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NBA Summer League is a chance for rookies to get their feet wet in the NBA, while veterans show off for roster spots and G League jobs. Sometimes, players stand out so much that they change their teams' plans for the upcoming season.
With that in mind, here are five players whose excellent Summer League play should have earned them a bigger role in the regular season. We are leaving out super-prospects like Cameron Boozer and Caleb Wilson who showed out in Las Vegas, because their teams were already counting on them.
Meleek Thomas, Cleveland Cavaliers
Meleek Thomas went 27 picks later than his Arkansas teammate Darius Acuff, Jr., but being a second-round pick didn't stop him from leading Summer League in scoring with 27.3 points per game. He bombed away from deep, taking eight three-pointers per game and making them at a 43.8 percent clip, making the all-tournament first team.
Thomas may have some limitations as a defender or a passer, but that's outweighed by the value of his instant offense off the bench for the Cleveland Cavaliers. The summer shooting was no fluke, as Thomas shot 41.6 percent from deep in college and 48.7 percent in SEC games.
Khaman Maluach, Phoenix Suns
The No. 10 pick in the 2025 draft, Khaman Maluach had an unimpressive rookie season for the Phoenix Suns, averaging three points and 2.9 rebounds — though he was one of the youngest players in the NBA. In Las Vegas, Maluach showed why he was a lottery pick, averaging 19.5 points and a Summer League-best 12.8 rebounds. He shot 40 percent on three-pointers, and made eight, three more than his entire rookie season.
The Suns inked fellow Duke center Mark Williams to a three-year deal this summer, and Maluach is an ideal backup. Especially since the Suns were the second-worst defensive rebounding team in the NBA last season.
Zyon Pullin, Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves added LaMelo Ball this summer to play point guard, but he's played more than 51 games just twice in his six-year career. That's why the Timberwolves need another backup point guard, ideally one who distributes and takes care of the ball. Zyon Pullin averaged 7.8 assists against only three turnovers, continuing his low-mistake play from the G League last season.
The 25-year-old can also score, showing an affinity for getting into the paint while averaging 21 points at Summer League. He should provide quality minutes and could be the Wolves' backup point guard by midseason.
Liam McNeeley, Charlotte Hornets
Liam McNeeley wasn't shy about letting it fly for the three-point-loving Charlotte Hornets, putting up 5.9 threes per 36 minutes in limited action in his rookie season. In Summer League, McNeeley bombed away even more, going 10-for-19 in three games and averaging 21.7 points.
With Josh Green and Miles Bridges gone, expect a much bigger role for McNeeley, even with Dorian Finney-Smith on board. McNeeley could provide some sorely-needed scoring punch on the Hornets' second unit.
Bruce Thornton, Houston Rockets
There's no question about the defense of the Houston Rockets. However, they've been bounced in the first round of the playoffs for two consecutive years because they struggled to score points.
That's why Bruce Thornton should get plenty of opportunities in a Rockets backcourt featuring the shooting-challenged Amen Thompson and Marcus Smart, and Fred VanVleet, a solid shooter who is 32 years old and coming back from an ACL tear. Thornton shot over 40 percent from distance and finished eighth in points, despite playing only five games. He's got the scoring chops the Rockets need.
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