Eight Former Tigers Set To Begin Play In NBA Summer League In Vegas

Per LSUSports.net: Eight former members of the LSU Basketball team will be looking to impress scouts and management on professional teams when they take part in the 2022 NBA 2K23 Summer League, starting Thursday in Las Vegas.

The event runs through July 17 and each team is guaranteed a minimum of four games before a two-day set of games based on the standings of the teams after the preliminary rounds.

Three of LSU’s players off the 2021-22 team will be featured in their first professional action led by first-round draft pick Tari Eason with the Houston Rockets. Eason, the SEC Sixth Man of the Year, will play on opening night Thursday at 9 p.m. CT on ESPN against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Former LSU point guard Tremont Waters, who was part of the SEC Championship and Sweet 16 team in 2019, is trying to find his way back onto a league roster with the Grizzlies.

Both Darius Days and Shareef O’Neal were free-agent signees for the summer league with Days playing for the San Antonio Spurs and O’Neal will play for the team his father Shaquille starred, the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Spurs open at 4 p.m. on Friday against the Cleveland Cavaliers on NBATV, while the Lakers open at 9 p.m. on ESPN against the Phoenix Suns.

Portland has two former LSU players including Trendon Watford. Watford signed a two-way contract as an undrafted free agent last summer and then signed a four-year deal from the Blazers on Feb. 21. Watford average 7.6 points and 4.1 rebounds per game for Portland last season. The Trail Blazers open with a Saturday 9 p.m. game on ESPN 2 with the NOLA Pelicans.

Portland will also have veteran guard Josh Gray who has is also looking to get back into the NBA. The 28-year-old has bounced between the NBA and G-League since going undrafted in 2016. He also played a season in South Korea. He has played in the league for Phoenix and New Orleans, before last year playing for the Long Island Nets in the G-League.

Two other recent former LSU players taking part for Cam Thomas for Brooklyn and Javonte Smart for Miami.

Thomas was a first-round pick in the 2021 NBA Draft for Brooklyn and averaged 8.5 points and 2.4 rebounds for the Nets in his rookie season. The Nets open against Milwaukee at 6 p.m. on NBATV.

Smart signed a two-way deal with Miami in February and averaged 3.0 points and 1.4 rebounds. The Heat opens on Saturday with Boston at 4:30 p.m. on NBATV.

Here are the preliminary round games with LSU players involved in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas (all times central):

Houston Rockets (Tari Eason)
July 7 – Houston-Memphis, 9 p.m. ESPN
July 9 – Houston-OKC, 7 p.m., ESPN2
July 11 – Houston-San Antonio, 6 p.m. ESPN
July 14 – Houston-Portland, 8:30 p.m. NBATV

San Antonio Spurs (Darius Days)
July 8 – San Antonio-Cleveland, 4 p.m. NBATV
July 10 – San Antonio-Golden State, 6:30 p.m. NBATV
July 11 – San Antonio-Houston, 6 p.m. ESPN
July 14 – San Antonio-Atlanta, 3 p.m. ESPN2

Los Angeles Lakers (Shareef O’Neal)
July 8 – LAL-Phoenix, 9 p.m. ESPN2
July 10 – LAL-Charlotte, 8:30 p.m. NBATV
July 12 – LAL-LAC, 10 p.m. NBATV
July 15 – LAL-New Orleans Pelicans, 10 p.m. ESPN2

Memphis Grizzlies (Tremont Waters)
July 7 – Memphis-Houston, 9 p.m. ESPN
July 9 – Memphis-LAC, 8:30 p.m. NBATV
July 12 – Memphis-Brooklyn, 5:30 p.m., ESPN2
July 14 – Memphis-Boston, 2:30 p.m. NBATV

Portland Trail Blazers (Trendon Watford, Josh Gray)
July 8 – Portland-Detroit, 11 a.m. ESPN
July 9 – Portland-New Orleans, 9 p.m. ESPN2
July 11 – Portland-NY Knicks, 10 p.m., ESPN2
July 14 – Portland-Houston, 8:30 p.m. NBATV

Brooklyn Nets (Cam Thomas)
July 8 – Brooklyn-Milwaukee, 6 p.m. NBATV
July 10 – Brooklyn-Philadelphia, 2:30 p.m. NBATV
July 12 – Brooklyn-Memphis, 5:30 p.m. ESPN2
July 14 – Brooklyn-Minnesota, 9 p.m. ESPN

Miami Heat (Javonte Smart)
July 9 – Miami-Boston, 4:30 p.m. NBATV
July 12 – Miami-Atlanta, 6 p.m. NBATV
July 13 – Miami-Philadelphia, 8 p.m. ESPNU
July 15 – Miami-Toronto, 9 p.m. NBATV