Bronny James started his summer with a bang, with a steal and tomahawk jam in the opening minute of the Lakers’ win on Sunday.

5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀

July 7, 2025

Sunday In The Bay: Lakers and Spurs pick up wins in the California Classic

Edgecombe Shines: Sixers rook steals the show in Saturday’s clash of top 5 picks

Saturday Rewind: Experience helps Heat & Grizzlies open summer play with a win

Today In SLC: Edgecombe’s encore, Bailey back in action, Topić & OKC seek first win

Weekly Guide: Vegas Summer League, Creator Cup, WNBA All-Star Draft & more

1. LAKERS, SPURS ENJOY VICTORIOUS SUNDAY AT THE CALI CLASSIC

Lakers 103, Heat 83: Cole Swider (20 pts, 7-10 FG) showed out for the second straight day, Darius Bazley (16 pts, 9 reb, 3 blk) shined off the bench and Bronny James scored 10 points in 11 minutes as the Lakers got their first win of the summer. | Recap | Sunday Standouts

• Bronny’s Bounce: James Jr. didn’t waste any time in making his impact felt, getting a steal and breakaway throwdown on L.A.’s first defensive possession
• Blocked By Bazley! After Miami’s double team forced a steal and an open path to the basket, Bazley showed off his hustle, chasing down Bryson Warren for the block
• Heat Highlights: Warren (18 pts, 3 3pm) and Myron Gardner (14 pts, 3 stl) combined for 32 to lead Miami, while Kel’el Ware rocked the rim for two of his 12 points

Spurs 90, Warriors 88: Saturday’s California Classic nightcap delivered a back-and-forth affair that featured 21 lead changes, 11 ties and neither team leading by more than four points the entire 2nd half. | Recap

• San Antonio Standouts: David Jones Garcia (25 pts, 4 3pm, 3 stl) and Omari Moore (13 pts, 3 3pm, 4 ast) combined for 38 points on 60.9% shooting and seven of the Spurs’ 11 3s
• Foes To Teammates: After playing against each other in April’s NCAA national championship game, Will Richard (Florida) and LJ Cryer (Houston) combined for 35 points to lead the Warriors – including eight straight from Cryer in the 2nd quarter
• Down The Stretch: Richard splashed a 3 with 32 seconds left to make it a one-point game. After Osayi Osifo split two free throws, Richard had a 26-footer for the win, but just missed at the buzzer

2. SATURDAY REWIND: EDGECOMBE SHINES IN SIXERS DEBUT

Jazz 93, Sixers 89: In a clash of 2025 top-five picks, Philadelphia’s VJ Edgecombe (No. 3 overall) showed out, while Utah’s Ace Bailey (No. 5) and the Jazz got the win. | Recap | Saturday Standouts

• First Impression: Edgecombe (28 pts, 10 reb, 4 ast, 2 blk) delivered the standout performance from the opening day of Summer League, showcasing the elite athleticism, two-way talent and three-level scoring that made him a top-3 pick
• Jazz Rookie Duo: Bailey (8 pts, 7 reb) didn’t have a great shooting night (3-13 FG), but his potential was on display – including a big-time on-ball block after forcing a tough floater. Walter Clayton Jr. (No. 18) had nine points and six dimes in his debut
• In addition to the highly anticipated rookie debuts, Summer League is a chance for past picks to show off their growth. Utah’s 2024 first-rounder Kyle Filipowski (22 pts) and 2023 first-rounder Brice Sensabaugh (19 pts) combined for 41 in the win

Warriors 89, Lakers 84: Golden State has long believed in the “Strength In Numbers” philosophy and it was evident in their California Classic opener with nine of the 10 Dubs that took the court scoring 7+ points in the win. | Recap

• Lucky 13s: Jackson Rowe (13 pts, 8 reb, 2 blk, 2 stl) and Isaiah Mobley (13 pts, 3 ast, 2 stl) combined for 26 to lead Golden State, which held off L.A.’s 4th quarter rally
• Undrafted 20s: Cole Swider (24 pts, 8 reb, 6 3pm) and DJ Steward (20 pts, 6 ast) both shot 70% to lead L.A., but the remaining Lakers shot just 25.5% in the loss

3. SATURDAY REWIND: GRIZZLIES, HEAT OPEN SUMMER WITH WINS

Grizzlies 92, Thunder 80: In OKC’s first action since Game 7 of the NBA Finals, Ajay Mitchell led the defending champs with 24 points and six dimes. But Jaylen Wells and GG Jackson were too much, as they each dropped 20 to earn a Grizzlies win. | Recap

