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Tracking the Kentucky guys in the NBA Summer League

Drew Franklinby: Drew Franklin07/15/25DrewFranklinKSR
koby-brea-summer-league.com
(Photo via @Suns on Instagram)

I attended the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas in 2015, the summer after Kentucky’s 38-1 season. The desert heat was in the 100s that week, so we spent nearly all of our daylight hours watching basketball in the air-conditioned Thomas & Mack Center and Cox Pavilion. LeBron James sat nearby when his Cleveland Cavaliers played No. 1 pick Karl-Anthony Towns at the Pavilion, the smaller of the two Vegas summer league gyms, which was neat. He hit a shot from his seat on the sideline in front of a few hundred people during a break. I took a photo of him with the Snapchat camera on my iPhone 2:

I share those summer league memories to say that I’ve never watched more summer league basketball than I have this year. Unfortunately, I am not in Las Vegas (although I tried to get tickets to the Backstreet Boys at the Sphere). Still, I had a free weekend to consume as many summer league games on TV as I could, even watching two at a time whenever former Wildcats played concurrently.

While we wait for Day 6 of 11, here’s a recap of the performances and players from Kentucky:

Reed Sheppard shut down after 46 points in two games

The opening night belonged to Reed Sheppard. After dominating his summer league competition as a rookie last year, Sheppard returned to Vegas as a second-year guard looking for reps before he takes a big step forward in Houston’s backcourt. He quickly proved himself to be a step above the other summer league competition, scoring 28 points, including six 3-pointers, with eight rebounds, four assists, four steals, and three blocks. He scored 18 points in his second game; however, he was a little sloppy, with six turnovers and a 1-for-7 performance from 3-point range.

After Sheppard’s 23-point scoring average through two games, winless Houston had seen enough and pulled him out of competition to keep him healthy for a critical 2025-26 for Sheppard and the Rockets.

Fuego’s hot start with the Suns

One of last season’s Wildcats was hotter than his team’s mascot in his rookie debut. Koby Brea hit his first three 3-pointers for the Phoenix Suns, scoring 19 points in a 19-point win. Brea went 7-for-10 from the field and 4-for-5 from 3 in his first game wearing a pro uniform in Vegas.

Two days later, Brea scored another 15 points (6-14 FG, 2-5 3PT) with six rebounds in a Suns loss to the unbeaten Atlanta Hawks. However, he went cold on Monday, making only one shot from the field on nine attempts, including a 0-4 day from 3 in another loss.

The Suns play again on Wednesday.

Amari Williams turning heads with Boston

Amari Williams passed his introduction to Boston fans. The second-round pick needed one quarter of basketball to show off his ball-handling skills by bringing the ball up the court for the Celtics, followed by this cross-court pass for an open 3.

Williams also went coast-to-coast for a dunk in transition early in his first game, part of a nine-point debut without a miss from the field.

His second game was quieter (two points, three rebounds, two assists), and then he didn’t dress on Monday, the second day of a back-to-back.

Jaxson Robinson in a tough spot

Mark Pope’s first Kentucky team had one projected NBA draft pick when he assembled it last summer. This summer, that one projected NBA player, Jaxson Robinson, is one of the Wildcats potentially on the chopping block after Robinson was put into a difficult situation, coming back from an injury to NBA competition.

As Kentucky fans are well aware, Robinson missed the end of his final college season due to a wrist injury and has only recently returned to basketball. Cleveland picked him up as an undrafted free agent, but Robinson had little time and no game experience since the injury to prepare for his first summer league, which hasn’t gone according to his NBA aspirations. Robinson played in only two of the Cavs’ three games so far, averaging 10 minutes per game, with only two shot attempts, both of which missed.

Lamont Butler has not played

Robinson is coming back from injury in Vegas, but Lamont Butler is sitting out with one. Butler has not been available for the Atlanta Hawks, only seen on the end of the bench.

Andrew Carr getting bench minutes with Portland

Andrew Carr, the fifth Kentucky rookie in Las Vegas, is trying out for a spot as an undrafted signing on Portland’s summer league roster. Carr played nearly 13 minutes in the Blazers’ first game, with two points, two rebounds, and an assist off the bench. He missed his two 3-point tries.

The following day, Carr scored two more points with four rebounds and a block in seven and a half minutes before wearing a UK t-shirt to the arena on his first off-day.

Portland’s third summer league game is later today.

Rob Dillingham among the assist leaders in Vegas

Rob Dillingham is so fun to watch. He started out cold from the field in his second summer league with Minnesota, but has been must-see basketball as a floor general, a role that led to 15 assists in two games. Like Sheppard, Dillingham may not have a lot of summer league left due to his importance next season. Minnesota opens the action today at 4:30 p.m., and hopefully, we get another afternoon with Rob playing basketball.

Jacob Toppin could be a steal in Atlanta

Another Wildcat from the past making a summer league splash is Jacob Toppin, one of the stars of the Atlanta Hawks in Vegas. Toppin’s final game of the 2024-25 regular season was a 17-point night for Atlanta in April, and he followed that game up with three strong summer league performances. He’s averaging 15.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per game, shooting 40 percent from 3 in three victories. Toppin may be earning his way into a playing role with the Hawks from a two-way deal.

A Skal Labissiere sighting

At 29 years old, Skal Labissiere is still on the summer league grind, this year with the Orlando Magic. The No. 1 recruit in the 2015 high school class, Labissiere attended Kentucky for a year and has since bounced around several leagues and organizations, seeking stability in his pro career.

Last week, he popped up on the Magic’s summer league roster and debuted with 14 points and five rebounds off the bench. He played a scoreless 16 minutes in Game 2. Orlando plays a third game today at 6:30 p.m.

Chris Livingston leading the Bucks in scoring

Chris Livingston is in Vegas before his third season in Milwaukee, where he played sparingly in 21 games per season in his first and second years. He had 18 points on 7-of-12 shooting from the field on Day 1 in the desert, followed by two 21-point games over the weekend.

Antonio Reeves making a jump with New Orleans

Though winless in Vegas so far, Antonio Reeves is proving his worth as a scorer for the Pelicans, averaging 15 points per game in the two losses. Reeves had 20 the last time out, and surprisingly, has done all of his scoring with only one made 3-pointer this summer.

Keion Brooks, who missed Reeves by a season in Lexington, is Reeves’ teammate with New Orleans. Brooks added nine off the bench to Reeves’ 20. Brooks hit a 3 and grabbed two rebounds off the bench in the opener last week.

The Pelicans play again tonight at 10 p.m. on ESPN.

Justin Edwards

Justin Edwards signed a three-year deal with Philadelphia before flying from the Utah Summer League to the Las Vegas Summer League. In Vegas, Edwards has played twice, scoring six and 14 points for the Sixers.

Edwards, who went undrafted last summer, was fifth among all rookies in scoring in his first NBA season.

How about Lance?

And last but not least, Lance Ware, how about him? The Knicks took him to Vegas, where he’s played five minutes with two missed free throws, a missed shot, and an offensive rebound in two games.

The Knicks play the Celtics tonight at 6 p.m.

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2025-09-12