By R.L. Bynum
There will be plenty of Tar Heels to watch during the NBA Summer League, from lottery pick Caleb Wilson to players coming off their rookie NBA seasons to a three-year pro veteran in Pete Nance.
The paths look different for every former Carolina player, but the goal is the same for all of them: prove they belong.
RJ Davis, San Antonio Spurs
Davis was the first Tar Heel to play in this year’s Summer League and nearly won the game with a late shot.
Davis came off a screen from Tarris Reid Jr. and attempted an off-balance, contested 3-pointer with 2.5 seconds left in the opener of the California Classic on Friday night that could have won the game. Davis’ shot bounded off the back of the rim as the San Antonio Spurs lost 88–87 to the Miami Heat at the Chase Center in San Francisco.
Davis was a team-high +16, coming off the bench to score 15 points in a little less than 18½ minutes, going 4-of-8 from the floor and 3-of-5 from 3-point range with three assists and two rebounds. His 3-pointer with 2:18 left trimmed the Spurs’ deficit to five points.
This is the second Summer League for Davis, who played for the Los Angeles Lakers last summer, scoring 43 points in just over 102 minutes over seven games.
Davis is playing for the Spurs after one season with the Los Angeles Lakers’ G League team but not getting a Summer League invitation from them.
Many expected Davis to suit up for the Lakers again this summer after he earned All-NBA G League Rookie Team honors, but Los Angeles left him off its roster in favor of a younger group of prospects.
Davis is joining a Spurs organization coming off its NBA Finals loss to the New York Knicks, lining up alongside 2026 draft picks Carter Bryant, Jayden Quaintance and Tarris Reed.
Davis appeared in 36 regular-season games (31 starts) for the South Bay Lakers last season, averaging 18.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 4.9 assists in 29.2 minutes while shooting 45.9% on 3-pointers. He also played in 13 Tip-Off Tournament games (10 starts), putting up 18.8 points, 3.9 rebounds and 4.8 assists in 30.6 minutes, performances that earned him a spot in the G League Next Up Game during NBA All-Star Weekend.
Height remains the question mark NBA evaluators keep coming back to, but scoring at all three levels, setting up teammates and rebounding at a high rate give him a shot at making an NBA roster.
Nance and Cormac Ryan, Milwaukee Bucks
Nance no longer needs Summer League to save his career, but he is using it anyway after three professional seasons.
The 26-year-old forward converted his two-way contract into a multiyear standard deal with Milwaukee on March 23, closing out a 2025–26 season in which he appeared in 47 total games (six starts), averaging 5.4 points, 2.7 rebounds and one assist.
Nance made his case for the conversion late in the year, contributing 13 points, seven rebounds and two blocks against Cleveland while filling in for an injured Giannis Antetokounmpo. He heads to Las Vegas as a known commodity for a Bucks team that went 1–4 at Summer League a year ago with Nance on the team.
Cormac Ryan returns to Milwaukee’s roster on a two-way contract, giving the Bucks a pair of familiar faces from last season’s group as they build around lottery pick Brayden Burries and second-year forward Bogoljub Marković..
Drake Powell, Brooklyn Nets
Powell missed the Summer League before his rookie season because of a left knee injury, so will be making his debut.
The Nets wing is coming off an uneven rookie season and used his Tuesday media availability to lay out what he’s been working on since the year ended.
“It’s been good. I’m just spending time in the gym, the weight room, trying to get better each and every day,” Powell said following a Summer League practice.
He pointed specifically to strength training as his priority this offseason.
“The main thing was the weight room, trying to build some muscle, get stronger and add to my athleticism, just being able to move well on the court,” Powell said.
Brooklyn drafted three players in June and returns four members of its 2025 class, Powell among them, giving the Nets one of the more experienced Summer League rosters in the league.
With veterans Michael Porter Jr. and Julius Randle now part of the Brooklyn mix, Powell will need to show real growth on both ends of the floor to lock down a rotation spot.
Seth Trimble, Washington Wizards
Trimble went undrafted, but he didn’t wait long to find a home, signing with Washington as an undrafted free agent days after the draft wrapped. Trimble closed out a four-year career at Carolina averaging 14.0 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.3 steals in 32½ minutes per game as a senior, earning All-ACC Honorable Mention honors and shooting 47.8% from the field.
