The NBA started their 2023-24 pre-season earlier in the month with the summer league games in Las Vegas, Sacramento, and Salt Lake City. With rookies getting their first taste of NBA basketball and free agents vying for final roster spots, a lot of serious basketball was played. As a result of said serious basketball, the NBA selected two All-Summer League teams. Think of these as regular season All-NBA teams only much less important. Regardless, here we are to take a look at the players on the All-Summer League teams and their chances of impact for the 2023-24 fantasy basketball season.
NBA All-Summer League Teams
NBA All-Summer League First Team
Keyonte George, SG – Utah Jazz
Summer League stats:
| GP | MPG | FG% | FT% | 3PM | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PTS |
| 3 | 24.7 | 52.3% (7.7/14.7) | 63.6% (2.3/3.7) | 4 | 2.7 | 6.3 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 2.3 | 21.7 |
The 16th pick of this year’s draft, Keyonte George, started his NBA career on fire. In fact, the averages above don’t do him justice – after scoring 33 and 26 points in the first two games, he left the third game only after 6 points in 10 minutes with an ankle injury. The injury will not impact his standing for the 2023-24 season.
So, what is his standing for the 2023-24 season? A rookie guard who can seemingly score at will is a great player to have on the roster for the Jazz. Add to that decent assist numbers and a general playmaking ability and we might be on to something. On the other hand, George is a rookie and as good as he is on offense, he is as bad or worse on defense. While Jordan Clarkson and Ochai Agbaji are not impossible to pass on the depth chart, a more likely outcome for Keyonte George is to share rotation minutes with those players.
Verdict: Do not draft (but keep an eye out for hot streaks during the season)
Sam Merrill, SG – Cleveland Cavaliers
Summer League stats:
| GP | MPG | FG% | FT% | 3PM | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PTS |
| 5 | 28 | 45.6% (6.2/13.6) | 88.2% (3/3.4) | 5 | 4 | 2.8 | 0.4 | 0 | 1 | 20.4 |
There is just no way Sam Merrill will have any fantasy impact.
Verdict: Do not draft
Cam Whitmore, SF – Houston Rockets
Summer League stats:
| GP | MPG | FG% | FT% | 3PM | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PTS |
| 6 | 31 | 44.7% (7.7/17.2) | 62.5% (1.7/2.7) | 2.3 | 5.2 | 1.8 | 2.5 | 0.5 | 2.3 | 19.3 |
After falling to 20th in the 2023 NBA draft, Cam Whitmore was named the MVP of the Summer League. So far Whitmore looks to be the steal of the draft. Granted, so far is not that far. Unfortunately for Whitmore, the Rockets are loaded with young talent on the wing – Jalen Green, Kevin Porter Jr., Amen Thompson, and Tari Eason. Of course, Whitmore is more than capable of forcing the issue and playing himself into a bigger part of the rotation. Depending on how the pre-season games go with full rosters, it wouldn’t be totally unreasonable to pick him late in the draft.
Verdict: A late-rounder (perhaps)
Hunter Tyson, PF – Denver Nuggets
Summer League stats:
| GP | MPG | FG% | FT% | 3PM | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PTS |
| 5 | 29 | 54.1% (6.6/12.2) | 87% (4/4.6) | 3.6 | 6 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 1.4 | 20.8 |
As a second-round pick, Hunter Tyson was playing for an NBA contract this summer league and was rewarded with a 4-year deal by the Denver Nuggets at the end of it. But let’s be real – unless your league is really deep, Tyson won’t be of any fantasy basketball use. If it is indeed deep and if Tyson can break into the Nuggets’ rotation (which isn’t very deep), he could be a nice source of threes and rebounds.
Verdict: Not rosterable except in a very deep league
Orlando Robinson, C – Miami Heat
Summer League stats:
| GP | MPG | FG% | FT% | 3PM | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PTS |
| 4 | 31 | 57.8% (9.2/16) | 82.1% (5.8/7) | 1.5 | 9.2 | 3.8 | 1.5 | 0.8 | 2.5 | 25.8 |
Looking for a sophomore bump, Orlando Robinson delivered, perhaps, the best fantasy stat lines in the summer league. And isn’t that what’s important? In the real Miami Heat rotation, however, Robinson sits behind Bam Adebayo and Thomas Bryant. It is not impossible for Robinson to beat out Bryant for the backup center role. If that happens, he could be a decent-enough low-level fantasy player with his ability to score from the inside and the outside.
