six threes a night. The 6’9 forward played three years at Villanova but spent his final year of college at Syracuse, and it was there he finally found room to shine.

Now, in Summer League, he’s looking like the next Duncan Robinson - an undrafted sharpshooter who is able to make an immediate impact in the NBA. And on a team like the Lakers, he’ll probably have even more chances. LA is restructuring their roster around LeBron James and Anthony Davis, and in a league where shooting is at a premium, they’ll likely hold onto Swider for dear life.

Aron Baynes attempting NBA return

Last summer during the Olympics, Baynes suffered a scary fall due to a neurological issue that was never fully figured out. He ended up having to stay in a Japanese hospital alone for nearly two weeks before having to quarantine for two weeks upon traveling back to Australia. However, after working his way back into basketball shape, Baynes is attempting an NBA comeback.

Baynes worked out for multiple teams in Las Vegas during Summer League. A report from Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com has indicated that Baynes is in shape to help a contending team right now. He doesn’t have the same level of physical strength he once had, but he’s been nailing threes in workouts. Regardless, his story is amazing, and it’s great to see him attempting a return to the league.

Damian Lillard’s massive extension

According to multiple sources, Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers have agreed to a two-year, $122 million contract extension. It will be tacked onto the end of his current contract, which means he is under contract with the Blazers through the 2026-27 season. By the time his contract with the team is over, he will be 36 years old.

Portland is currently in the midst of trying to put a championship contender around Lillard. So far this summer, they’ve added Jerami Grant and Gary Payton II. In addition, they’ve brought back both Anfernee Simons and Jusuf Nurkic. As long as Lillard is fully healthy next season, the Blazers should find themselves back in the playoff picture.

Donovan Mitchell’s situation in Utah

Despite the smoke surrounding the situation, Jazz GM Justin Zanik reported that the team has “no intent” of trading Mitchell. After trading big man Rudy Gobert, Utah looks primed to reshape their team around Mitchell, with him as the centerpiece of the squad. And while he’s reportedly not untouchable, it’s looking like Mitchell will remain in Utah next year.

These reports coincide with Brian Windhorst's statement that Mitchell is planning to “stand pat” in Utah. He’s supposedly along for the ride with the Jazz and is on board to be the main piece in their short rebuild. Danny Ainge and Zanik will now work for the rest of the summer to put a playoff team around Mitchell for next season.

John Wall on joining LA Clippers: 'Don't have to be Batman every night for us to win' - Ohm Youngmisu (ESPN)

St. John’s star Julian Champagnie relishing NBA shot with 76ers - Zach Braziller (New York Post)

Blazers Go All-in on Identity With Offseason Moves - Sean Highkin (The Rose Garden Report)

Thomas Bryant is the living embodiment of the Lakers’ new direction - Alex Regla (Silver Screen and Roll)

The Wizards have sabotaged themselves with Bradley Beal’s new contract and no-trade clause - Matt Modderno (Bullets Forever)

Summer League has been awesome thus far. After a long NBA season, it only took a few days for most NBA fans to miss the game. And now, Summer League gives another, unique opportunity to appreciate the game.

Instead of only caring about wins and losses, fans are able to focus on a completely different set of things. They can appreciate young prospects, the fun storylines of players trying to make it back to the league, and even the mere environment of Summer League, with tons of stars showing up to support their squads.

Even though the games don’t mean much in the grand scheme of things, make sure to enjoy this basketball while you can. It’s going to be a long few months before we get to watch the NBA again.

That'll be it for us. Thanks for reading. See y'all next time.

- Jack Simone

Last Trivia Answer: The answer to Friday's trivia question was Anthony Morrow! He dropped 47 points with the Golden State Warriors Summer League squad in 2009. Morrow nailed 7-of-9 three-pointers in the process.

Trivia Question: Summer League is often viewed as a time for young players to improve and attempt to earn a spot on an NBA roster. With that being said, who is the oldest player at Summer League this season?