The list of NBA summer league MVPs is, like the event itself, an interesting mix of future stars making their debuts and players who never quite caught on in the league. Consider 2012, when the MVP award was split between Portland Trail Blazers rookie Damian Lillard (now a six-time All-NBA pick) and Josh Selby of the Memphis Grizzlies, who would play just 10 more games in the NBA.
Even if it doesn't necessarily portend stardom, playing well in Las Vegas has been a good indicator of who can contribute more than expected. Recent NBA summer league MVPs Kyle Anderson, Brandon Clarke and Josh Hart have outperformed their draft spots late in the first round.
With that in mind, let's take a look at the top picks, returning veterans and players hoping to solidify their spot in the NBA who have been most impressive over the first week of competition in this year's summer league, which concludes with Tuesday's championship game.
Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons
Consider the adjustment to the NBA 3-point line made by the No. 1 overall pick, who has been lights out from downtown in Las Vegas, shooting 13-of-26 (50%) beyond the arc. That was highlighted in a game against the New York Knicks on Friday, when Cunningham made seven treys en route to 24 points.
Cunningham could still show more closer to the basket. He hasn't been able to generate much separation off the dribble, which has hampered his 2-point percentage (8-of-23, 35%) and yielded just one trip to the free throw line.
But we've also seen Cunningham make plays for teammates that they've been unable to finish, something that should be less of an issue when starters Jerami Grant and Isaiah Stewart join the young Detroit core that's been playing in summer league.
Jalen Green, Houston Rockets
Of the top picks in action over the past week, none has been more impressive than Green, who scored 61 points in 72 minutes, before suffering a hamstring injury that will surely sideline him the remainder of summer league.
In particular, Green's ability to make pull-up 3-pointers off the dribble has stood out, including four unassisted 3s in two-plus games. That's typically a skill pick-and-roll ball handlers don't develop until much later in their careers. Granted, Green won't likely continue making 53% of his 3-point tries -- he hit 36.5% of them in the G League -- but the mere threat of that shot will open things up for Green to get to the basket.
Green did struggle against Detroit when the Pistons trapped his pick-and-rolls, a summer league rarity. That's a point of adjustment as he prepares for more difficult competition in the regular season.
Tre Jones, San Antonio Spurs
Taken with the 41st pick of last year's NBA draft, Jones played just 269 minutes as a rookie -- more than 60% of which came in the fourth quarter, typically in garbage time. So aside from seven appearances in the G League bubble, this has been our first extended look at Jones. He has impressed, averaging 24.7 points and 6.7 assists per game.
Long-range shooting has been a weakness for Jones, who went 1-of-12 from 3-point range in the G League. He hasn't entirely answered that question -- making three treys in as many games -- so much as he has overcome it with his ability to create shots inside the arc. Jones' 24 2-pointers were third among all players through Saturday's games.
Befitting a player whose older brother (Tyus Jones, the 2016 NBA summer league MVP) led the NBA in assist-to-turnover ratio last season, Tre Jones has handed out 20 assists against just five turnovers thus far.
Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers
Among the handful of second-year players who look like they have no reason to be playing summer league basketball, Maxey leads the list. Less than two months ago, Maxey scored 16 points off the bench to help the Sixers win Game 6 of their playoff series against the Hawks in Atlanta and force a deciding Game 7 at home, so it's no surprise he has overwhelmed opponents at this level of competition.
In 58 minutes, Maxey scored 52 points (averaging 26 per game, the highest of anyone in Las Vegas) before heading home to host a youth camp. Without him, a Philadelphia squad that started 2-0 lost by 20 on Saturday to the undefeated Boston Celtics.
The 76ers have gotten strong contributions from their other 2020 draft picks. Isaiah Joe has averaged 17 points per game while knocking down 41% of his 3s on 11.3 attempts per outing (tied with Miami Heat guard Max Strus for most among all players). Meanwhile, G League MVP Paul Reed of the Sixers is one of four players averaging a double-double.
Trey Murphy III, New Orleans Pelicans
It's no surprise that Murphy has been an efficient scorer after posting a 50-40-90 season at Virginia last season. He is just off that pace so far in Las Vegas, making 39% of his 18 3-point attempts and shooting 9-of-13 (69%) inside the arc -- six of those coming in his opening game.
