It feels as if the dust is just settling from the NBA Finals and the draft, but our first look at live action is already taking place. The Salt Lake City portion of the NBA Summer League has kicked off. Four games are on the July 5th summer league schedule, building out to the final matchup between the Philadelphia 76ers and Utah Jazz.
The NBA is well aware of what they are doing with Ace Bailey becoming one of the most controversial players in the modern draft era. Philadelphia elected to select V.J. Edgecome with the third overall pick instead of the Rutgers product, leading to Utah drafting Bailey with the fifth overall pick despite Utah not being one of his preferred landing spots. Tonight will mark the first look at each of the top rookies and the rest of the summer league rosters as they attempt to cement their NBA pathway.
DraftKings Sportsbook is listing the Utah Jazz as 5.5-point favorites and -230 on the moneyline ahead of the summer league opener. The Philadelphia 76ers hold +190 odds on the moneyline with the game total set at 184.5.
Jazz vs. 76ers Breakdown:
The summer league is one of the more difficult events to handicap, with every organization taking a slightly different approach. These games are a tryout for every player and coach participating, with each player holding a very different outlook across the roster. The top rookies will be looking to show off what they can do, some of the returning players will be looking to prove they are “too good” to belong in the summer league, and all players will be doing everything possible to cement an NBA contract. While it may not be as polished as traditional gameplay, there still will be plenty of intensity across these matchups.
Looking at the Jazz roster, there are a few standouts to take note of. Ace Bailey will attract the majority of the eyeballs and will need to clean up his shot selection and lack of playmaking at an accelerated rate. Fellow rookie Walter Clayton Jr. comes in a bit more polished after four years in college, in which he most recently led Florida to a National Championship.
Isaiah Collier and Kyle Filipowski are coming off successful rookie seasons in which they showed some positive flashes. Collier averaged 8.7 points, 6.3 assists, and 3.3 rebounds per game across his 71 games played and 25.9 minutes per contest. His three-point shot will be the biggest improvement area, as he shot just 24.9% from beyond the arc last year. Filipowski averaged 9.6 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.9 assists while shooting 35.0% from beyond the three-point arc across his 21.1 minutes of action. Cody Williams will be looking to shake off a pretty underwhelming rookie season after being selected with the 10th overall pick last year. Brother of Jalen Williams, Cody has not found his footing yet, but the slate is clear for his second season.
Brice Sensabaugh is entering his third season in the NBA and showed some encouraging growth last year. He averaged 10.9 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.5 assists while improving his three-point percentage to 42.2% on 5.2 perimeter shots per game last year. Expect him to step into a bit of a leadership role and put up some notable stat lines. Jaden Springer is also an interesting name to keep an eye on. He has not fully found his NBA footing yet. The Tennessee product was initially a first-round pick by the Philadelphia 76ers but played just 50 games across two seasons before being traded to the Celtics in a financially motivated move. Springer was unable to carve out a niche in Boston and eventually landed on the Jazz, where he played 17 games last year. He is a scrappy defender and an incredible athlete, but he needs to put some polish on his game before he can be considered an NBA-ready player.
There are also several high-profile college standouts looking to earn their spot in the NBA worth keeping an eye on. RJ Luis enters as the reigning Big East Player of the Year and Consensus All-American after averaging 18.2 points and 7.2 rebounds per game last season at Saint John’s. Wisconsin’s John Tonje has a case for the best scorer in the country last year after averaging 19.6 points and 5.3 rebounds per game while shooting 38.8% from beyond the three-point arc. Houston’s J’Wan Roberts and UConn’s Adama Sonogo, who has played 13 total games with the Bulls, will be competing with each other as two of the highest effort rebounders in the summer league.
The Philadelphia 76ers also bring in an interesting mix of players. Last year’s first-round pick, Jared McCain, is notably left off the roster, with the effects of his meniscus tear recovery the driving reason why. V.J. Edgecombe will headline the team and has told the media he is expected to play some primary point guard for this summer league roster as they sort through what his best NBA role will be.
Last year’s second-round pick, Adem Bona, made the most of the opportunities presented by Philadelphia’s injury-riddled season last year and carved out a nice role for himself. A high-level athlete who can catch lobs and block shots with the best of them, expect him to get first dibs at the big man minutes. This year’s 35th overall pick, Johni Broome, will challenge Bona for minutes and plays a very different style of basketball. The Auburn product is a good passer for his size and will immediately have a case for the best rebounder on the Sixers roster.
Justin Edwards has a chance to shine as a star and has done an excellent job finding a niche for himself on this Sixers team. Previously looked at as a top recruit with a pathway to being a top pick, Edwards struggled during his one-and-done season at Kentucky. The Sixers added him through the undrafted market, and his two-way contract was upgraded to a standard deal last year. Philadelphia agreed to a multi-year extension with Edwards this offseason after he averaged 10.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.0 steals while shooting 36.3% from beyond the three-point arc. Expect Edwards to make a push for a starting spot on this Sixers team this season, and he could help his case with a strong summer league performance.
Philadelphia added Hunter Sallis to a two-way contract shortly following the draft. The Wake Forest product looked on track to be a first-round pick entering the season, but struggled as a shooter and connected on just 27.7% of his three-point looks in his senior season. Where his shooting numbers truly fall will likely make-or-break the outlook for the 6-foot-5 guard, but summer league feels like the type of setting where he could shine.
Judah Mintz and Keve Aluma both shone in last year’s summer league and will be looking to cement a true NBA role. Alex Reese joined the Sixers on a two-way contract last season and is not shy to let it fly from the perimeter. Jack Clark and Andrew Funk are a pair of local products who can also get red hot and will be scratching for opportunities. Jalen Hood-Schifino spent time on a two-way deal with the Sixers last year and was the 17th overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft by the Lakers. The talent is there for Hood-Schifino, but he has some decision-making to clean up.
Jazz vs. 76ers Pick:
Both these teams have a respectable amount of talent on the summer league scale. While Utah will have the home crowd behind them and a few more proven NBA players, Philadelphia has a more complete five-man unit, with the fit together clearer.
The talent level is there for Ace Bailey, but expect some early struggles as he begins to make the NBA jump. His shot selection and lack of court vision are weaknesses that will need to be fixed, but game one of summer league feels a bit ambitious for this being the case. Justin Edwards will likely take the first chance at guarding him, and this will be one of the more difficult summer league matchups he will see.
V.J. Edgecombe is far from a finished product either, but he has more directly transferable skills that will be evident in the summer league setting. The Baylor product averaged 2.1 steals per game last season and should be expected to be everywhere with turnovers often for the taking in the summer league. Adem Bona will also be the best rim protector on the floor and plays with an impressive motor every time he is in the game.
There is probably slightly more talent on the Utah roster, but more players on the Sixers have figured out what their pathway and role are at the NBA level. I am backing the +190 odds for the Sixers to get the outright victory in the opening summer league matchup. Expect there to be plenty of attention paid to the Bailey vs. Edgecombe matchup, but for the third overall pick to have the edge in what should be the first of many meetings.