He became known as much for his defense and leadership as for his shot-making, and his athletic testing backed that up at last month’s G League Draft Combine, where he posted a combine-best 43.5-inch max vertical leap and finished second overall in the shuttle run.
Washington is rebuilding around No. 1 overall pick AJ Dybantsa, which should mean plenty of open minutes for Trimble to make an impression this summer, with his defensive versatility giving him the clearest path to a two-way deal or an Exhibit 10 opportunity.
Henri Veesaar, Atlanta Hawks
Veesaar’s draft night didn’t go the way he expected. Once projected as a late first-round pick, the 6–11 center slipped all the way to No. 52, where Atlanta traded up from No. 57 to grab him in a deal with the Los Angeles Clippers.
Veesaar averaged a career-best 17.0 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.2 blocked shots on 60.8% shooting from the field and 42.6% on 3-pointers last season at UNC, numbers that ranked eighth in the ACC in scoring and fourth in rebounding. He earned All-ACC Second Team honors after transferring from Arizona, where he redshirted a season because of an elbow injury.
The slide clearly stung, but Veesaar said the people around him have kept him grounded through it.
“I feel like for me it’s just the people around me,” Veesaar said. “I know they have my back, and diving into basketball, enjoying the process of getting better.”
As a second-round pick on a Hawks Summer League roster that also includes lottery selections Kingston Flemings and Zuby Ejiofor, Veesaar’s team should be competitive.
Wilson, Chicago Bulls
No one will be watched more in the Summer League, however many games he plays, than Wilson.
He’ll be motivated after he was picked fourth behind three players he outplayed during his only season at UNC: Washington’s Dybantsa, Utah’s Darryn Peterson and Memphis’ Cameron Boozer.
“I played all of them. What happened when I played them is what happened, and it doesn’t really matter,” Wilson said at his introductory news conference. “I don’t really care about the media rankings. I’m a competitor. I get to play them in Summer League too. So whatever needs to be done to prove that I’m on the same level or that I’m better, I’ll do it.”
Subscribe to read Tar Heel Tribune ad-free
Subscribe for a cleaner, smoother reading experience without the flashing banners, slow-loading elements, or those especially annoying pop‑up ads that interrupt the flow of the story. You’ll also get the first version of each story emailed to you. The only ads you’ll see are static, non-intrusive ads for UNC‑related books, and there are none currently on the site.
Summer League Tar Heels
Friday, July 3, result
— Heat 88, Spurs 87 | RJ Davis: didn’t start, 18:20, 15 points, 4–8 FG, 3–5 3FG, 2–3 FT, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 foul, team-high +16
Saturday, July 4, results
— Bucks 97, Warriors Blue 83 | Cormac Ryan: started, 18:39, 13 points, 3–8 FG, 3–6 3FG, 3–3 FT, 2 turnovers, 3 fouls, +5 | Pete Nance: didn’t play (coach’s decision)
— Jazz 103, Hawks 102, OT | Henri Veesaar: didn’t start, 18:12, 5 points, 2–4 FG, 1–3 3FG, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 fouls, -13
— Kings 79, Nets 76 | Drake Powell: started: 27:01, 4 points, 0–9 FG, 0–5 3FG, 2–3 FT, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 3 turnovers, 2 fouls, -5
Sunday, July 5, results
— Nets 89, Bucks 69 | Neither Drake Powell, Cormac Ryan nor Pete Nance active for game
— Warriors Gold team 98, Spurs 69 | RJ Davis: didn’t start, 21:20, 2 points, 1–9 FG, 0–5 3FG, 1–1 FT, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 block, 3 turnovers, 2 fouls, team-low -22
Monday, July 6, results
— Hawks 82, Thunder 77 | Henri Veesaar: didn’t start, 16:48, 2 points, 1–4 FG, 0–1 3FG, 7 rebounds, team-low -11