I was more impressed by the passing ability Murphy flashed against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday, when he handed out seven assists as part of a line that would work on the nearby Las Vegas Strip: 7 points, 7 boards, 7 assists. Murphy never had seven assists in an NCAA game and only handed out more than four once, back in 2020, while playing for Rice before transferring.
Phoenix Suns forward Cameron Johnson was a popular comparison for Murphy during the draft process, and thus far Murphy looks similarly capable of contributing immediately as a more experienced rookie -- akin to Chris Duarte of the Indiana Pacers.
Payton Pritchard, Boston Celtics
In the three games he played before leaving for what Celtics summer league coach Joe Mazzulla termed "a prior engagement," Pritchard was the best player in the NBA summer league by my assessment.
Although not quite as dominant as some of the other second-year point guards in Las Vegas (Maxey and New York's Immanuel Quickley), Pritchard stood out with his efficiency. He made a remarkable 15 of his 26 3-point attempts (58%) while handing out 26 assists with just four turnovers -- the top assist-to-turnover ratio for players with more than 75 minutes of action.
Absent Pritchard, Boston has rolled along undefeated with another candidate for this list in fellow 2020 first-round pick Aaron Nesmith, who has averaged 18.8 PPG while shooting 52% from the field and 39% on 3s.
Alperen Sengun, Houston Rockets
One of the big questions coming into summer league was whether Sengun's statistical dominance in his native Turkey would translate against more physical competition. Although summer league isn't the same as NBA competition, so far, so good for Sengun -- perhaps the most productive rookie in Las Vegas.
Sengun has struggled to finish at times, shooting just 12-of-28 (43%) on 2-point attempts. But he has compensated for that with his uncanny ability to make good things happen. That starts with getting to the foul line a remarkable 24 times in three games. Sengun could help himself by shooting more like the 81% he shot last year in the Turkish BSL at the foul line rather than 62.5% in Las Vegas, which is more in line with his previous accuracy.
I've been pleasantly surprised by Sengun's shot-blocking. He has swat three shots per game, putting him among summer league leaders. (Only Daniel Oturu has averaged more.) And Sengun has been predictably outstanding on the glass, averaging 11.0 rebounds per game to rank third in Las Vegas.
Cameron Thomas, Brooklyn Nets
Before summer league started, I wrote of Thomas in our preview: "I'd expect a 2-of-11 shooting night at some point, but also expect a game where he goes off for 30 points and leaves viewers wondering how he was still available at the 27th pick." Consider me partially right.
Thomas did have a tough shooting night in his Las Vegas debut (5-of-15, 1-of-6 from 3), but not nearly as bad as I predicted. Meanwhile, he has gone for 30-plus twice, leading all players in scoring thus far (26.5 PPG). And Thomas ended his other game with an improbable one-foot floater from 3-point range in double overtime to beat the Milwaukee Bucks.
Ideally, we'd see more contributions from Thomas besides scoring. His four assists against Milwaukee were encouraging, before Thomas had just one each in his 30-point games. And he has combined for seven rebounds in 115 minutes. Still, Thomas' ability to score prolifically and efficiently (thanks largely to 33 free throws in 39 attempts) has been impressive.
Omer Yurtseven, Miami Heat
It's been a great summer for Turkish centers. Yurtseven, who recently re-signed with the Heat for two years as a restricted free agent after joining the team late in the 2020-21 regular season, has also been among the most productive players in summer league.
That started in Sacramento, where Yurtseven averaged 26 points in two games of the California Classic. Since getting to Las Vegas, he has averaged an even 20 PPG with 9.7 rebounds. Always a productive player -- he was among the leaders in my wins above replacement player metric in the G League bubble -- Yurtseven has surprised with his shot-blocking in summer league. With 2.7 blocks per game, he ranks just behind his countryman Sengun in this category.
Given the depth Miami sacrificed to complete a sign-and-trade deal for Kyle Lowry, there's an opening for contributors with the Heat. Both Yurtseven and Strus (20.8 PPG, including a walk-off 3-pointer in double overtime against the Grizzlies) have offered indications they're capable of stepping up.