3 Big Winners of the 2024 NBA Summer League

Just a month after the 2023-2024 NBA season ended, all 30 teams are preparing for another serious run at a title. The champion for the 2024-2025 NBA season kicked off with the 2024 NBA Summer League.

Many teams took to the field with their young players ready to make a name for themselves. Several teams are ready for the upcoming season, while others are struggling.

One team took home the title, but there were big winners from a team and player perspective. Three teams emerged as the big winners in this 2024 NBA Summer League.

The Los Angeles Clippers have had a serious problem the past few seasons due to the average age of their roster. They needed a boost in the off-season and were looking for young players who could contribute to their roster. The Clippers saw something in Kobe Brown as a rookie last season. However, this Summer League, another young player has shone the brightest.

Former second-round pick Jordan Miller was one of the most consistent and explosive players this Summer League. Miller averaged 25.4 points and shot a 54.9 field-goal percentage and 60 three-point shooting percentage. He also averaged 4.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.8 blocks per game.

Brown still had a solid Summer League averaging 16.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game. Center Moussa Diabate showed he can play well on both sides of the paint. All three of these players showed their potential in key roles and why they should be rotated players

The Memphis Grizzlies are another team that needs to find a way to develop and utilize their young players. Not only did some of the team’s players show that they can win on the court in Summer League, but they can also win in the regular season. Power forward GG Jackson Jr. and guard Scottie Pippen Jr. were two of the most explosive scorers in the entire Summer League.

Jackson averaged a team-leading 22 points per game and shot a 44.8 field-goal percentage. He also averaged a team-leading 8.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists. Pippen averaged 21.5 points per game, 8.7 assists, a whopping 3.3 steals and 5.0 rebounds per game. Jackson and Pippen may have earned themselves a spot on the 15-man roster during the regular season and shown that they could be the future of the Grizzlies.

If there’s one team that should feel good about Summer League overall, it’s the champions Miami Heat. Miami came in with a near-perfect record. They won thanks to the great play of forwards Kel’el Ware and Jaime Jaquez.

Miami played as a team and had key players throughout the summer. Twelve players for the Heat averaged over 10 points per game. Ware was named first-team All-Summer while Jaquez was named second-team for playing two games. Jaquez averaged 26 points per game, third in the NBA.

These players will be competing for a spot on a 15-man roster throughout the regular season. All starters and bench players will be able to find a spot to contribute throughout the regular season for all 82 games at some point. Head coach Erik Spoelstra likes to take advantage of young players and develop them on the court. Look for these young players who helped the Heat win a title this summer to potentially work their way into the roster at some point.