NBA Summer League gets underway tonight in Salt Lake City and San Francisco. For many fans around the league, this will serve as an introduction to the new rookie class and the future of NBA basketball. It's an exciting time for all involved, even if these games are of little consequence long term.
The 2025 NBA Draft class was headlined by a generational talent in Cooper Flagg, who will draw a lot of fans to Mavs games in the days and weeks ahead. Spurs point guard Dylan Harper, Sixers wing VJ Edgecombe and all the top picks are bound to capture the spotlight and generate plenty of anticipation.
But what about the sleepers? The prospects who fell too far but happened to land in the perfect situation? As with every new crop of NBA rookies, there will invariably be some who dramatically outperform their draft slot. Here are a few worth monitoring in Summer League — and in the regular season.
3. Ryan Kalkbrenner, Charlotte Hornets
Ryan Kalkbrenner, the No. 25 prospect on FanSided's big board, fell to the Charlotte Hornets with the 34th pick. This was one of my favorite picks in the draft, both in terms of fit and value. It's fair to be a little skeptical of what the Hornets are building, but this was a successfully executed draft strategy and it's much easier to see the vision this offseason. The Collin Sexton trade drove home the point: Charlotte wants high-character, highly competitive players.
Kalkbrenner was a stoic but impactful two-way force across five years at Creighton. He won four straight Big East Defensive Player of the Year awards to end his college career. For a Hornets team now building without Mark Williams, there are wide-open minutes at the five spot. Kelkbrenner, standing 7-foot-2 with a 7-foot-6 wingspan, could emerge as the dominant rim protector Charlotte has needed for so long.
It's a great offensive fit, too, as Kalkbrenner led the Big East in true shooting for four straight years (68.4 percent as a senior) and developed into a potent 3-point shooter, hitting 34.4 percent of his attempts last season. Kalkbrenner can post up, catch lobs or step behind the arc and stretch out a defense. With LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller setting the table, Kalkbrenner figures to clean up on simple finishes and catch-and-shoot 3s — all while creating driving lanes with his screening. The Hornets got a good one.
2. Jase Richardson, Orlando Magic
Jase Richardson's fall to the Orlando Magic at No. 25 was somewhat baffling, yet totally predictable. Most NBA front offices are naturally reticent to invest in small guards. Richardson is 6-foot-2 in shoes and he spent most of his lone season at Michigan State in an off-ball role. The list of successful off-guards of Richardson's size in the NBA is awfully thin.
And yet, Richardson adding point guard skills to his arsenal feels like a given. He's shifty getting downhill and he's one of the smartest players in the draft. What made him so effective without the ball — the savvy relocations, the strong spatial awareness — should translate to more ball-handling reps. He did play point guard in high school, after all, so it's not a foreign concept to him. Richardson reads the floor quickly, features a buttery floater and loves to play low to the ground.
The point guard stuff will come around sooner than later. In the meantime, he's a hyper-efficient off-ball scorer going to an Orlando team that can surround him be length and playmaking on the wings. Richardson will boost the Magic's 3-point shooting along with newcomer Desmond Bane and spice up the offense around Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. This was a home run outcome for all parties involved.
1. Kasparas Jakucionis, Miami Heat
While Richardson's slide was a bit easy to forecast — even if it lasted longer than expected — few saw the Kasparas Jakučionis fall coming. Widely projected as a lottery pick, the Illinois point guard did to hear his name called until the Miami Heat were on the board at No. 20. It's a great outcome for the 19-year-old from Lithuania, as he joins a potential contender with wide-open minutes at point guard.
Davion Mitchell came alive down the stretch of last season with Miami, but Jakučionis should have a clear path to starting point guard duties before long. It's fair to wonder about the defensive fit next to Tyler Herro, but Jakučionis is built pretty strong at 6-foot-6, so there's some positional flexibility there. He competes hard on defense and can generate some plays away from the ball, which offsets concerns about Jakučionis' limited foot speed at the point of attack.
On offense, he's a pick-and-roll savant who should make life easier on the entire Heat lineup. Jakučionis turned it over too much at Illinois, but he plays with a freedom and creativity that Erik Spoelstra should be able to channel. Package his playmaking with a potent step-back and a scalable scoring repertoire, and Jakučionis feels like an All-Rookie locker with Miami's player development track record. He is going to help a lot.