3 budding NBA stars who have already proven they’re too good for Summer League

No. 2 NBA Summer League standout: Tre Mann, Thunder

OKC has the deepest pool of young talent in the NBA, especially on the perimeter. While Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the main attraction — and Josh Giddey has emerged as quite the noteworthy sidekick — the Thunder’s guard depth extends well beyond the starting lineup.

The Thunder drafted Kentucky point guard Cason Wallace with the No. 10 pick in June’s NBA Draft. OKC then signed Euroleague superstar Vasilije Micic at the start of free agency, ending the 29-year-old’s long “stash” period overseas. We can’t forget about Isaiah Joe either; he’s one of the best off-ball shooters in the world.

That leaves Tre Mann, the Florida point guard now entering his third NBA season, in a tricky position. At some point OKC will have to consolidate assets — it’s impossible to use all the draft picks and all the young players on the roster. Mann was the No. 18 pick in 2021, a serious investment from the Thunder, but he’s already edging toward oblivion at the backend of OKC’s depth chart.

He’s pretty much in do-or-die territory. Mann has made quite the statement early in Summer League. He dropped 23 on the Sixers on Thursday; 28 on the Grizzlies on Wednesday; 20 on the Jazz on Sunday. Thoroughly impressive on every occasion.

Mann has a lot of interesting tools creating out of pick-and-rolls and hitting pull-up jumpers. He looks the part of a modern combo guard and he competes admirably on the defensive end. If he doesn’t stick in OKC, other teams around the league should be monitoring him with extreme interest.