Starting 5, July 21: Hornets win their 1st NBA Summer League title

Bringing the buzz and leaving with the trophy. The Charlotte Hornets win the NBA Summer League title.

5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀

July 21, 2025

Charlotte Champs: Hornets hold off Kings to win first-ever Summer League title

Roundup: Celtics & Grizzlies get wins to close out summer hoops in Las Vegas

Top 10 Review: How the rookies at the top of the 2025 Draft class fared in Vegas

Summer Frames: A few of our favorite images from 11 days in the desert

Peach Jam Finals: 4 champs were crowned at one of high school hoops’ premier events

1. HORNETS FEND OFF KINGS TO WIN FIRST SUMMER LEAGUE TITLE

Two undefeated teams entered Sunday’s NBA 2K26 Summer League Championship Game – the Kings going for an unprecedented third Summer League title and the Hornets seeking their first – but only one would finish that way.

With a chance to bring home the summer hardware for the first time, the Hornets came out hot, winning the opening quarter 34-18 and shooting 70.6% with five 3s.

Charlotte took the lead early and then spent the rest of the night fending off Sacramento, in what would become a one-point game with 77 seconds to play.

With the title on the line, 4th overall pick Kon Knueppel came up clutch – hitting a massive 31-footer with 32 seconds left before the Hornets closed out the game with free throws in the finals seconds.

Hornets 83, Kings 78: Knueppel was named Championship Game MVPafter dropping a team-high 21 points with four 3s, leading five Hornets in double figures as Charlotte answered every Sacramento run to win its first Summer League title and leave Vegas a perfect 6-0. | Recap

• Kon’s Clutch Mindset: “I didn’t have a great shooting night, but when I’m in that situation, I want the ball and I’m gonna put it up and I’m glad it went in.”
• Buzzing Draft Duo: No. 4 pick Knueppel and No. 34 pick Ryan Kalkbrenner delivered for the Hornets all summer and particularly in Sunday’s championship game as Kalkbrenner posted summer-highs of 15 points and nine rebounds
• Ring Me: With the MVP trophy in hand, Kon showed off the Summer League championship rings that the Hornets will take home with them as their personal Vegas souvenir
• Stitches Can’t Slow Him: Knueppel discussed playing with five stitches above his eye after a fall in the semis. However, he’s not a fan of the headband look, so don’t expect to see it moving forward
• Triple 11s: Charlotte got 11 points apiece from Jaylen Sims (7-8 FT), DJ Rodman (4-5 FG) and KJ Simpson (7 reb, 5 ast)

While the Kings were unable to win their third Summer League title, they finished a strong showing in Vegas on Sunday behind a promising group of young talent.

• Sophomore Duo: The Kings got a double-double (24 pts, 11 reb) from Isaac Jones – who went undrafted in 2024 before signing with Sacramento – and 13 points, seven dimes and two blocks from 2024 lottery pick Devin Carter
• Rookie Moments: Sacramento’s two 2025 draftees – Nique Clifford (10 points, 8 reb, this crafty fake and finish) and Maxime Raynaud (9 pts, 7 reb, 2 blk, 1 3pm in a back-and-forth with KJ Simpson) combined for 19 points and 15 boards in the loss

But Sunday night belonged to the Hornets, who will take the Summer League championship back to Buzz City as a symbol of early success for the young players they are building with for their future.

2. ROUNDUP: CELTICS, GRIZZLIES CLOSE SUMMER LEAGUE WITH WINS

Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images

A quartet of other squads also closed their stints on the strip on Sunday.

Capping the summer calendar, they battled in consolation play as NBA hopefuls made their final bids for pro contracts.

