All Eyes Will Be On The Rising Stars Of The NBA At NBA 2K26 Summer League In Vegas

As Las Vegas gears up to be center stage for NBA excitement when NBA 2K26 Summer League begins this week, many basketball fans are excited to see what this year's rookies bring to the court.

With the first game tipping off on Thursday at 12:30 p.m. PT, all eyes are on the league's newest crop of talent. Top rookies like Cooper Flagg, Ace Bailey, and Dylan Harper are creating a buzz online and fans are ready to see them in action on the court.

NBA Summer League in Las Vegas offers the first real glimpse into the 2025-26 NBA season and what rookies and league sophomores will shine bright. The Blast has compiled a list of just a few of the rookies fans are eager to see at Summer League, held July 10-20, 2025 at UNLV's Thomas & Mack Center and Cox Pavilion.

Going into the 2025 NBA Draft, basketball fans just knew Cooper Flagg would be the top overall pick, and they were right. Chosen by the Dallas Mavericks, Flagg enters Summer League as one of the most anticipated rookie prospects in years.

The former Duke star is projected to make an immediate impact with the Mavericks and fans are more than ready to witness his greatness during Summer League. Fans won't have to wait too long to see him in action on the court, as the Mavs play the LA Lakers on the first day of Summer League - Thursday, July 10, 2025.

The 6'9 forward began his basketball career at Nokomis Regional HS and later transferred to Montverde Academy in Florida. Flagg was reclassified to graduate early and began his college career at Duke at just 17-years-old.

According to the Guardian, during Flagg's freshman year at Duke, he became the first player in the last 25 years to reach 500 points, 100 assists, and 30 blocks in a single ACC regular season.

VJ Edgecombe, the No. 3 overall draft pick who was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers, shared his emotional story of strength and persistence after being drafted. There likely wasn't a dry eye in the house hearing about his past and why being drafted is such a major milestone for him.

After being drafted, he shared his emotional journey while thanking his mother. He revealed just how much his mother had to sacrifice to get him to this point.

"She worked too hard, man, she worked too hard," he emotionally shared, according to Clutch Points. "Especially for me, my brothers, my little sisters, and my little brother. I just want to return the favor for her."

He also revealed that the family "lived off a generator."

"I had no electricity. I lived off a generator for seven years," he said. "Seeing what she had to go through to feed us, man, it's crazy."

The former Baylor guard was born and raised in the Bahamas before moving to Florida in high school.

Ace Bailey, drafted No. 5 overall by the Utah Jazz, had some drama surrounding him on draft night.

Just before the draft, Bailey's representatives informed a team selecting in the top five that Bailey "wouldn't report" to the Jazz if drafted by them, per ESPN. He reportedly also declined a workout with the 76ers and made it clear that he wanted to be drafted by either the Washington Wizards, New Orleans Pelicans, or Brooklyn Nets.

When asked after being drafted what he would say to people who didn't believe he was happy going to Utah, Bailey explained, "I can control what I can control. They feel how they feel. But my team and me, me focusing on basketball and them doing what they're doing, so it happens."

Bailey averaged 17.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists, during his time at Rutgers University. He was named Third-Team All-Big Ten and had a spot on the Big Ten All-Freshman Team.

The No. 2 overall draft pick, Dylan Harper, was drafted by the San Antonio Spurs. The 6'6 guard from New Jersey is the son of five-time NBA champion Ron Harper and the younger brother of NBA player Ron Harper Jr.

Harper's credits include being named to Third-Team All-Big Ten and Big Ten All-Freshman Team, as well as achieving a scoring record of 564 points during his freshman year at Rutgers University. Prior to being drafted, Harper averaged 19.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 4.0 assists.

Harper is expected to make a strong impression while playing in Vegas during Summer League, and fans are excited to see what he brings to San Antonio's rebuild.

Kon Knueppel, the No. 4 overall draft pick, played one season at Duke, averaging 17.4 ppg. He was drafted by the Charlotte Hornets.

The 6'7 forward from Milwaukee, WI, was named "Wisconsin Mr. Basketball" during his senior year of high school. His father, mother, and uncle all played basketball, and his uncle, Jeff Nordgaard, played for the Milwaukee Bucks.

During his one season at Duke, he averaged 14.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.7 assists. He played all 38 games at Duke as a starter in each.

According to Sports Illustrated, after being drafted, Knueppel said, "I'm ready to work hard and affect winning right away."

Jeremiah Fears, selected No. 7 overall in the draft, didn't get all the early attention from national evaluators that many other players did. According to Chicago Sun Times, he flew a bit under the radar, skipping his senior year of high school to head to college at Oklahoma.

Fears was a college breakout at Oklahoma and quickly became one of the best in the country. He averaged 17.1 points and 4.1 assists and was named to the SEC All-Freshman team.

According to the Chicago Sun Times, Fears signed a shoe-endorsement deal with Adidas before the draft.

What rookie are you most excited to see play during Summer League? Still need tickets? Visit UNLV's website for daily tickets or here for NBA Summer League official experience packages.