Gonzaga’s NBA Summer League Standouts Proved They Belong

This year, six former Gonzaga Bulldogs suited up in NBA Summer League—some fighting for roster spots, some defending the ones they’ve already earned, and a few quietly proving they can still shape winning basketball no matter the role. Across a couple of weeks of chaotic rotations in both Salt Lake City and Las Vegas, packed gyms, and high-stakes minutes, every Zag who saw the floor made a mark. Some flashed in short bursts. Others left as leading scorers, starting forwards, or essential glue guys on top-tier rosters. Here’s how each of them showed up, and what their performances might mean moving forward.

Ryan Nembhard – Dallas Mavericks

11.3 PPG • 6.7 APG • 2.3 RPG • 1.0 SPG • 29.7 MPG • 40.6% FG • 33.3% 3PT

Gonzaga’s all-time single-season assist leader logged three strong games for the Dallas Mavericks in Las Vegas before shifting to street clothes for the final stretch—a clear sign the coaching staff had already seen what they needed. Ryan Nembhard averaged 11.3 points and 6.7 assists, ranking fourth among all Summer League players in assists while playing 30 minutes per night and shooting 40.6% from the field. Even in his toughest outing—a 1-for-10 game against the Spurs—he managed 7 assists and kept the offense stable under pressure. He bounced back two nights later with 11 points and 8 assists in a win over Charlotte, shooting 4-of-8 from the field, knocking down two threes, and leading the team in scoring. His assist average might’ve been even higher if Cooper Flagg—the No. 1 overall pick in the draft that didn’t include Nembhard—hadn’t opened Summer League with a 5-for-21 shooting performance, much of it off Nembhard’s setups. By the time Ryan was sitting out, he was getting airtime for other reasons. During a courtside interview during the Dallas tilt with the Magic, Nembhard called himself a “Zag for life” and gave major praise to his former backcourt partner Nolan Hickman—yet another moment that showed the poise, professionalism, and loyalty that have defined his rise.

Nolan Hickman – Dallas Mavericks

4.3 PPG • 1.7 RPG • 1.3 APG • 11.0 MPG (3 GP) • 57.1% FG • 66.7% 3PT (4-6)

Hickman appeared in three of the Mavericks’ five games and averaged 11 minutes per night, operating almost exclusively as an off-ball floor-spacer and pick-and-pop deep threat. His lone standout showing came in a blowout win over Orlando, where he scored 13 points in 17 minutes and hit three of five from deep. He finished the week 4-of-6 from beyond the arc—efficient enough to suggest he can hit open looks, but not nearly enough volume or responsibility to prove he can be a high-level shooter under pressure. More importantly, the two areas he needed to show growth—distribution and defense—remained question marks. Hickman didn’t initiate offense, struggled to leave a mark on the defensive end, and often blended into the background of Dallas’ rotations, especially in a half-court offensive set that rewards aggression and making your own shot; things Nolan has never been known for. He showed flashes as a shooter, but whether that’s enough to earn another opportunity remains uncertain.

Khalif Battle – Phoenix Suns

7.6 PPG • 2.0 RPG • 2.0 APG • 17.3 MPG • 61.9% FG • 44.4% 3PT • 87.5% FT

Khalif Battle saved his best for last in Vegas, exploding for 21 points in 23 minutes during the Suns’ blowout win over Portland on July 19—going 8-of-11 from the field, 3-of-5 from deep, and adding 5 assists, 4 rebounds, and 2 free throws for good measure. Finally, Battle showed the NBA world what he’s best at: calling his own number and scoring in bunches. It was a sharp turn from his earlier appearances, where he’d shown only brief flashes of the dynamic scoring ability that powered his college career.

Prior to the Portland game, Battle had bounced in and out of the rotation—drawing one start, logging three quieter performances, and sitting out entirely against Minnesota. But when finally given the green light to attack, he made the most of it. He averaged 7.6 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 2.0 assists over four games while shooting 61.9% from the field and 44.4% from deep. If Phoenix needed a final statement game to remember him by, Battle delivered exactly that.

