Bryce Hopkins hits three triples, scores 18 points

While Trevon Brazile stole the show with his 32-point effort, Hopkins supplemented his fellow rookie’s night with another quality performance. Hopkins’ stat line was missing only a blocked shot, and he made five of his 11 two-point attempts. Denver has yet to finalize its offseason business, as restricted free agent Peyton Watson is still on the market. That said, Hopkins offers the combination of talent and experience that could lead to opportunities to contribute off the bench next season. That isn’t enough to make him fantasy-relevant, but things could be far worse for Hopkins.

Hopkins did not do as much scoring as he did in his summer debut on Friday, but the rookie out of St. John’s had another solid effort for the Nuggets. His activity as a rebounder and defender has been good; playing his final season for Rick Pitino certainly paid dividends on that end of the floor. Whether he’s on a two-way deal or a standard contract, Hopkins has the tools needed to contribute if his name is called during the regular season.

The 49th overall pick in the 2026 draft, Hopkins’ contract status for next season has yet to be finalized. With the Nuggets still waiting out the situation involving restricted free agent Peyton Watson, summer league takes on added importance for Hopkins as he looks to earn a standard contract or a two-way deal. Friday’s performance should help, as the former St. John’s standout shot over 50 percent from the field and was active on defense. Given his experience at the college level, Hopkins may be better equipped to help the Nuggets immediately, who remain contenders with Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray on the roster.

A highly-regarded recruit out of high school, the 6-foot-6 Hopkins played one season at Kentucky before transferring to Providence. After three seasons there, the second of which was interrupted by a torn ACL, he transferred to St. John’s for his final campaign. During his lone season in Queens, Hopkins showed that the knee wasn’t an issue, making 37 starts and averaging 13.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.1 steals and 0.9 three-pointers per game. And he shot the ball reasonably well, putting up percentages of 46.9 percent from the field, 36.3 percent from three and 71.3 percent from the foul line. Tim Hardaway Jr. is an unrestricted free agent this summer, and the Nuggets can use additional wing depth regardless of what happens with the veteran. Hopkins will need to rely on his improved defense early on, and he may benefit from playing off stars Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray.