Reyne Smith, Terrence Edwards Jr, and Chucky Hepburn to be on Summer League rosters

The NBA 2k26 Summer League is one of the best ways for undrafted players to impress franchises when transitioning from college to professional basketball. 

And after one of the most impactful seasons in school history, three former Cardinals who played their final season of college ball this past year will look to make the most of the opportunity. Reyne Smith (Denver Nuggets) and Terrence Edwards Jr. (Milwaukee Bucks) were added to Summer League rosters, where the ACC Defensive Player of the Year Chucky Hepburn was signed to a two-way contract with the Toronto Raptors. 

Both Smith and Edwards were pivotal pieces in Louisville’s first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 2019, while Hepburn was the star who pushed the team all the way to a No. 2 finish in the ACC regular season and tournament. 

Despite not having any players drafted this June, the Cards still have four draft picks in the last eight years and four other Cardinals have reached the NBA as undrafted free agents in the same time, including Deng Adel (Cleveland Cavaliers, 2018), Jaylen Johnson (Chicago Bulls, 2018), Mangok Mathiang (Charlotte Hornets, 2017) and Damion Lee (Atlanta Hawks/Golden State Warriors, 2017). With Hepburn, Smith, and Edwards given the chance to join that list. 

Smith, the sharpshooter from Ulverstone, Australia, spent his final season of eligibility at Louisville after following Pat Kelsey from College of Charleston, and despite early-season questions about his ability to play at the high-major level, the Aussie proved to be one of the best shooters in the nation. He was third in the nation with 3.45 made 3s a game and finished 15th in 3-pointers made with 107 — the second most in program history behind Taquan Dean’s record of 122 made 3s in 2005. He finished the season averaging 13.1 points per game and shot at a 37.9 percent clip from distance. 

When the Cardinals demolished SMU 98-73 in Dallas last January, Smith broke the school record for 3s in a single game with 10 makes from beyond-the-arc for 30 points. His March was riddled with injuries, keeping him out of Louisville’s three-game run in the ACC Tournament, and he left Louisville’s season-ending loss to Creighton after reaggravating the same ankle he had been out with. 

Edwards was phenomenal in Louisville’s four-game stretch in the postseason. He was named to the ACC’s All-Tournament First Team after averaging 25.0 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists over the three days in Charlotte. The Atlanta, Georgia, native could be a backup point guard as needed and became an excellent perimeter defender by the end of his final season. Edwards was given Third Team All-ACC honors and appeared in all 35 games as an excellent backcourt pairing with Hepburn. 

By the end of Hepburn’s lone season at Louisville, and much like Smith and Edwards, he was adored by the fanbase as the Cards kept winning. At the start of the season, there were whispers of “now, who’s that?” in the Yum! Center stands, by March, those same fans were waving Chucky dolls when he was at the free-throw line. 

Hepburn was Louisville’s motor in the revival season; he was the ACC’s best point guard, the ACC’s best defender, and one of the country’s most dynamic two-way players. The 6-foot-2 point guard from Omaha was named by the AP as an Honorable Mention All-American after averaging 16.8 points, 5.8 assists, and totaling 85 steals. Hepburn will play for the Raptors and then continue on his two-way deal starting in the G-League this fall.

​​The Summer League is hosted by UNLV in Las Vegas, Nevada, and will run from July 10-20. Smith will face both Edwards on July 10 at 9:30 PM on NBA TV and then Hepburn on July 15 at 8 PM on ESPN+ as the only matchups between the three.