Ben Gregg- Boston Celtics

6.5 PPG • 4.5 RPG • 1.0 APG • 10.8 MPG (2 GP) • 62.5% FG • 60.0% 3PT

Like Battle, Ben Gregg also made the most of his final Summer League appearance, turning in 13 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 assists in 20 minutes during the Celtics’ 101–80 demolition of the Atlanta Hawks—his first extended action after logging just two minutes in Boston’s earlier games. He went 5-of-8 from the field, knocked down three of his five threes, and looked every bit like the smart, high-effort stretch forward he was at Gonzaga. The Celtics wrapped Summer League at 4–1, finishing eighth in total points scored and sixth in rebounding, and Gregg’s best game came during their most dominant showing of the week. For one of the deepest and most efficient rosters in Vegas, he earned real minutes and delivered. He now heads to France to begin his professional career with Strasbourg IG of the LNB Élite—leaving Vegas with a box score worth remembering and the sense that, in the right system, he still has more to show.

Anton Watson – New York Knicks

8.2 PPG • 3.6 RPG • 1.2 APG • 17.2 MPG • 57.7% FG • 33.3% 3PT • 100% FT

It must be a Zag thing… but after early flashes—12 points on 5-of-6 shooting against Brooklyn, three blocks and four rebounds versus Indiana—Watson exploded in the Knicks’ finale, scoring 21 points on 8-of-13 shooting (including a scorching 5-of-8 from three), while grabbing six rebounds—three of them offensive—and dishing out three assists in a loss to Washington. It was the best three-point shooting night of his career at any level, and it capped a week where his defensive timing, off-ball cutting, and short-roll awareness stood out across every appearance. Watson averaged 8.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in just over 17 minutes per game, and has made a clear case that he belongs on the floor and that things tend to work better for his teammates when he is. Whether it earns him a two-way deal, a camp invite, or simply continued investment from a Knicks team that brought him in late last season, the message is clear: Watson showed up, leveled up, and made it count.

Drew Timme – Brooklyn Nets

25.3 PPG • 8.3 RPG • 2.7 APG • 30.3 MPG • 58.7% FG • 18.2% 3PT • 68.4% FT

Drew’s Summer League performance delivered exactly what we’ve come to expect from Gonzaga’s all-time leading scorer: some extremely dominant basketball and some off-the-wall goofiness that only Drew could deliver. Yes, he got donked in the back of the head by an errant interior pass from teammate Danny Wolf. Yes, he wore a t-shirt in a postgame autograph sesh valorizing the aphrodisiac qualities of a made-up chewing tobacco brand from a Predator movie, but he also absolutely balled out for the Nets in his time in Vegas. I’m genuinely envious of Nets fans who are about to meet Drew for the first time in the 2025-2026 NBA season.

Timme entered Summer League with a two-year contract already in place, but with Brooklyn investing summer reps in younger bigs like Michigan’s Danny Wolf and Alabama’s Grant Nelson, the pressure on Timme wasn’t off. But in just three games, he left no doubt who the Nets should be building around. He opened with 22 points and 7 rebounds on 10-of-13 shooting against the Thunder, then followed with a 30-point explosion against Washington, where he led the team in both shot attempts and makes. He closed his run with 24 points, 10 boards, and 4 assists against the Knicks, outplaying and often downright embarrassing every big in the gym. He averaged 25.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 2.7 assists while anchoring Brooklyn’s offense every minute he was on the floor. By the time Nelson and Wolf got their extended looks, Timme was already in street clothes and Crocs, relaxing on the bench—job done, role secure, no further questions. In short, it was classic Drew.

Jeremy Jones – Memphis Grizzlies

5.0 PPG • 2.0 RPG • 1.3 APG • 13.2 MPG • 39.3% FG • 38.5% 3PT (10-26) • 100% FT (3-3)

Jeremy Jones came into Summer League play with the Memphis Grizzlies toting a reputation as the ultimate glue guy and floor-spacer, and across six games—three in Salt Lake City and three in Las Vegas—he worked hard to make that role stick. The outside shooting was his clear focus from the start, for better or worse: in his second SLC appearance, he went 1-of-5 from deep and 1-of-6 overall. He bounced back two nights later with a clean 4-of-6 performance from three against Philadelphia, finishing with 12 points, 3 assists, and 3 rebounds in just 14 minutes. By the time the Vegas games rolled around, Jones had settled into a narrow role—defend the wing, move without the ball, and shoot when open. That role reached its peak against the Clippers, where he played 18 minutes and posted 9 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals while shooting 4-of-6 from the field and finally stepping inside the arc. Over two weeks, he showed flashes of everything he brings to the table—motor, unselfishness, off-ball feel—and by the end, it looked like he had stepped back from hunting threes and doubled down on what he’s always done well. The scoring caught up once the pressure to prove it eased off. Whether that leads to another season with the Memphis Hustle in the G-League or another stop overseas, Jones once again made a strong case for being the kind of role player with the intangibles and effort coaches value.