In what’s become an annual tradition, NBA Summer League tipped off in Las Vegas last night. The next wave of NBA talent — and plenty of players fighting for a spot — takes the floor over the next week-plus looking to show what they can do. This afternoon at 6 p.m. ET, there’s a battle for New York in Sin City as the Knicks take on the Nets.
Here’s a betting pick and game prediction for the Nets vs. Knicks matchup in NBA Summer League on Friday night, courtesy of lines on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Nets vs. Knicks prediction, preview
The Nets are locked in one of the NBA’s most interesting rebuilds, volume-shooting their way to four first-round picks in last year’s draft before landing a higher selection this time around. Through three games in Utah Summer League as a warm-up, they went 2-1. They just added Louisville standout Mikel Brown Jr. with the No. 6 pick, a guard who averaged 18.2 points and 4.7 assists a game in his lone college season. He debuted in Utah with 10 points and four assists in 19 minutes and will likely see more work tonight.
He’s joined by 2025 draftees Egor Demin, Ben Saraf and Danny Wolf. Demin showed the most promise of those former first-rounders with 10.3 points and 3.3 assists a night during his rookie campaign, showing some flashes of a productive lead guard. Especially in his two Utah Summer League games, he seemed very comfortable and confident as a scorer. Saraf appeared in 44 NBA games with 7.5 points per game, while the big man Wolf played 57 in total with 8.9 points and 4.9 rebounds. However, all three struggled greatly with their efficiency at the pro level, so serious growth as scorers should be an area where the team’s looking for growth. Outside of the core four mentioned already, No. 43 pick Tyler Bilodeau out of UCLA may see plenty of run after an impressive 18-point performance in his most recent outing in Utah.
The Knicks’ NBA roster just brought a title home to New York for the first time in over 50 years. It cost them plenty of draft picks to do so, meaning this Summer League roster lacks much in the way of standout young talent. However, there are still names looking to earn their way to a spot on the main squad.
The two most recent selections for New York are Jack Kayil, the No. 39 pick in this year’s draft, and Tyler Nickel, who went at No. 47. Kayil is a German guard who posted 7.7 points two years ago in the ABA League during the 2024-25 campaign before averaging 12.4 in 32 appearances on Alba Berlin, which won the Bundesliga. Nickel was a standout forward for Vanderbilt and scored 13.5 points with 3.5 rebounds and a 40.0% 3P%. Dillon Jones and Mohamed Diawara saw some time with the NBA squad this past year, with the latter actually seeing action in 69 games. Plus, Pacome Dadiet continues to intrigue as a 2024 first-rounder, though the French forward has just 47 NBA games under his belt in two seasons.
Nets vs. Knicks pick, best bet
The Nets are a -7.5 favorite tonight with -305 odds on the Moneyline. The Knicks hold +245 odds to win outright with the game total set at 179.5 points.
Anything can happen in these Summer League games since there’s much less focus on structure and more of an emphasis on flee-flowing basketball through the rookies as they show what they’re capable of. Of course, youth sometimes means sloppy mistakes and more unpredictable outcomes as well.
Brooklyn has the advantage of draft pedigree on its roster, and while games aren’t decided by the spot your players was selected, the talent did flash on this stage already. Demin had 23 points, eight boards and five assists in his most recent outing while shooting 7-for-12, and he posted 23 points with another seven boards in his first outing. Saraf just hit three shots from distance for a 15-point night with seven assists as well. Those guys are looking very solid in limited samples, and with his pro debut out of the way, perhaps Brown impresses tonight. Yes, the Knicks have some players who saw NBA action over the last couple of years, but not as much as the Nets’ young core. That may prove the difference maker tonight.
Best Bet: Brooklyn Nets -7.5 (-110)
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