Verdict: Keep an eye out
NBA All-Summer League Second Team
Max Christie, SG – Los Angeles Lakers
Summer League stats:
| GP | MPG | FG% | FT% | 3PM | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PTS |
| 3 | 32.3 | 45.7% (5.3/11.7) | 100% (6.3/6.3) | 2 | 6.3 | 3.7 | 0.7 | 2.3 | 3 | 19 |
Another player looking to level up in his sophomore season is Max Christie. No relation to Doug Christie by the way. An excellent summer league highlighted by 2.3 blocks per game and going 19-for-19 from the stripe could be the first step to rotation-player minutes. The Lakers could also use some youthful 3-and-D energy. Fantasy-wise – is there something? Maybe, especially if there is an injury to some of the veterans.
Verdict: Only in deep leagues (for now)
Javon Freeman-Liberty, PG/SG – Toronto Raptors
Summer League stats:
| GP | MPG | FG% | FT% | 3PM | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PTS |
| 5 | 29.6 | 49.3% (7/14.2) | 77.4% (4.8/6.2) | 2.4 | 4.6 | 4.4 | 0.6 | 1 | 2 | 21.2 |
While Javon Freeman-Liberty played for the Chicago Bulls in the summer league, it is the Toronto Raptors who ended up signing him to a two-way contract. As we’re dealing with a two-way player, there is no guarantee Freeman-Liberty will make the Raptors regular season squad, never mind the rotation. Perhaps some playing time will come near the end of the season.
Verdict: Do not draft
Xavier Moon, SG – Los Angeles Clippers
Summer League stats:
| GP | MPG | FG% | FT% | 3PM | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PTS |
| 5 | 28 | 55.4% (7.2/13) | 91.7% (2.2/2.4) | 3 | 5 | 4.6 | 2.2 | 1 | 2.2 | 19.6 |
What a lovely 9-cat stat line we’re looking at here. Despite that, Xavier Moon is still looking for an NBA contract as a free agent. So, can I recommend a player not in the league? Probably not.
Verdict: Do not draft
Emoni Bates, SF – Cleveland Cavaliers
Summer League stats:
| GP | MPG | FG% | FT% | 3PM | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PTS |
| 6 | 29.8 | 43.9% (6/13.7) | 100% (2.2/2.2) | 3 | 6 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 2.2 | 17.2 |
Emoni Bates has signed a two-way contract with the Cavs as their second round pick this year. There is an obvious scoring talent there as is there a lack of efficiency and patience. This is why, in all likelihood, Bates will be spending time in the G-League and not on our fantasy teams.
Verdict: Do not draft
Jabari Smith Jr., PF – Houston Rockets
Summer League stats:
| GP | MPG | FG% | FT% | 3PM | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PTS |
| 2 | 32 | 48.8% (10.5/21.5) | 85.2% (11.5/13.5) | 3 | 7 | 4 | 0.5 | 1 | 2.5 | 35.5 |
Jabari Smith Jr. was clearly head and shoulders above the competition in the two summer league games he played in. Is this a sign of things to come? The Rockets adding Fred VanVleet, Dillon Brooks, and head coach Ime Udoka could be the change their talented young players need to start playing efficient and winning basketball.
Smith Jr. ranked in the top 100 of 9-cat fantasy basketball over the last month and a half of last season. Adding sophomore growth and a better-organized team to that could move him even higher this season.
Verdict: Possible sleeper
Jalen Wilson, PF – Brooklyn Nets
Summer League stats:
| GP | MPG | FG% | FT% | 3PM | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PTS |
| 5 | 30 | 43.6% (4.8/11) | 78.4% (5.8/7.4) | 2.2 | 7.8 | 2.6 | 1 | 0.6 | 1.2 | 17.6 |
Another second-round pick turned into a two-way player, Jalen Wilson will be likely splitting time between Long Island and Brooklyn. Which makes him unlikely to have any fantasy impact.
Verdict: Do not draft