NBA Summer League Highlights: Rising Stars Shine in California and Utah

We have exciting NBA Summer League action in Utah and California before Las Vegas puts on a show. The California Classic Summer League and Salt Lake City Summer League is what we've seen the last two days. Miami, Los Angeles, Golden State and San Antonio all played back-to-back games in Golden State, while Philly, Utah, Memphis and Oklahoma City played one game each in Utah. We've seen some fascinating performances from those youngsters thus far, so let's highlight some of those superb stat lines!

VJ Edgecombe, 76ers

Edgecombe was the third overall pick in this year's draft, and he looks like an alpha already. The Baylor product had 28 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and two blocks on 13-of-27 shooting in his Summer League debut. He also took a game-tying shot in the closing seconds for the Sixers in that 93-89 defeat, looking like the true leader of this Summer League team. It doesn't show in the stat sheet, but Edgecombe was all over the floor defensively as well. Adem Bona also played well next to Edgecombe, collecting 16 points and eight rebounds on 8-of-11 shooting. 

David Jones Garcia, Spurs

It's rare to lead your team in scoring in both games of Summer League, but that's what we've seen from Jones Garcia. This small forward led the way with 18 points and seven rebounds in a defeat against the Miami Heat in San Antonio's debut on Saturday and followed it up with an even better performance on Sunday. Jones Garcia collected 25 points, three rebounds, three assists and three steals in a 90-88 win over the Golden State Warriors. There's no doubt that Jones Garcia is the focal point of the Spurs offense in the California Classic. It remains to be seen if that'll happen in the Las Vegas Summer League when Dylan Harper is expected to be showcased as the second pick in the draft.

Cole Swider, Lakers

Swider has also led the Lakers in scoring through their first two games. The versatile big man had 24 points and eight rebounds on Saturday and followed that up with 20 points and three boards on Sunday. What's really impressive is that Swider shot 7-of-10 from the field in both of those 20-point games. He's averaged 22.3 points and 6.9 rebounds in the G League over the last two years and will be one of the keys for this LA Summer League team. DJ Steward has also been impressive for the Lakers, averaging 17 points, 2.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists through the opening two games.

Kyle Filipowski, Jazz

Filipowski started throughout the second half of last season and appears to be the star of this Summer League team. The big man had 22 points, six rebounds and two assists on 8-of-11 shooting in their narrow win over the Philadelphia 76ers. Brice Sensabaugh was also part of Utah's rotation last season, finishing that victory with 19 points, seven rebounds and two blocks.

Jaylen Wells, Grizzlies

It's rare to see a second-round pick in the Rookie of the Year running, but that's what Wells did last year. He finished third in the Rookie of the Year race, averaging 10.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 0.6 steals per game. That clearly carried over into his first Summer League game, leading the Grizzlies with 20 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals in their win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. He was also 7-of-7 from the free-throw line and is clearly preparing for a more substantial role with Desmond Bane being traded to Orlando. GG Jackson was also impressive in that defeat, collecting 20 points and three rebounds on 8-of-15 shooting. 

Ajay Mitchell, Thunder

OKC has a tough rotation to crack, but Mitchell is making a case. The second-round pick from last season played just 17 minutes per night in his rookie campaign but looks to be one of the focal points of the offense in the Summer League. Mitchell led the way with 24 points and six assists on 10-of-18 shooting in OKC's 92-80 win over Memphis. He did that while making just one three-pointer, showcasing some elite finishing around the basket. Nikola Topic missed the 2024-25 season after ACL surgery but showcased his ability with 14 points, four assists and two steals in his Summer League debut.