NBA Summer League attracts the most attention during the first weekend of festivities in Las Vegas. There are intriguing warm-up acts in Salt Lake City and Sacramento earlier in July, but the "main event" takes place in the desert and, over the first few days, the most famous players take the floor..
That is usually headlined by the incoming rookie class, and 2025 was no exception. Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper drew crowds and flashed intriguing games. Beyond that, second-year standouts flourished and, when they did, many were quickly shut down for the week. Still, there were six more off-the-radar players who popped, and they are noted below.
Kyle Filipowski
Through the first four days of Las Vegas Summer League, no player averaged more points than Kyle Filipowski. The second-year big man from the Utah Jazz put up 26.5 points per game in two outings, showcasing his inside-the-arc arsenal in prominent fashion. Filipowski also has a fun passing game and, simply put, he is advanced in knowing how to play. Perhaps he also draws bonus points for shining in Salt Lake City the previous week, but Filipowski also put it together in Vegas.
Terrence Shannon Jr.
It should come as no surprise that TJ Shannon is high on the "too good for Summer League" list. He contributed in a real way to a Western Conference Finalist a year ago, and Shannon looked the part in Vegas. In two games, he averaged 16.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game. Shannon also shined from an athletic and physicality standpoint. He's ready for a bigger role in Minnesota.
Nae'qwan Tomlin
Tomlin is the rare player on this list who has already played three games in Las Vegas, but he's been tremendous. After a bit role last season in Cleveland, Tomlin could be in line for more in 2025-26, and he started that by shooting 65.8 percent in three games. Tomlin also averaged 21 points, 7.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 2.3 steals per game during the first weekend.
Jaylon Tyson
Similar to Tomlin above, Jaylon Tyson could be in line for a larger role in Cleveland this coming season, particularly with Ty Jerome exiting. The former first round pick was particularly excellent on Sunday, putting up 21 points, six rebounds, five assists, two steals and a block for Cleveland. He is averaging 19.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 6.7 assists per game in three outings in Las Vegas.
Drew Timme
Timme is certainly better known for his collegiate play at Gonzaga, but he's been able to stick around the NBA for a while. The talented and offensively versatile big man has also shown well in Vegas, including a 30-point performance over the weekend against Washington. Timme trails only Filipowski in Summer League scoring, averaging 26.0 points per game, and he is shooting 62.2 percent from the field while adding 7.0 rebounds per contest.
Reed Sheppard
Sheppard is kind of the exception on this list in that he was a top pick in 2024, but after a season in which he was almost totally off the radar in Houston, the talented guard had maybe the best game of any player so far in Vegas. Sheppard had 28 points, eight rebounds, four assists, four steals, and three blocks in his Vegas debut. While his follow-up was less efficient, Sheppard is still averaging 23.0 points and more than three "stocks" per game in Summer League action.