This article is part of our NBA Offseason series.
In addition to rookies getting their first taste of NBA action, Summer League is an opportunity for other young players to further new skills and get preseason reps. Focusing on second-year players who are dominating Summer League competition, the players below have displayed impressive growth and project to serve as meaningful rotation players with real fantasy upside.
With each of these players logging impactful minutes for their respective franchises down the stretch last season, here are five potential leaps to monitor:
Trey Murphy, Pelicans
Summer League stats: 26.5 points, 50.0 FG% (8.5-17.0 FG), 7.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 2.5 steals, 0.5 blocks, 3.0 TO
New Orleans possesses a deep and talented roster, but Murphy's performance is going to force the Pelicans' to hand him playing time in his second season. The 6-foot-8, 22-year-old wing looks like a man among boys in Summer League. Playing as a jumbo guard, Murphy is winning rebounds, using his disruptive length to rack up steals and getting wherever he wants offensively.
His three-point shooting has been cold in Las Vegas (26.7 percent on 7.5 attempts per game), but Murphy is already a proven shooter. He connected on 40.1 percent of his triples across three collegiate seasons at Virginia, and he led all rookies with a 38.2 percent clip from deep last season. With the booming performances he's showcased in Summer League, Murphy is a rising star candidate. The question is how much run he'll earn behind Herbert Jones and Brandon Ingram.
Cam Thomas, Nets
Summer League stats: 28.7 points, 42.4 FG% (8.3-19.7 FG), 2.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.0 steals, 0.3 blocks, 1.7 TO
Thomas would be a direct beneficiary of a Kyrie Irving and/or Kevin Durant blockbuster trade. The 20-year-old is a volume scorer with efficiency still noticeably lacking. Even in a tumultuous situation in Brooklyn, he flashed serious scoring abilities, recording a 30-point eruption against Utah and 10 games with 20-plus points overall.
A 32.5 three-point percentage at LSU hasn't translated to the league. He's shooting an ugly 15.4 percent from beyond the arc in Summer League. Thomas connected on just 27.0 percent of his threes as a rookie. He has attempted less threes at each stage of his basketball career thus far. He's a rare archetype transitioning away from threes.
Thomas excels at getting to the free-throw line. He's displayed impressive skills as a scorer in traffic and he gets to the basket effectively. Attempting a whopping 13.3 free throws per game in Summer League, he has converted on 85.0 percent. His contributions elsewhere in the box score are underwhelming, but if Brooklyn clears house, Thomas' usage will be appealing.
Isaiah Jackson, Pacers
Summer League stats: 10.0 points, 56.5 FG% (4.3-7.7 FG), 8.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.7 steals, 3.3 blocks, 0.7 TO
Among qualifiers, Isaiah Jackson led the NBA in blocks per minute played last season, recording nearly 1.1 swats every 10 minutes. Per-36 minutes, Jackson averaged 19.8 points, 9.9 rebounds, 3.5 blocks and 1.7 steals a night.
The Pacers unleashing him would be a fantasy coup. Jackson blocks shots on the perimeter, as well as inside -- he's a gifted athlete. Eye-catching as an explosive rim-runner above the basket, Jackson has underrated touch below the basket and is an offensive rebounding machine. The size of his role is the only obstacle to fantasy gold. If the Pacers move Miles Turner and don't bring in Deandre Ayton, Jackson will shape up as a prime good-stats-bad-team guy in 2022-23.
Moses Moody, Warriors
Summer League stats: 27.5 points, 43.8 FG% (7.0-16.0 FG), 4.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.5 steals, 1.5 blocks, 2.0 TO
Moody could've had a 60-point game against the Knicks on Friday. Summer League isn't that type of environment and the Warriors were getting crushed -- so Moody laid off the gas. There has been plenty of gas, however, with Moody ranking as Summer League's second-leading scorer through the first six days.
Across 52 NBA appearances as a rookie, Moody recorded a 43.7/36.4/77.8 percent slash line. With 60.0 percent of his shots coming from beyond the arc, his shooting line was quite healthy.
The 6-foot-6 swingman is wreaking havoc on Summer League defenses. He's earning 12.5 free throws per game and is converting at an 88.0 percent clip. In the 2021 Summer League, Moody attempted just 2.3 free throws per game. In his lone season at Arkansas he averaged 5.8. It's clear that he's acclimating to the NBA successfully and getting back to his roots as an aggressive, multi-dimensional scorer. Moody is the most unheralded prospect of Golden State's dynasty, and he's been much better than Jonathan Kuminga in Vegas.
Josh Christopher, Rockets
Summer League stats: 19.7 points, 39.6 FG% (6.3-16.0 FG), 4.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.7 steals, 1.7 blocks, 2.3 TO
Among 2022 Summer League participants, Christopher is one of the leaders in regular season action in 2021-22. Logging over 1,300 minutes for the Rockets in 2021-22, Christopher fared well in the flow of an NBA offense, often using his athleticism and hustle to get buckets. His efficiency is indicative of that:
2021 Summer League: 38.5 FG%, 18.2 3P%, 4.6 FTA
2021-22 Regular Season: 44.8 FG%, 29.6 3P%, 1.5 FTA
2022 Summer League: 39.6 FG%, 12.5 3P%, 8.0 FTA
Christopher hasn't been at his best -- efficiency-wise -- when operating as a focal point of Houston's lineups. While three-point shooting remains an overall flaw in his game, he's generating a ton of defensive attention in the half court at Summer League, which is certainly a factor in the struggles.
His jump in free throws demonstrates growth as an attacker. He's fearless going downhill and possesses an enticing combination of strength and speed. The athleticism is real and will show throughout the box score. Expecting an increase in steals and blocks, with an uptick in scoring is very reasonable for Christopher going into his second season. He's an energizer with a high motor. If the Rockets move on from Eric Gordon, Christopher could see a sizable leap in minutes.
Editor's note: The Rockets announced Wednesday that Christopher will miss the remainder of Summer League due to a right hip injury.
