How Gonzaga’s Summer League Standouts Can Lock Up NBA Deals

The NBA Summer League offers a proving ground for players on the edge of professional rosters, and this year, a wave of former Gonzaga Bulldogs will use the showcase to push for the next step in their careers. Drew Timme will compete during the Summer League for the Brooklyn Nets, but arrives in Las Vegas with a fully secured NBA contract already in hand.

The rest—Nolan Hickman, Ryan Nembhard, Ben Gregg, Khalif Battle, Anton Watson, and Jeremy Jones—enter the Summer League in search of roster spots, two-way deals, or invitations to training camp. Each will have the chance to demonstrate the skills, toughness, and consistency required to move from hopeful to established in the unforgiving world of professional basketball this month.

Zag fans will have a lot to keep track of in terms of off-season former Zag basketball viewership, so links to Summer League schedules, rosters, and broadcast times have been included below.

Ryan Nembhard – Dallas Mavericks

Ryan Nembhard arrives in the Summer League as one of the smartest bets Dallas made all offseason. Undrafted but immediately signed to a two-way deal, Nembhard gives the Mavericks exactly what they need: a pure point guard who can run an offense, make the game easier for scorers, and stay out of his own way. The Mavericks didn’t have to give up a pick or a player to land him, and with the team investing in youth—building around top pick Cooper Flagg—Nembhard’s skill set could slot in fast. His feel for the game, pace control, and vision have never been in doubt. What he’ll need to show is that he can knock down open threes, initiate offense without hesitation, and make everyone around him look better every possession. Dallas has bodies in the backcourt—D’Angelo Russell, Dante Exum, Brandon Williams—but none of them pass the ball the way Nembhard does, and none have locked down the long-term future of the position. If he can keep the floor spaced and the ball moving, Nembhard has more than a shot to stick—he has a path to minutes.

Nolan Hickman – Dallas Mavericks

For Nolan Hickman, Summer League marks the next chapter in a career shaped by persistence, growth, and one of the smoothest shooting strokes to come through Gonzaga in recent years. The former McDonald’s All-American started 105 games in Spokane, appeared in 139, and closed out his senior season shooting 44.5% from three and 93.1% from the line—efficiency numbers that give him a clear calling card at the next level. Hickman’s scoring touch has never been the question, but going undrafted means he now faces the challenge of showing NBA decision-makers he can defend at pace, make quick reads under pressure, and create just enough off the bounce to avoid being typecast as a spot-up shooter. His career had its share of highs and lows, but Hickman leaves Gonzaga as a more complete player than he arrived—a poised, experienced guard with the shooting touch to warrant a real opportunity. To turn a Summer League shot into a roster spot, he’ll need to make his case immediately.

Ben Gregg – Boston Celtics

Ben Gregg may already have his next move lined up with SIG Strasbourg in France, but the former Gonzaga forward will use the Summer League with the Boston Celtics as a chance to showcase his game on an NBA stage before heading overseas. Gregg appeared in 141 games across five seasons in Spokane, earning the nickname Mr. Zag for his leadership, grit, and floor-spacing ability. He posted career highs last season with 9.1 points and 4.9 rebounds per game, though his once-reliable three-point shot dipped to 27.1%. Strasbourg praised Gregg’s character, versatility, and work ethic in announcing his signing, and the 6-foot-10 forward’s energy, rebounding, and willingness to do the dirty work should make him a valuable addition to the French club. In Las Vegas, Gregg has an opportunity to remind scouts of the shooting touch he showed earlier in his college career while flashing the physicality and basketball IQ that turned him into one of the most respected players in Gonzaga’s program. His professional future may be set for now, but a strong showing could help keep the NBA door cracked open

Khalif Battle – Phoenix Suns

For Khalif Battle, the pathway to an NBA contract runs straight through the dirty work. The former Gonzaga guard arrives in Las Vegas with a reputation as a pure scorer—he averaged 13.6 points per game last season, shot 93.2% from the free-throw line, and put up double figures in 28 of 35 games—but scoring alone won’t keep him on a roster. To earn a two-way or Exhibit 10 deal with Phoenix, Battle will need to show he can impact the game when the ball isn’t in his hands: setting hard screens, rebounding with force, and playing physical, committed defense at the point of attack. He has the size, athleticism, and strength to become a problem on the glass—an area that wasn’t fully tapped at Gonzaga—and his ability to get to the foul line, once a signature skill earlier in his college career, will need to resurface against pro-level defenders. If Battle can blend his shot-making with effort on the boards, toughness on defense, and smarter off-ball movement, he has a real shot to stick, even in a crowded backcourt.

Anton Watson – New York Knicks

Anton Watson heads back to Summer League with the New York Knicks needing to do the one thing Mark Few spent five years pleading for him to do: assert himself. At 6-foot-8, 233 pounds with a 7-foot wingspan, Watson has always had the physical tools—broad frame, natural strength, defensive feel—to guard multiple positions, switch onto wings, and disrupt passing lanes. He finished second all-time at Gonzaga in steals and shot 41% from three in his final college season, but through his first pro campaign—including a 12.1-point, 5.1-rebound run in the G League—he still hasn’t consistently imposed himself. His outside shooting in Maine dipped to 31%, his free-throw struggles persisted, and too often he blended into the action rather than shaping it. To carve out an NBA role, Watson needs to be loud: crash the glass with violence, punish smaller defenders on the block, take open shots without hesitation, and bring physicality to every single possession. The players with Anton’s size and skill set who stick—players like Grant Williams—survive because they make their versatility indispensable. Watson has the size, the skill, and the smarts. Now he needs the edge.

Jeremy Jones – Memphis Grizzlies

Jeremy Jones is using the Salt Lake City Summer League to showcase the kind of versatility and toughness that has kept his professional career moving forward across four countries and the G League. The former Gonzaga forward has already logged two appearances with the Memphis Grizzlies, playing 12 minutes in his debut against the Thunder where he finished with three points, one assist, and one steal, followed by an 11-minute outing with five points, two rebounds, and a perfect 2-for-2 from the line despite a cold shooting night from deep. At 6-foot-7, with the size, athleticism, and defensive activity to guard multiple positions, Jones brings exactly the kind of energy and adaptability teams look for in Summer League: a player who can fill gaps, scrap for loose balls, and contribute without the offense running through him. His time with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers last season—where he averaged 5.5 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.2 steals—only sharpened the edges of his game. For Jones, the opportunity is clear: keep defending, keep making hustle plays, and find a rhythm from three, and he has every chance to turn this showcase into the next step in a career that’s already defied expectations.