Discourse throughout the NBA offseason mostly surrounds free agency and trades, and already this summer, there have been a few blockbusters; Giannis Antetokounmpo is now a member of the Miami Heat, Jaylen Brown is a member of the Philadelphia 76ers, Kawhi Leonard will presumably soon be a member of the Toronto Raptors, and LeBron James will have a new (or, perhaps, old) team.
But for rookies and players on the fringes of rosters, the offseason is about NBA Summer League. The annual showcase offers prospects the opportunity to get used to the NBA game and to show off their talents to front offices. Several players on the Los Angeles Lakers and the Oklahoma City Thunder, who will meet at 10 p.m. ET, are fighting for their places in the league.
Oklahoma City is -115 on the Moneyline at DraftKings Sportsbook, and Los Angeles is -105.
Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Los Angeles Lakers (10 p.m. ET)
Neither of these teams have appeared at the NBA Summer League yet, but both played in pre-Summer League tournaments, with the Thunder participating in the Salt Lake City Summer League and the Lakers playing in the California Classic. The high-altitude exhibition didn’t go so well for Oklahoma City, as it lost all three games by an average of 25.3 points. On the other hand, while Los Angeles had a negative-8.7 point differential in the California Classic, it went 2-1, getting blown out by Golden State Warriors Gold before responding with narrow victories over the Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs.
Both rosters are headlined by their first-round pick in 2026. Cameron Carr put up a strong performance for the Lakers in the California Classic, averaging 16.7 points per game while shooting 40.9% from beyond the arc, and given his strong season at Baylor (18.9 points per game on 37.4% from deep), he’ll be expected to play a major role in the NBA from the jump. Meanwhile, the Thunder bolstered their front-court depth by drafting Michigan’s Aday Mara, who put up 10.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks per game on 47.1% shooting across two games in Salt Lake City. Like Carr, Mara is a more experienced college prospect who averaged 12.1 points and 6.8 rebounds per game with the National Champion Wolverines.
Beyond each team’s top prospect, Los Angeles has more depth. All but three players on Oklahoma City’s Summer League roster are rookies, and Payton Sandfort, Brooks Barnhizer, and Buddy Boeheim have combined for just 600 total minutes in the NBA. None of the three particularly impressed at the Salt Lake City Summer League, as none of the three made even two-fifths of their field goal attempts and Boeheim went zero-for-six (all threes). Meanwhile, the Lakers have eight non-rookies, including Adou Thiero, who scored points in a playoff game against the Thunder, as well as former 16th overall pick Zhaire Smith and Chris Mañon, who averaged 10.3 points per game last season in the G League.
Mara might well be the best player on the floor in this game, but basketball is a team game, and Los Angeles simply has the better all-around roster. Mañon is a poor shooter, but his perimeter defense could make him extremely valuable to even the NBA roster and could help him slow down Bennett Stirtz, Oklahoma City’s other first-round rookie. Additionally, while the Lakers have no one large enough to challenge Mara, cult hero Robbie Avila at least has some experience playing against Mara from the NCAA Tournament, and Thiero is an athletic, versatile defender whose most frequent assignments ranged from two-time MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to veteran backup center Bismack Biyombo, whom he blocked. Smith’s and Mañon’s veteran experience and Thiero’s defensive intensity should allow Los Angeles to come away with this one.
NBA Summer League Pick: Lakers Moneyline (-105)