Celtics 101, Hawks 80: Concluding its summer in the win column, Boston pulled away in the 1st quarter and dominated the 3rd en route to dealing Atlanta its first defeat in Vegas. Third-year guard Isaiah Wong (18 pts, 6 ast, 3-7 3PT) led the squad – and all scorers – in the contest. | Recap

• New Kids: With 2024 draft picks Jordan Walsh and Baylor Scheierman sitting out, 2025 selections Hugo González (8 pts, 1 blk) and Amari Williams (8 reb, 4 ast) both started
• Hangtime: González – picked No. 28 overall this past June – got out on the break early in the 3rd quarter and slammed down a lobfrom Kendall Brown
• Bench Boys: The Celtics’ bench accounted for over 65% of the team’s production. Wong, Jalen Bridges (16 pts) and Ben Gregg (13 pts) guided a six-deep group outside the starting five

Grizzlies 105, Clippers 82: After a neck-and-neck start to the affair, Memphis tripled LA’s 2nd-quarter output – ultimately relying on that cushion down the stretch. Tyler Burton (20 pts, 7 reb, 2 stl, 1 blk) made his presence felt on both ends as the Grizzlies finished 2-3 in Vegas. | Recap

• Support System: Nate Hinton (15 pts) and Javon Small (17 pts) also had their say on the stats sheet. They shot a combined 6-for-9 from deep for Memphis
• Hot Wheels: Small – a rookie guard out of West Virginia – went coast-to-coast for a flashy layup just before the buzzer sounded to end the opening frame
• Miller Time: The Grizzlies got the W despite Jordan Miller’s game-high 24 points on 8-for-11 shooting. He finished as the seventh-leading scorer at Summer League with 22.0 ppg on 53.0% shooting

3. SUMMER LEAGUE REVIEW: TOP 10 PICKS

After having their name called at the NBA Draft, the class of 2025 had little time to relish in the achievement.

Just 15 days after that dream-fulfilling moment, NBA Summer League tipped off in Las Vegas, putting the latest group of draftees in the spotlight.

Here’s a look at how the top 10 picks performed over the past 11 days, beginning with the Championship Game MVP Kon Knueppel of the Summer League champion Hornets.

• No. 4 Kon Knueppel (Hornets): Over five games, the Duke sharpshooter averaged 15.6 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 3.8 apg, 2.4 3pm, 1.2 spg, 40.6 FG%, 34.3% 3P%. He showed off his shooting touch in flashes, but also offered a look at his all-around game

• No. 1. Cooper Flagg (Mavs): The top pick played only two games in Vegas. In his debut, he overcame a tough shooting night with clutch plays on both ends in a Dallas win. In his final game, his offense shined with a 31-point performance in a loss to the Spurs
• No. 2. Dylan Harper (Spurs): Harper also played only two games in Vegas as he’s dealt with a nagging groin injury. He made his debut in a 1-v-2 matchup with Flagg, posting 16 points, six boards and two steals in a Spurs win
• No. 3. VJ Edgecombe (76ers): VJ’s first summer impression came in a dazzling debut in Salt Lake City. But a thumb injury forced him to miss all but one game in Vegas, during which he finished with 15 points, six boards, four assists and two steals, while displaying his signature athleticism

• No. 5. Ace Bailey (Jazz): Bailey played two games in the Salt Lake City Summer League before a hip injury sidelined him for all of Utah’s games in Las Vegas
• No. 6. Tre Johnson (Wizards): In two games, Johnson averaged 19.5 ppg, which is good for 20th in all of Summer League. But it wasn’t just the points, it was the efficiency behind them. Tre shot 58.3% from the field and 45.5% from 3
• No. 7. Jeremiah Fears (Pelicans): Fears got better over the course of the competition in Vegas, posting back-to-back 22-point games in NOLA’s final two contests. He finished 30th in scoring (17.4ppg) despite shooting just 18.2% from 3

• No. 8. Egor Dëmin (Nets): Among 29 players that averaged at least seven 3-point attempts per game in Las Vegas, Dëmin posted the second-best shooting percentage at 43.5% over three games.
• No. 9. Collin Murray-Boyles (Raptors): Over four games, CMB averaged 10.5 points on 57.1% shooting, 5.5 rpg, 1.8 spg and 1.0 bpg. His best game came against Golden State as he showcased his two-way game, scoring 20 points, grabbing nine boards and swiping four steals
• No. 10. Khaman Maluach (Suns): In three games, Maluach averaged 10 points, 5.7 boards and 1.3 blocks, but the counting stats don’t tell the story of how many shots he altered at the basket on defense. He also averaged 4.3 3-point attempts as he looks to expand his shooting range (he averaged 0.4 attempts in college)

4. SOME OF OUR FAVORITE SUMMER LEAGUE FRAMES

Candice Ward/NBAE via Getty Images

Logan Riely/NBAE via Getty Images

Ethan Ward/NBAE via Getty Images

Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images

Ethan Miller/NBAE via Getty Images

Logan Riely/NBAE via Getty Images

5. PEACH JAM CHAMPIONS CROWNED; NIKE NATIONALS CONTINUE

Four championship games went down in the 2025 Peach Jam on Sunday in Augusta, S.C., where the next generation of stars shined on one of the biggest stages in high school hoops.