• “I told him like 2 months ago he doesn’t even know how much he inspires me,” said Jackson after the game on Wells, who was playing in his first game since breaking his wrist in April. “I’ve just been trying to feed off his energy.”
• Lottery Look: OKC’s 12th overall pick in 2024, Nikola Topić, posted 14 points – including this crafty drive and finish – and four assists in his delayed Thunder debut after missing all of last season with an ACL injury

Heat 82, Spurs 69: After winning last year’s 2K25 Summer League in Vegas, the Heat picked up right where they left off, with Pelle Larsson (18), Erik Stevenson (16) and Kel’el Ware (14) all scoring in double figures to outpace the Spurs. | Recap

• More Heat: Ware added seven boards and two steals, while Keshad Johnson made his presence felt on both ends (9 pts, 9 reb, 4 blk)
• First Action: San Antonio’s 14th overall pick Carter Bryant tallied seven points and five boards in his Summer League debut, while David Jones-Garcia led the Spurs with 18 points

4. WHAT’S COMING TODAY: 2 MORE GAMES IN SALT LAKE CITY

Chris Gardner & Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images

Thunder vs. 76ers (7 ET, ESPN): After a dazzling debut on Saturday, VJ Edgecombe is slated to take the floor tonight as the Sixers face the Thunder to open a doubleheader in Salt Lake City.

• Walking Highlight: Edgecombe’s explosive athleticism was on full display Saturday, including a coast-to-coast take that ended in an emphatic tomahawk jam
• Defensive Test: Fans could also get a second look at Nikola Topić, whose playmaking could make him a defensive assignment for Edgecombe – setting up a head-to-head clash between lottery picks
• SEC Standout: Meanwhile, this year’s 35th overall pick Johni Broome – the 2024-25 SEC Player of the Year – will be manning the middle for Philly after 13 points and five boards in his Summer League debut

Grizzlies vs. Jazz (9 ET, NBA TV): In the nightcap, Ace Bailey and the Jazz will take on the Grizzlies, with both teams eyeing a 2-0 start.

• More Names To Watch: After showing out on Saturday, Utah’s three 2024 draft picks – Kyle Filipowski (22 pts), Cody Williams (14 pts) and Isaiah Collier (7 pts, 5 ast) – will look to build on their momentum
• Key Grizz: On the other side, GG Jackson and Jaylen Wells will try to stay hot along with sophomore Cam Spencer, who had 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting

5. WHAT TO WATCH FOR THIS WEEK

NBA 2K26 Summer League: All 30 teams will meet in Las Vegas on Thursday, July 10 for a total of 76 games over 11 days.

• Rookie Spotlight: Summer League is our first chance to see this year’s draft picks suit up for their NBA squads, including No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg, who headlines opening night when the Mavs face the Lakers (8 ET, ESPN) | 5 Must-See Matchups
• The Format: Each team will play at least five games, with the top four teams advancing to the Playoffs, capped by the championship game on July 20 (10 ET, ESPN)
• How To Watch: All games will air on ESPN platforms (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN+ and ESPN3) or NBA TV

PlayStation NBA Creator Cup: Returns for its fourth edition on Wednesday (July 9, 10 ET, YouTube, NBA App) with a fresh crop of creators and viral stars taking the court. | Get Tickets

• Mark Phillips and Tristan Jass will coach the two squads, while Jesser and Faze Rug will call all the action as 16 of the top creators seek their next viral moment
• WNBA All-Star Draft: After the reserves were announced on Sunday, the pool of 20 players available for team captains Caitlin Clark and Napheesa Collier to choose from on Tuesday (7 ET, ESPN) is set.
• WNBA All-Star will be held in Indianapolis on July 18 (Starry 3-Point Contest and Kia WNBA Skills Challenge) and July 19 (2025 AT&T WNBA All-Star Game)

NBAE via Getty Images

Signings & Trades Can Become Official: Free agency signings and trades can begin going from “reported” to “official.” It started with a historic trade on Sunday – the first-ever seven-team trade, which involved 13 players. The details:

• Rockets Get: Kevin Durant, Clint Capela
• Suns Get: Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, Khaman Maluach (No. 10 overall), Rasheer Fleming (No. 31 overall), Koby Brea (No. 41 overall), Daeqwon Plowden, 2026 & 2032 second-round picks
• Nets Get: 2026 & 2030 second-round picks
• Warriors Get: Alex Toohey (No. 52 overall), Jahmai Mashack (No. 59 overall)
• Hawks Get: David Roddy, 2031 second-round pick, Cash
• Lakers Get: Adou Thiero (No. 36 overall), Cash
• Timberwolves Get: Rocco Zikarsky (No. 45 overall), 2026 & 2032 second-round picks, Cash

Keep track of every reported and official free agency deal, extension & trade for all 30 teams this offseason