Nate Ament leads the Bucks to victory with a team-high 23 points.
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LAS VEGAS – Some of the brightest prospects have shined and been shut down. Others will welcome as many reps as they can squeeze into Summer League to satisfy their own and others’ expectations based on draft position and gaudy clippings.
Still a few first-rounders will have to play catch up when training camps open in a couple months.
For the moment, though, we’re focused on the Standouts, those in the first two groups who are revving up competitively and putting on shows from midday to night at the adjoining gyms on the UNLV campus.
With one week of the LVSL in the books, here are players who shined on Day 7 of the desert showcase:
Hugo González, Boston Celtics
Hugo González's 24 points, 10 rebounds lift the Celtics over the Kings.
González is turning what might have been a pejorative – “Boston missed out on Giannis by refusing to trade this guy?” – into a possible boast.
The hard-working Spaniard was a high-impact rookie, with his 11.2 plus/minus leading all Class of 2025 newcomers who played in at least half the games last season. In the best of his three LVSL outings so far, the 6-foot-6 wing scored 24 points with 10 rebounds and five assists, while hitting three 3-pointers in Boston’s 82-76 victory over Sacramento.
González is averaging 18 points, eight boards and six assists here, certain to carve out a role bigger than the 14.6 minutes he averaged last season.
Enrique Freeman, Zyon Pullin, Minnesota Timberwolves
No one should jump to conclusions, but a team with a need at power forward got a strong performance from this summer version.
Freeman, at 6-foot-9 and 220 pounds, was a second-round pick of the Indiana Pacers in 2024 and a two-way contract guy with Minnesota now. He helped Minnesota beat Indiana on Tuesday at Cox Pavilion, 114-98 with 14 points and an impressive 11 rebounds, six at the offensive end.
Pullin, a 25-year-old with eight career appearances on his resume for Memphis and Minnesota, scored an efficient 23 points on 6-for-12 shooting with six assists.
Jase Richardson, Orlando Magic
NBA legend Jason Richardson talks with Chris Haynes about how his son, Jase, is adjusting to his 2nd season in the NBA.
Living up to the expectation that second-year pros should thrive at Summer League, Richardson led five Magic scorers in double figures with 25 points on 10-for-15 with four assists, three steals and a plus-15 in the victory over Philadelphia. He scored 10 in Orlando’s 30-17 first quarter and is averaging 18.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.7 steals.
The No. 25 pick a year ago is shooting 54% and has made half of his 14 3-point attempts.
Khaman Maluach, Phoenix Suns
Khaman Maluach scores 23 points and snags 15 rebounds in the Suns win over the Pistons.
Some Phoenix observers thought Maluach had shown enough in his first three summer games – all double-doubles, averaging 18 points and 12 rebounds – to earn a shutdown the rest of the way or at least a day off Wednesday.
Nope.
The 7-footer played 28 minutes against Detroit, scored 23 points and took 15 rebounds. He was essential to the Suns’ 52-36 scoring dominance in the paint and he continues to drain 40% of his shots from the arc. Still 19, the South Sudan native picked No. 10 overall in 2025 logged just 441 minutes as a rookie but is now projected as a backup candidate to Mark Williams.
Nate Ament, Milwaukee Bucks
The relatively quick start by new teammate Brayden Burries had some Milwaukee faithful growing impatient with Ament, the Tennessee forward drafted three spots after Burries at No. 13.
The lean Ament, 6-foot-10 and 211 pounds, had looked tentative through three games, averaging just seven points on a mere five shots. But he was more assertive against Charlotte’s entry, scoring 23 on 7-for-13 shooting to lead eight Bucks who scored 10 or more in their 110-91 route. At one point Ament scored seven consecutive points for the Bucks, while reminding observers he needs time both on the floor and in the weight room.
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Steve Aschburner has written about the NBA since 1980. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on X.