EYBL Championship: Brad Beal Elite 75, NY Rens 55: JaShawn Andrews – ranked No. 12 on the 2026 ESPN 100 – scored 20 points to lead four players in double figures as Brad Beal Elite pulled away in the 4th quarter to win the championship and complete the bracket.

• Pearson In The Paint: Sheek Pearson (37th on 2026 ESPN 100) finished with eight points and eight rebounds, including a powerful dunk in the crowded key and a putback to ice the game late
• Emotional Moment: Jaylan Mitchell (18th on ESPN 60 for 2027) had been nursing an injury all week, but entered the game and got his only bucket in the final minute
• Jervis Shows Out: Jasiah Jervis (90th on 2026 ESPN 100) led the Rens with 20 points, including a triple on the game’s opening possession and a running hook in the lane

E16 Championship: Indy Heat 68, Florida Rebels 53: Jahari Miller scored a game-high 21 points, while Ferlandas Wright (15 pts, 7 reb) and Kam Mercer (5 pts, game-high 7 ast) combined for 20 more as the Indy Heat outlasted the Florida Rebels to take the title.

• Rebel Duo: Florida’s Oneal Delancy (41st on 2027 ESPN 60 ) had a team-high 14 points, while Carson Crawford had a near double-double (12 pts, 8 reb) in the loss

E15 Championship: Georgia Stars 60, Team Takeover 56: AJ Williams – 2nd on 2028 ESPN 60 – made his presence felt with a game-high 28 points (6-18 FG, 15-16 FT), while Peter Julius added a double-double and defense (11 pts, 12 reb, 3 blk) to lead the Stars to the title.

• Takeover Tops: Jadah Washington filled the box score (12 pts, 5 reb, 8 ast, 5 stl) and pulled off a crafty fake and layup combo, while Xavier Skipworth added a team-high 14 points in the loss

PIT Championship: NY Lightning 70, City Rocks Hope 62: Behind Jahda Swann’s game-high 25 points, Torrey Brooks Jr.’s triple-double (11 pts, 10 reb, 16 ast) and Elhadji Diallo’s double-double (18 pts, 14 reb), the NY Lightning won the Peach Jam PIT title.

• Lightning Connections: Brooks was dropping dimes to both of his co-stars on Sunday, hitting Swann with the alley-oop after the slick behind-the-back dribble on the break, then dropped a perfect pocket pass to Diallo for the slam

Via thetoc.org

On the girls’ circuit, the Nike Nationals kept rolling in Chicago, where some of the top female high school hoopers are showing out.

• North Tartan 65, Pro Skills 60: Mya Moore filled the bucket from everywhere (27 pts, 7-9 FG, 3-4 3P, 10/10 FT), while Averie Lower continued her hot streak from yesterday with five more 3s to lead North Tartan past Jayla Constant (16 pts, 3 3pm) and Pro Skills
• All Iowa Attack 81, Boo Williams 65: All Iowa Attack’s Macy Comito and Chloe Johnson each dropped 17 points – while shooting a combined 6-of-8 from 3 – to get past Tristan Rickenbacker (17 pts, 6 reb) and Boo Williams
• Why Not Premier 83, Cy Fair 76 (Semifinal): In the first of two semifinals, Why Not Premier’s Aaliah Spaight (33 pts, 8-13 FG, 16-21 FT) outdueled Cy Fair’s Ambrosia Cole (24 pts, 8-15 FG, 2-2 3P, this tough and-1) down the stretch to advance
• Team Takeover 67, Team Durant 65 (Semifinal): In a thrilling finish, Nyair McCoy hit the biggest shot of the day – a running hook shot from just inside the free throw line with 2.5 seconds left to lift Team Takeover to the win against Team Durant