Players Who Made an Impression During the NBA Summer League

Less than a month since the Oklahoma City Thunder won the 2025 NBA title, it’s already been an exciting offseason for the NBA. The NBA Draft soon followed, with the NBA Summer League starting up almost right away. Fans haven’t had much time to miss the NBA, as a new crop of players has been on display during the Summer League. For those who may have taken a short break from the NBA, here are some of the players who have made the biggest impression during the Summer League season.

Kyle Filipkowski

After being an early second-round pick last year, Filipkowski had a decent season with the Utah Jazz, starting 27 games and appearing in 72 contests. In fact, he averaged a solid 9.6 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. But he looks ready to take his game to the next level in his sophomore season. Filipkowski averaged nearly 30 points per game during the Summer League schedule and was arguably the best player to participate.

Cole Swider

If you needed a three-point shot this summer, Swider was the player you wanted. He averaged nearly five made three-pointers per game while shooting just under 50% from behind the arc. Swider has always been a dangerous shooter, dating back to his college days at Villanova and Syracuse. He’s rarely gotten much of a look in the NBA, playing in just 35 games over three seasons. But this summer, Swider proved that if you give him a chance, he’ll knock down shots.

Isaiah Collier

Among point guards, Collier was arguably the best player, at least if you want someone who can distribute the ball. Across three games, he led the NBA Summer League with 8.3 assists, a full assist more per game than the next highest player. Of course, that shouldn’t be a surprise after Collier took over as Utah’s starting point guard this past January. With a strong finish to his rookie season and an excellent summer, Collier could help the Jazz make a big leap next season after finishing the 2024-25 campaign with just 17 wins. With the strides both Filipkowski and Collier made this summer, Utah is not a team to overlook when making NBA predictions next season.

Johnny Furphy

It would be impossible to talk about the Summer League without mentioning the dunk Furphy had for the Pacers while facing the Bulls on July 14. Words almost aren’t enough to describe how Furphy brought his arm almost perpendicular with his body before proceeding to dunk it in the face of Noa Essengue. Some believe it could end up being the best dunk of the 2025-26 NBA season. Overall, Furphy didn’t make a huge impact during the Summer League despite averaging double figures. The Australian still has some work to do to crack an NBA rotation during the regular season. But that dunk surely got people’s attention.

Terrence Shannon Jr.

It’s almost unfair to mention Shannon’s Summer League exploits because he was getting minutes for the Timberwolves during the playoffs. Of course, he also averaged just 4.3 points across 32 games during the regular season as a rookie. It looks like he’ll be taking his game to the next level after scoring 20-plus points in all three of Minnesota’s games. He was among the summer’s top scorers and helped the Timberwolves go 3-0, clearly putting himself on the radar heading into next season.

Ajay Mitchell

The Belgium-born Mitchell already has a ring, playing sparingly for Oklahoma City as a rookie. He’s clearly hoping to play a bigger role with the Thunder next season after his play in the Summer League. Granted, he was among the leaders in turnovers in Summer League games. However, only Chris Youngblood had a better plus/minus rating among players who participated in multiple games. With 20 points, six rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game across three games, Mitchell showed that he brings a little bit of everything to the table.

Kobe Bufkin

Despite being a first-round pick, Bufkin has appeared in just 27 NBA games over his first two seasons. Few players needed a breakout summer as much as he did, and Bufkin was able to deliver. He used his athleticism to get to the bucket and draw plenty of fouls. Few players got to the charity stripe during the Summer League more than Bufkin, but none of them shot 96% from the free-throw line like he did. That alone is enough to be encouraged about Bufkin finally putting some of his past injury woes behind him and having a breakout 2025-26 campaign.