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We’ve hit NBA Summer League season. While there have been a few games the last couple of days, Summer League starts in earnest in Las Vegas on Thursday.
There were two players drafted straight from mid-major programs last month: Allen Graves from Santa Clara and Izaiyah Nelson, most recently from South Florida. So, which one of them will have a better performance at Summer League?
Allen Graves (Toronto Raptors)
Graves was the only player taken directly from a mid-major squad (Santa Clara) in the first round when the Raptors selected him 19th overall.
The redshirt freshman made the most of his one season hitting the court and won both WCC Freshman and Sixth Man of the Year. The 6-foot-9 forward averaged 11.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.9 steals, 1.8 assists and 0.9 blocks per game over 22.6 minutes a night. He scored double digits in all but one game since Jan. 4, which included a 30-point performance at Washington State.
What a run it’s been for Santa Clara the last five years. Graves is the third Bronco taken in the first round in that span (Brandin Podziemski 19th in 2023 and Jalen Williams 12th in 2022). Both of them have gone on to have solid pro careers, so maybe Graves is the next.
Izaiyah Nelson (Orlando Magic)
The 2026 AAC Player of the Year spent just one season with the Bulls. The 6-foot-10 big man nearly averaged a double-double with 15.9 points and 9.6 rebounds a game. He shot 56% from the floor while also posting 1.6 steals, 1.4 blocks and 1.2 assists a night.
The Marietta, Ga., native started his college career with three seasons at Arkansas State. Nelson posted 21.5 points and 8.9 rebounds his junior year.
NBA Summer League runs July 9-19 in Las Vegas.
