2023 NBA 2K24 Summer League

Everything to know about NBA Summer League 2023

From Salt Lake City, Sacramento to Las Vegas, the NBA is ready to ball out this summer. Here's what you need to know.

Brian Martin, for NBA.com

No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama will make his Summer League debut with the Spurs on July 7.

With the 2023 NBA Draft in the rearview and the opening days of free agency underway, it is time to get back to some on-court action with a trio of NBA Summer Leagues running over the next two weeks in Sacramento, Salt Lake City and Las Vegas.

Summer League play offers a glimpse into the NBA future as rookies from this year’s Draft class suit up for the first time with their new squads in the competition. It also serves as a stage for second- and third-year players looking to showcase their talents and improve their games, as well as a collection of undrafted players hoping to parlay a great summer showing into a training camp invite and potentially a roster spot or a two-way contract.

We’ll break down the key details to know for each of the three events with the action in Sacramento and Utah serving as an appetizer for the hoops feast taking place in Las Vegas with all 30 teams in action, beginning July 7.

California Classic Summer League

  • Dates: July 3 & 5
  • Location: Sacramento at Golden 1 Center
  • Teams: Charlotte Hornets, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, San Antonio Spurs, Sacramento Kings

The California Classic Summer League returns to Sacramento in its fifth year since debuting back in 2018 with two additional teams set to hit the floor, increasing the total number of participating teams from four to six as San Antonio and Charlotte join the established group of Golden State, Los Angeles, Miami and Sacramento.

Schedule

Monday, July 3

Wednesday, July 5

Format

All six teams will hit the court on July 3 and 5 for triple-header action beginning at 6 p.m. ET. Similar to the other summer leagues, the California Classic will feature 10-minute quarters, limited timeouts and modified rules, including increased personal and team foul limits.

How to watch

Each day of the California Classic will open with a game on ESPN2, followed by a doubleheader on ESPN beginning at 8 p.m. ET.

Ticket information

Single-day tickets start at $22 and include access to all three games played on that date. Tickets can be purchased online at nba.com/kings/caclassic.

Key players to watch

The two new teams to join the California Classic – the Spurs and Hornets – held the top two picks in the 2023 NBA Draft, but only one of those players will be participating as San Antonio announced that No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama will make his Summer League debut in Las Vegas rather than Sacramento. However, No. 2 overall pick Brandon Miller is on the Hornets roster and is expected to play when the Hornets and Spurs meet on Monday.

Other rookies to watch for include Nick Smith Jr., Amari Bailey and James Nnaji from the Hornets; Jalen Hood-Schifino and Maxwell Lewis for the Lakers; Brandin Podziemski and Trayce Jackson-Davis for the Warriors; Jaime Jaquez Jr. for the Heat; Sidy Cissoko for the Spurs; and Colby Jones and Jalen Slawson for the Kings.

As for second-year players, keep an eye on Sacramento’s Keegan Murray – the MVP of last year’s NBA 2K23 Summer League in Las Vegas, and an All-Rookie Team selection in 2023. Other second-year players to watch include Max Christie and Scotty Pippen Jr. from the Lakers, Blake Wesley from the Spurs, Nikola Jovic for the Heat, and Mark Williams, Kai Jones and Bryce McGowens for the Hornets.

Salt Lake City Summer League

After missing the entire 2022-23 season due to injury, OKC’s Chet Holmgren is expected to play in Salt Lake City Summer League.

  • Dates: July 3, 5, 6
  • Location: Salt Lake City at Delta Center
  • Teams: Memphis Grizzlies, Oklahoma City Thunder, Philadelphia 76ers, Utah Jazz

Welcome back to the Delta Center! After more than 16 years, the original name of the Utah Jazz home arena returns after Delta Air Lines secured the naming rights to the arena in a new long-term agreement that took effect on July 1. The 2023 Salt Lake Summer League marks the first event under the new (and old) name.

This marks the eighth consecutive year of the Salt Lake City Summer League, with this year’s event featuring the same four teams that participated last year, with Utah welcoming Memphis, Oklahoma City and Philadelphia.

Schedule

Monday, July 3

Wednesday, July 5

Thursday, July 6

Format

The Salt Lake City Summer League features a three-day, round-robin showcase with all four teams in action each day throughout.

How to watch

All games of the Salt Lake City Summer League will be televised on NBA TV with the exception of Thursday’s matchup between Oklahoma City and Philadelphia, which will be on ESPN2.

Ticket information

Single-day tickets start at $16 and give fans access to both games played on that date. Tickets can be purchased online at SLCSummerLeague.com, on the Utah Jazz mobile app, or by calling (801) 355-DUNK (3865).

