This article is part of our NBA Draft series.
If the Las Vegas Summer League is a great Saturday night at the bar, then the California Classic and Salt Lake Summer Leagues are like a trolley pub on a Thursday afternoon – you have to be in the right headspace to consider it. The Vegas league has an atmosphere of legitimacy. The California league dubbed itself "Classic" despite only being around since 2018 and featured two Sacramento Kings teams, both of which have roster pages on RealGM that lead to 404 errors. But Zach Edey believers and Bronny James haters alike gave these leagues some more publicity this season. Let's dive in and point out some noteworthy performances from the 2024 class.
Stephon Castle, Spurs 
(Pick No. 4)
The UConn product still has questions to answer about his shooting and what position he actually plays, but that didn't stop him from making his presence felt in two Summer League performances. Despite shooting just 36/20/57, Castle averaged 22.9 points, 9.2 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 2.3 steals per 36 minutes, with just 1.5 turnovers. It's not yet clear if the Spurs intend to start Castle.
Zach Edey, Grizzlies 
(Pick No. 9)
Edey only played in one game but made his presence felt. In 34 minutes, he posted 14 points, 15 rebounds and one block. We need a bigger sample against better competition, but he remains intriguing as the potential starting center for Memphis next to Jaren Jackson.
Cody Williams, Jazz 
(Pick No. 10)
There's no way around it – Williams had a bad time. He played in all three Summer League games and put up per-36 averages of 6.9 points on 26 FG%, 4.2 rebounds and 1.4 assists. We knew he was a fairly raw prospect, but this is worse than expected. Putting together some better performances in Vegas would go a long way in cementing a role for him as a rookie.
Kel'el Ware, Heat 
(Pick No. 15)
Despite having floor-spacing upside, Ware missed all five of his three-point attempts in two games. However, he excelled in plenty of other areas. Per 36 minutes, he averaged 25.4 points on 52 FG%, 11.3 rebounds, 4.0 blocks and 2.0 assists. While he'll probably begin as a backup to Bam Adebayo, both players could theoretically share the floor at the same time.
Jared McCain, 76ers 
(Pick No. 16)
The freshman Duke product played in all three pre-Vegas games, but his shot was woefully off. He went just 10-for-34 from the field, including 3-for-16 from deep and 6-for-9 from the free-throw line. His 7.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.6 steals per 36 minutes are enough to avoid disaster status, but it's not exactly what you want to see from someone who may need to play a significant role this year.
Dalton Knecht, Lakers 
(Pick No. 17)
A senior scorer out of Tennessee, Knecht was drafted by the Lakers in hopes of finding a somewhat reliable shooter to place around LeBron. The results are mixed through three Summer League games. Knecht averaged 19.9 points per 36 minutes, but it was on 30/27/74 shooting. He didn't exactly do enough in other areas to make up for it. Hopefully, he can be more efficient in Vegas and assuage some concerns.
Dillon Jones, Thunder 
(Pick No. 26)
Jones is a big-bodied forward out of Weber State. He's not an explosive athlete but is great at using his 6-foot-5, 237-pound frame to his advantage against smaller players. Jones can do a bit of everything, but shooting and defending are current weak points. Still, he flashed upside in three Summer League appearances, with 15.3 points, 9.5 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 2.1 steals per 36 minutes. It's unlikely he sees meaningful minutes this season.
Isaiah Collier, Jazz (Pick No. 29)
Collier, a point guard from USC, has an NBA-ready frame and is a raw talent. The shooting can come and go, and he can make risky plays, but he's also a highlight generator. It's not surprising to me that he played well in Summer League, given those qualities. Per 36 minutes in his three appearances, the No. 29 overall pick averaged 19.7 points on 48/33/75 shooting, 5.8 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 2.9 steals with just 2.3 turnovers. If the Jazz can clear out Jordan Clarkson and Collin Sexton at some point, Collier should step into real minutes.
Kyle Filipowski, Jazz (Pick No. 32)
Filipowski managed 14 rebounds (six offensive) in 52 minutes, but the rest of his performance was atrocious. He went 3-for-15 shooting and had six turnovers to three assists. His two steals and one block don't quite make up for that. He'll need to improve in Vegas.
Ajay Mitchell, Thunder (Pick No. 38)
A versatile guard out of UC Santa Barbara, Mitchell scored and passed efficiently while racking up nice defensive numbers. He played in all three games and put up per-36-minute averages of 22.2 points on 64/33/88 shooting, 7.2 assists (to 3.4 turnovers), 4.8 rebounds, 1.9 steals and 1.0 blocks. He's on a two-way contract with OKC, so he'll mostly see action in the G League this season.
Jaylen Wells, Grizzlies (Pick No. 39)
Wells is a shooter out of Washington State. He went 3-for-11 from deep in 58 minutes. It seems unlikely he'll play real minutes this season, but you can never have too many young three-point sprayers on your bench. Hopefully, he can catch fire at some point in Vegas.
Adem Bona, 76ers (Pick No. 41)
The UCLA product is your classic undersized-but-explosive big man. He's 6-foot-8, 243 pounds but plays center, setting hard picks, swatting shots, catching lobs and the like. Playing in three Summer League games, he nearly averaged a double-double with 4.8 blocks and 2.7 steals per 36 minutes, though shot just 39 FG%.
Pelle Larsson, Heat (Pick No. 44)
A knockdown shooter and acceptable pick-and-roll playmaker, Larsson is a 6-foot-5 wing out of Arizona. In three Summer League games, he took just five threes (making two), but still averaged 14.8 points per 36 minutes by working his way to the free throw line seven times (despite making only three). He also provided 7.0 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 4.4 steals per 36, ultimately saving what otherwise would have been a disappointing few performances.
Harrison Ingram, Spurs (Pick No. 48)
Ingram is a junior from North Carolina who has excellent overall feel for the game, in a way that certainly fits the Spurs' mentality. He put up solid numbers, but nothing to point out specifically. It would probably take a myriad of injuries to get him on the court for real minutes this season.
Cam Spencer, Grizzlies (Pick No. 53)
Out of UConn, Spencer is an undersized wing shooter. He was able to get his shot off in his two appearances, going 6-for-12 from deep in 54 minutes while also contributing 10 rebounds, eight assists, two steals and just two turnovers. He's on a two-way contract, so he'll get most of his time in the G League as a rookie.
Bronny James, Lakers (Pick No. 55)
Bronny is struggling on offense, going 3-for-12 from the field and 1-for-4 from the charity stripe. The good news is that he has three steals and three blocks in 51 minutes. I imagine he'll spend significant stretches in the G League, especially when the Lakers are on long road trips.
