RADIO
AK Okereke Lands a Two-Way Deal With the Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers have made official their two-way signing of undrafted forward AK Okereke, Ryan Ward of Lakers Nation reports, filling the last of their three two-way slots. Okereke is a 6-7 floor-spacer who spent his final college season as a graduate transfer at Vanderbilt, averaging 9.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.0 assists while shooting 40.0 percent from three. The stroke is real, but the fantasy path isn't. Okereke is an undrafted rookie on a two-way contract, which caps his active games, and he's buried on a win-now roster built around Luka Doncic. Expect most of his season to come with the South Bay Lakers.
Source: Ryan Ward
Source: Ryan Ward
Yaxel Lendeborg Keeps Showing Multi-Category Summer League Appeal
Golden State Warriors Gold forward Yaxel Lendeborg posted 11 points, eight rebounds, two assists, two blocks, and one steal across 24 minutes in Sunday's 98-69 California Classic win over the San Antonio Spurs. The No. 11 overall pick followed up Friday's 19-point Summer League debut with another useful all-around line, though he was less efficient at 4-for-11 from the field. Lendeborg's fantasy appeal comes from the category mix, as he can rebound, pass, block shots, and stretch the floor. His regular-season value will depend on how quickly Golden State trusts him with rotation minutes.
Source: NBA
Source: NBA
Emanuel Sharp Scores 18 Points in Kings California Classic Win
Sacramento Kings guard Emanuel Sharp let it fly in the California Classic, scoring 18 points but needing 12 three-point attempts to get there, while adding seven rebounds, three assists, and two steals in the Kings' 91-85 win over Warriors Blue. The cold shooting is easy to forgive. Sharp is a genuine sharpshooter, a First-Team All-Big 12 pick who drilled 37.2 percent from deep on high volume at Houston and profiles as the 3-and-D floor spacer Sacramento needed after finishing last in threes made. Notably, he landed a standard three-year deal rather than the two-way most late-second-rounders get. Still, the fantasy path is narrow and role-gated: threes and steals if he wins the floor-spacer minutes behind Zach LaVine and Malik Monk, little if he's shuttling to the G League.
Source: NBA
Source: NBA
Nick Boyd Hands Out 10 Assists in Warriors Blue Loss
Golden State Warriors Blue guard Nick Boyd recorded 11 points, 10 assists, seven rebounds, and one steal across 27 minutes in Sunday's 91-85 California Classic Summer League loss to the Sacramento Kings. Boyd was one of the few bright spots as Golden State let a 10-point halftime lead slip away. The undrafted Wisconsin product is on an Exhibit 10 deal, so his path to regular-season fantasy value remains narrow. Still, back-to-back useful Summer League showings and a double-digit assist game give him a case to keep getting extended on-ball reps.
Source: NBA
Source: NBA
Adou Thiero Stuffs the Box Score in Sunday's California Classic Victory
Los Angeles Lakers forward Adou Thiero delivered a strong all-around performance Sunday in the California Classic Summer League. He finished with 13 points, three rebounds, three steals, and two assists across 28 minutes during a 93-91 double-overtime win over the Miami Heat. The second-year forward made an impact with his activity on both ends, but his shooting remains a concern after he went 3-for-9 from the field, 0-for-2 from three-point range, and 4-for-7 at the line. Thiero's defense and downhill scoring are useful, but he needs a more reliable jumper to carve out steady fantasy value on a veteran-heavy Lakers roster.
Source: NBA
Source: NBA
Brandon Boston Jr. Scores 18 Points in Bucks Summer League Loss
Milwaukee Bucks guard/forward Brandon Boston Jr. led the team in scoring for the second straight game Sunday, finishing with 18 points, three rebounds, one assist, and one steal across 28 minutes in an 89-69 California Classic loss to Brooklyn. Boston also paced Milwaukee with 17 points in Saturday's win over Warriors Blue, so he is making the most of an early audition. The fantasy angle is still thin until he earns a regular-season roster spot, but his shot creation and minutes load are worth tracking in Las Vegas.
Source: NBA
Source: NBA
Cameron Carr Impresses with 26-Point Outing
Los Angeles Lakers guard Cameron Carr came ready to play during Sunday's Summer League matchup against the Miami Heat. Carr was all over the place as he finished with 26 points, eight rebounds, and connected on four three-pointers during the overtime victory. The Lakers selected Carr in the first-round out of Baylor this year. The 21-year-old has looked impressive early in camp, but there's still a lot of time between now and the beginning of the regular season. Clearly, the Lakers believe in Carr, which is why they selected him in the first round. He might struggle to get consistent minutes right away, but he could force his way into the conversation if he keeps playing like this.
Source: nba.com
Source: nba.com
Ryan Conwell Notches 16 Points in Loss
Miami Heat guard Ryan Conwell is getting a fair shot to prove himself during the Summer League. During his Summer League debut, Conwell knocked down only 4-of-12 shots from the floor. He was hopeful for better results on Sunday, but he didn't have much more success. He finished with 16 points (6-of-18 FGs), seven rebounds, and three assists in the double-overtime loss. The 16-point outing is nice, but his overall effectiveness has not been great. The Heat selected Conwell with a second-round pick during this year's draft. This team is in a win-now mode after trading for Giannis Antetokounmpo. Conwell will need to clean it up if he wants to crack this rotation.