— Lakers 88, Spurs 84 | RJ Davis: started, 29:25, 18 points, 7–16 FG, 2–7 3FG, 2–4 FT, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 turnovers, 3 fouls, team-high +10
— Nets 100, Warriors Gold team 79 | Drake Powell: started, 23:20, 2 points, 1–8 FG, 0–4 3FG, 4 rebounds, 1 steal, 2 turnovers, 3 fouls, +20
— Kings 95, Bucks 89 | Cormac Ryan: not active for game
Tuesday, July 7, result
— Hawks 92, Grizzlies 82 | Henri Veesaar: Started, 23:32, 11 points, 4–9 FG, 2–5 3FG, 1–2 FT, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 1 block 4 turnovers, 5 fouls, +5
All games below are in Las Vegas
Thursday, July 9, results
— Hawks 93, Spurs 66:
* Henri Veesaar (Hawks): didn’t start, 19:00, 14 points, 5–8 FG, 2–5 3FG, 1–2 FT, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block, 1 turnover, 2 fouls, +17; Summer League totals: 8.0 points, 48 FG%, 45.7 3P%, 2–4 FT, 5.2 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 2 blocks
* RJ Davis (Spurs): started; 24:42, 12 points, 5–10 FG, 0–3 3FG, 2–3 FT, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 3 turnovers, 1 foul, team-low -20
— Wizards 92, Jazz 88 | Seth Trimble: didn’t start; 11:45, 2 points, 1–2 FG, 0–1 3FG, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 1 foul, +6
Friday, July 10, results
— Heat 119, Bucks 86:
* Pete Nance: started, 26;15, 16 points, 6–10 FG, 4–8 3FG, 7 rebounds, 2 blocks, 1 turnover, 2 fouls, -14 (first game of the summer)
* Cormac Ryan: didn’t start, 22:07, 7 points, 2–7 FG, 1–4 3FG, 1–1 FT, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 blocks, 4 turnovers, 3 fouls, team-low -28
— Nets 91, Knicks 65 | Drake Powell: started; 20:55, 1 point, 0–7 FG, 0–3 3FG, 1–1 FT, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 fouls, +7 |
— Grizzlies 97, Bulls 96 | Caleb Wilson: started, 32:56, 35 points,12–21 FG, 7–11 3FG, 2–6 FT, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, 3 blocks, 6 turnovers, 2 fouls, -11
Saturday, July 11, results
— Spurs 70, Knicks 49 | RJ Davis: didn’t start, 18:16, 5 points, 2–9 FG, 1–5 3FG, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 3 turnovers, 1 foul, +4
— Hawks 83, Nets 76:
* Henri Veesaar: didn’t start, 16:52, 6 points, 3–5 FG, 0–1 3FG, 0–1 FT, 1 rebound, 2 assists, 2 blocks, 1 turnover, 2 fouls, +15
* Drake Powell: started, 4 points, 0–4 FG, 0–2 3FG, 2–2 FT, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 turnover, +1
Sunday, July 12, results
— Wizards 104, Kings 85 | Seth Trimble: didn’t start; 20:07, 8 points, 3–10 FT, 0–3 3FG, 1–1 FT, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 1 foul, -4
— Spurs 90, Bucks 80
* RJ Davis: started; 28:54, 20 points, 6–16 FG, 2–7 3FG, 4–7 FT, 1 rebound, 3 assists, 2 steals, 1 turnover, 1 foul, game-high +22
* Pete Nance: started, 23:54, 8 points, 3–6 FG, 2–4 FT, 0–1 FT, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 block, 2 turnovers, 7 fouls, +2
* Cormac Ryan: didn’t start; 15 points, 5–13 FG, 3–7 3FG, 1–4 FT, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 steals, 3 turnovers, 3 fouls, team-low -9 | Summer League totals: 5 games, 42 points, 12–35 FG, 7–21 3FG, 6–10 FT, 21 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 blocks
Monday‘s results
— Hawks 102, Celtics 90 | Henri Veesaar: started, 23:08, 20 points, 7–12 FG, 4–6 3FG, 1–2 FT, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 3 turnovers, 3 fouls, -7 | Veesaar Summer League totals: 6 games, 9.7 points, 52.4 FG%, 42.9 3P%, 42.9 FT%, 4.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 0.5 of a steal, 0.8 of a block
— Jazz 80, Bulls 63 | Caleb Wilson: started, 29:27, 19 points, 8–17 FG, 3–8 3FG, 0–6 FT, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 5 blocks, 4 turnovers, 5 fouls, -14
— Suns 95, Bucks 88 | Pete Nance: started; 23:30, 7 points, 3–7 FG, 1–2 3FG, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 2 fouls, -10 | Cormac Ryan didn’t play (coach’s decision)
