The Summer League has been hosted by the NBA in the off-season since 2004 to offer rookies and young players who have played less than three seasons of play practice shortly after the draft. From July 3, the “real” Summer League in Las Vegas will start in Utah and Sacramento.
The Summer League is a professional league initiated by the NBA to offer rookies and young players (who played in the NBA for three or less years) match practice in the summer. The league has been held since 2004. The Summer League is a springboard for players who were not selected for the draft or who have already played in Europe.
The Summer League cannot be seen on German television, but you can watch all matches via the NBA League Pass. If you only want to see the highlights, you can find them on SPOX or on the official YouTube channel of the NBA.
The Summer League will again take place in three different locations. Some teams compete in two tournaments at the same time. For the first time, all 30 teams will take part in the Las Vegas Summer League. New is the California Classic in Orlando, which replaces the Summer League in Orlando and is held at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento.
For the first time in the history of the Summer League, all 30 teams will participate in the tournament in Las Vegas. Four teams each play for victory at the tournaments in Salt Lake City and Sacramento Kings.
The “real” Summer League in Las Vegas starts in the USA on July 6. After German time is the tip-off of the first game at 9 pm on Friday evening.
The mode of the Summer League in Las Vegas has not yet been fully released. What is clear at first is that each team will play at least five matches. In addition to the three preliminary rounds, which each team will play, there should be at least one playoff and one placement game.
The rosters for the Summer League have not yet been released by the teams. However, it can be assumed that Moritz Wagner will at least play for the Los Angeles Lakers. Second-round pick Isaac Bonga could also play Summer League when the trade of the 39th pick that the Lakers used to drag the forward can be made official on July 6th.
The NBA is apparently considering testing further video reviews for referees in the Summer League. There is also speculation about NFL-style challenge flags.
Insider Justin dates of SiriusXM NBA Radio referred a few weeks ago to a conversation with league official Kiki VanDeWeghe. Accordingly, such a system will be tested in the Summer League 2018 in Las Vegas, in which all 30 teams will participate.
The aim is to expand the review possibilities of the referees during the games. Which conditions must be fulfilled for such special reviews, however, has not yet been determined – nor is the question of what calls may be checked.