NBA Player News

The Rockets won’t have Alperen Şengün for Friday’s game, as he sits with a back injury. However, instead of replacing him with a center, the Rockets are going small, with Finney-Smith moving into the starting lineup. Clint Capela may pick up a few more minutes off the bench, but not starting eliminates what little streaming value he had.

After putting up an inefficient 20 points in Friday’s loss to the Nets, Dadiet continued to struggle with his shot on Saturday. The Knicks’ wing, who’s heading into his third NBA season, shot 1-of-6 from beyond the arc in the 70-49 loss to the Spurs. Many teams hope their returnees reach a point where they shine in summer league, but that has not happened yet for Dadiet or Mohamed Diawara, with the latter going scoreless on Saturday.

With returnees Mohamed Diawara (zero points, five rebounds, one assist and one block) and Pacôme Dadiet struggling mightily, Nickel has been one of the few bright spots for the Knicks in Las Vegas. After knocking down six three-pointers in Friday’s loss to the Nets, the second-round pick hit four more on Saturday. Putting capable shooters around Jalen Brunson has been a priority of the Knicks’ decision-makers since signing the point guard, and Nickel certainly fits the mold.

As was the case in Thursday’s Vegas Summer League opener against the Hawks, Gillespie did a little bit of everything for the Spurs on Saturday. Given the Spurs’ existing perimeter depth, he’ll need to be a “jack of all trades” player to contribute early on. Already signed to a two-way contract, Gillespie is likely to spend the majority of his rookie season in the G League, but he may be worth holding onto in deeper dynasty leagues.

After struggling in his first appearance of the summer, Bryant was much better in the Spurs’ 70-49 victory. In addition to shooting 70 percent from the field, he made both of his three-point attempts and recorded three “stocks.” With the Spurs adding Tobias Harris to the mix via free agency, Bryant is likely to take on a limited offensive role again next season. However, he can provide value as an “energy guy” and defender, and those characteristics were on display against the Knicks.

The Pacers were in danger of being run out of Cox Pavilion on Saturday, but the play of their point guards helped force overtime. Smith, the NBA’s all-time assist leader, racked up five while also scoring 16 points. However, it was Yuki Kawamura who provided the initial spark, and he finished with 12 points, three rebounds, three assists and one three-pointer. All three of the Pacers’ two-way contract slots have been filled, so Smith and Kawamura may be competing for one training camp invite in Las Vegas. Being the draft pick may give the latter an edge in the competition.

Slawson’s energy and production were two reasons why the Pacers were able to rally from 24 points down to force overtime on Saturday. And that’s likely what the front office wants to see after deciding to tender a two-way qualifying offer to the forward. While Slawson did not shoot the ball well on Friday, his activity may force some other teams with available two-way slots to keep an eye on him. Just in case the Pacers don’t look to hold onto the 2023 second-round pick.

As was the case in his summer debut on Thursday, Philon did not have the best day shooting the basketball. However, he consistently applied pressure to the Pacers’ defense off the dribble and committed two turnovers to go with the six assists. Philadelphia’s perimeter depth may make it challenging for Philon to earn significant minutes as a rookie, but he’s a fun prospect for dynasty league competitors.

After having his rookie season end just after the All-Star break due to a torn meniscus, Broome has looked good in the 76ers’ two summer league games. Two days after posting 19 points and 13 rebounds in a complete stat line, the 2025 second-round pick recorded another double-double in Saturday’s 100-93 overtime victory. While Joel Embiid’s injury history makes it imperative that the 76ers have options behind him, the presence of Adem Bona and Ariel Hukporti means that Broome will face challenging odds of cracking the rotation next season.

After shooting 2-of-11 from the field in his summer debut on Thursday, Anderson was better on Saturday. The 18th overall pick in last month’s draft, he shot 2-of-8 from beyond the arc and 5-of-14 overall. More concerning than the shooting was Anderson not recording an assist, but the fact that Sion James and Liam McNeeley also took on playmaking responsibilities was a factor. With the Hornets re-signing Coby White, Anderson will have time to develop, so fantasy managers should not be too concerned by his slow start in Las Vegas.

After attempting just four shots on Thursday, Salaün was more aggressive in hunting his shot on Saturday. Unfortunately, the Hornets forward was 1-of-7 from beyond the arc. The good news was that Salaün was active on the boards, and that’s an area where he’ll need to step up to earn rotation minutes next season. Even with the Hornets moving Miles Bridges, they added Naz Reid via trade and Hannes Steinbach via the draft. As a result, there’s more competition for Salaün going into next season.