Key players to watch

It has been nearly a year since Chet Holmgren – the No. 2 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft – suffered a season-ending foot injury while participating in a summer pro-am game. Holmgren is part of a strong contingent of young talent that will participate in Summer League play for the Thunder, including 2022-23 All-Rookie First Team selection Jalen Williams.

The Jazz are the only team in the Salt Lake City Summer League that will feature a 2023 first-round pick, with the trio of Taylor Hendricks (No. 9), Keyonte George (No. 16), and Brice Sensabaugh (No. 28) all set to make their Jazz debut.

The Grizzlies will send their two second-round picks — G.G. Jackson II (No. 45) and Tarik Biberovic (No. 56) – to compete in Utah. As for the 76ers, who had no selections in this year’s Draft, their summer league roster is headlined by 2022-23 NBA G League Finals MVP Jaden Springer.

NBA 2K24 Summer League

No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama practices with Spurs ahead of Summer League action in Las Vegas.

  • Dates: July 7-17
  • Location: Las Vegas at Thomas & Mack Center, Cox Pavilion
  • Teams: All 30 NBA teams

While some teams get an early start to the summer hoops competitions in Sacramento and Salt Lake City, all 30 NBA teams will be in Las Vegas for the NBA 2K24 Summer League, which tips off on July 7 and runs through July 17 when a champion will be crowned.

Schedule

A total of 76 games will be played over 11 days in Las Vegas with games split between the Thomas & Mack Center and Cox Pavilion – both located on the campus of the University of Nevada (UNLV).

  • Friday, July 7: 8 games
  • Saturday, July 8: 8 games
  • Sunday, July 9: 8 games
  • Monday, July 10: 6 games
  • Tuesday, July 11: 6 games
  • Wednesday, July 12: 8 games
  • Thursday, July 13: 8 games
  • Friday, July 14: 8 games
  • Saturday, July 15: 7 games
  • Sunday, July 16: 8 games
  • Monday, July 17: 1 game

Format

Number of Games: A total of 76 games will be played. Each team will play at least five games, with four of those games being played from July 7-14.

Four-Team Tournament: After each team plays four games, the top four will advance to the playoffs and participate in a semifinal game (July 16). The two winners of semifinal play will advance to the championship game (July 17). The top four playoff seeds will be determined by winning percentage with tiebreakers that can be found here.

Consolation Games: The 26 teams that do not advance to Summer League playoffs will play a fifth and final game on either July 15 or July 16.

How to watch

All 76 games of the 11-day competition will be televised on ESPN networks (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPNews) and NBA TV.  All games will also be available on the NBA App.

The opening day of NBA 2K24 Summer League 2023 will feature the top four picks of the 2023 NBA Draft. No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama is set to lead the San Antonio Spurs against No. 2 pick Brandon Miller and the Charlotte Hornets (9 p.m. ET, ESPN).

Leading up to that matchup will be No. 3 pick Scoot Henderson and the defending NBA Summer League champion Portland Trail Blazers facing off against No. 4 pick Amen Thompson and the Houston Rockets (7 p.m. ET). Amen and his twin brother, No. 5 pick Ausar Thompson of the Detroit Pistons, will go head-to-head Sunday, July 9 (6 p.m. ET, ESPN2).

Ticket information

Tickets for NBA 2K24 Summer League 2023 are on sale now.  Fans can purchase tickets by visiting NBAEvents.com.

Fans have the option to purchase single-day tickets or season tickets that include all 11 days of action. Each ticket grants access to all games played for the date purchase, up to eight games per day across the two arenas.

While most tickets are general admission, there are some reserved seating offerings for select games at the Thomas & Mack Center, including courtside seating options.

Key players to watch

The obvious headliner for this year’s NBA 2K24 Summer League is No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama, who is set to join the Spurs in Las Vegas after the team begins summer hoops without him in Sacramento.

It seems fitting that Las Vegas be the venue for Wembanyama’s Summer League debut with the Spurs. After all, Wembanyama put the entire basketball world on notice last October when his French club, Metropolitans 92, played a pair of exhibition games against the G League Ignite in Las Vegas.

In that showcase, Wembanyama’s unique talents were on full display – combining guard skills with a 7-foot-3 frame – as he posted 37 points with seven 3-pointers and five blocked shots against No. 3 overall pick Scott Henderson (28 points) and his Ignite team.

The NBA 2K24 Summer League is a chance to see nearly every first-round pick take the court and begin their NBA journey. Whether it’s lottery picks giving a preview of what’s to come this season, or undrafted players looking to earn a roster spot, you never know which players will shine on the Summer League stage.

NBA.com has you covered with highlights of standout players and performances during an action-packed 11 days in the desert.

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