Tuesday’s results
— Nets 115, Kings 83 | Drake Powell: started, 21:04, 18 points, 6–10 FG, 4–7 3FG, 1–1 FT, 1 rebound, 2 steals, 1 block, 2 turnovers, 4 fouls, +16
— Bulls 99, Wizards 87:
* Caleb Wilson: started. 23:51, 19 points, 7–15 FG, 2–6 3FG, 1–1 FT. 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block, 3 turnovers, 3 fouls, -1
* Seth Trimble: started, 27:51, 27:51, 13 points, 2–7 FG, 1–3 3FG, 4–4 FT, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 3 turnovers, 5 fouls, -9
Wednesday’s results
— Bucks 110, Hornets 91 | Pete Nance: started, 26:35, 11 points, 4–9 FG, 3–8 3FG, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 2 turnovers, 4 fouls, game-high +25 | Nance Summer League totals: 4 games, 10.5 points, 60.0 FG%, 45.5 3P%, 0–1 FT, 3.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 0.5 of a steal, 1.0 block | Cormac Ryan didn’t play (coach’s decision) |
— Spurs 94, Jazz 82 | RJ Davis: started; 14 points, 5–12 FG, 1–6 3FG, 1–1 FT, 12 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 4 turnovers, 1 foul, +3
— Clippers 108, Wizards 94 | Seth Trimble: started; 26:59, 24 points, 8–12 FG, 2–5 3FG, 4–5 FT, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block, 2 turnovers, 3 fouls, team-low -22
Thursday’s results
— Rockets 100, Nets 83 | Drake Powell: started, 24:46, 6 points, 1–6 FG, 0–4 3FG, 2–2 FT, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 turnover, 3 steals, 1 block , -13 | Powell Summer League totals: 6 games, 5.8 points,18.2 FG%, 16.0 3P%, 88.9 FT%, 3.2 rebounds, 1.0 assist, 1.2 steals, 0.3 of a block, 1.7 turnovers
— Lakers 105, Bulls 82 | Caleb Wilson: started, 24:25, 21 points, 7–15 FG, 1–6 3fG, 3–5 FT, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 8 turnovers, 4 fouls, -26 | Wilson Summer League totals: 4 games, 23.5 points, 50.0 FG%, 41.9 3P%, 33.3 FT%, 7.2 rebounds, 1.2 steals, 2.5 blocks, 5.2 turnovers
— Grizzlies 96, Hawks 64 | Henri Veesaar: started, 5 points, 2–6 FG, 1–3 3FG, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block, 3 turnovers, 6 fouls, -20
Saturday’s consolation results
Bucks 96, Sixers 94 | Pete Nance: started, 25:48, 11 points, 3–7 FG, 3–6 3FG, 1–1 FT, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 turnovers, 2 fouls, -10 | Cormac Ryan didn’t play
Wizards 91, Hawks 83
* Henri Veesaar: started, 23:20, 6 points, 1–8 FG, 0–3 3FG, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 turnovers, 1 steal, 2 blocks, +16 | Veesaar Summer League totals: 8 games, 8.6 points, 44.6 FG%, 37.0 3P%, 55.6 FT%, 4.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 0.6 of a steal, 1.0 block, 2.4 turnovers
* Seth Trimble: started, 29:43, 7 points, 3–9 FG, 1–3 3FG, 6 rebounds, 2 turnovers, 1 steal, 1 block, +3 | Trimble Summer League totals: 5 games, 10.8 points, 42.5 FG%, 26.7 3P%, 90.0 FT%, 4.0 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.6 steals, 0.4 of a block, 1.4 turnovers
Spurs 86, Suns 81 | RJ Davis: started, 31:52, 11 points, 4–13 FG, 0–6 3FG, 2–3 FT, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 3 turnovers, -4 | Davis Summer League totals: 8 games, 12.1 points, 37.0 FG%, 20.5 3FG%, 59.1 FT%, 3.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.0 steal, 2.4 turnovers
Sunday’s consolation result
Nets 109, Thunder 90 | Drake Powell didn’t play
The Las Vegas schedule reflects each team’s first four Summer League games there, which count toward tournament seeding. The top four teams advance to the semifinals July 18, with the championship game July 19. TV assignments for several later-round games were still to be determined.
Note that an experimental one-free-throw rule is in place. One, two and three free-throw sequences produce a single attempt worth the same total points, except for the final two minutes of the fourth quarter and all overtime periods when standard free‑throw rules apply.