Source: nba.com
Source: nba.com
Lakers Could Target Jonas Valanciunas
The Los Angeles Lakers are in the market for a backup center after trading Deandre Ayton to the Washington Wizards. The Lakers are reportedly interested Kevon Looney or Jonas Valanciunas. They've secured their starting center spot after making a trade for center Walker Kessler. Between the two, Valanciunas is the better option because he's a viable option on both sides of the ball. Valanciunas is still under contract with the Denver Nuggets, but they've reportedly made him available in trade talks. During his first year in Denver, Valanciunas averaged 8.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 0.6 blocks in 13.4 minutes per game in 65 contests. His value would likely increase elsewhere where he's not stuck behind Nikola Jokic. It remains to be seen if the Nuggets are truly interested in moving the big man, but the Lakers will need to make a move for another center at some point.
Source: Shams Charania
Source: Shams Charania
Ace Bailey Dealing with Back Spasms
Utah Jazz forward Ace Bailey (back) was forced to make an early exit from Saturday's Summer League contest against the Atlanta Hawks. Bailey exited the contest after 20 minutes due to back spasms. It was an exhibition contest, so the Jazz elected to hold out Bailey for the rest of the game. He finished with 10 points, six rebounds, and a steal during his 20 minutes of action. The young forward is considered day-to-day, but he should be fine going forward. He's expected to remain a significant part of the rotation after averaging 13.8 points across 27.6 minutes per game in 72 contests with the Jazz last season.
Source: Utah Jazz
Source: Utah Jazz
Nuggets Plan to Match Offer Sheet on Peyton Watson
The Denver Nuggets are reportedly committed to matching any offer sheets that forward Peyton Watson receives in free agency. Watson is currently a restricted free agent who is rumored to be looking for a deal that is over $20 million per season. The Nuggets will match any offer that Watson gets, but they are also open to sign-and-trade scenarios. Watson is coming off a career-year with the Nuggets and is hopeful to cash in during free agency. This past season, Watson averaged a career-high 14.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.1 assists across 29.6 minutes per game in 54 contests. The 23-year-old should be able to lock up a long-term deal after his performance this past season.
Source: Sam Amick
Source: Sam Amick
Jay Huff Blocks Four Shots in USA's Qualifier Win
Indiana Pacers center Jay Huff finished with 12 points, four rebounds, and four blocks as USA Basketball edged the Dominican Republic 82-81 in FIBA World Cup Qualifiers. The 7-foot-1 big man is coming off a useful season in Indiana, where he averaged 9.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.5 assists while giving the Pacers a stretch-center element. The blocks are still the fantasy hook, but his regular-season value depends on minutes. With Ivica Zubac ahead of him and Micah Potter also in the frontcourt mix, Huff profiles more as a specialist than a locked-in fantasy option.
Source: FIBA
Source: FIBA
Jonathan Mogbo Blocks Five Shots in Kings Summer League Win
Sacramento Kings forward Jonathan Mogbo finished with six points, seven rebounds, two steals, and five blocks across 32 minutes in Saturday's 79-76 California Classic Summer League win over the Brooklyn Nets. Mogbo shot 3-for-5 from the field and made his biggest impact defensively, giving Sacramento a strong first look after he joined the team on a two-way deal. The 24-year-old averaged just 1.5 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 0.6 assists with Toronto last season, so this does not create redraft buzz yet. Still, the blocks and steals are the fantasy hook if he can earn real NBA minutes.
Source: NBA
Source: NBA
Cody Williams Posts 17 Points in Jazz Summer League Victory
Utah Jazz forward Cody Williams recorded 17 points, five rebounds, one assist, one steal, and two blocks across 34 minutes in Saturday's 103-102 Salt Lake City Summer League overtime win over the Atlanta Hawks. Williams shot 8-for-13 from the field and hit his only three-point attempt, giving Utah a strong two-way line next to Darryn Peterson's scoring outburst. The 21-year-old averaged 8.8 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.0 assists last season, so the defensive stats and efficiency stand out most. His fantasy value still depends on earning a steadier regular-season role.
Source: NBA
Source: NBA
Egor Demin Scores 23 Points in California Classic Loss
Brooklyn Nets guard Egor Demin finished with 23 points, seven rebounds, and one assist in Saturday's 79-76 California Classic Summer League loss to the Sacramento Kings. Demin shot 8-for-15 from the field, though the 2-for-8 mark from three kept the line from being cleaner. The 20-year-old averaged 10.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 3.3 assists as a rookie while shooting 38.5 percent from deep, so this was a strong restart after his season ended early. His fantasy value still hinges on usage, efficiency, and how much on-ball work Brooklyn gives him.
Source: NBA
Source: NBA
