Kentucky taking over the 2022 NBA Las Vegas Summer League

The Kentucky men’s basketball program has heavily infiltrated the NBA ranks over the last decade-plus. Head coach John Calipari has pumped out draft pick after draft pick since arriving in Lexington in 2009, and now you can’t turn on an NBA game without at least one former Wildcat roaming the hardwood. During the 2021-22 season, a total of 23 one-time Kentucky hoopers suited up for an NBA team, which didn’t include injured players such as John Wall and Jamal Murray.

The upcoming 2022-23 season should see that number inch closer to 30.

Over the coming weeks, a group of former Wildcats either already in the league or on the brink of making it big will look to make an impression on front-office executives around the association. By KSR’s count, a total of 14 players with connections to UK will suit up for various teams in the looming 2022 NBA Las Vegas Summer League.

Vegas is actually the third stop on the NBA’s Summer League tour. The first two stops, San Francisco (July 2-5) and Salt Lake City (July 5-7), were/are brief, three-day stints before Las Vegas takes control as the premier event. Officially dubbed the NBA 2K23 Summer League, Las Vegas will play host from July 7-17 where all 30 NBA teams will bring a roster.

All games will be available to stream live on the ESPN app or on NBA TV. The final two days of the camp, July 16 and 17, will feature a tournament for the top teams from the event.

Now let’s dive into the 14 former ‘Cats heading to Las Vegas in a couple of days.

Nick Richards – Charlotte Hornets

This will be the third Summer League for Nick Richards, who steadily improved his role with the Hornets over his first two seasons. He appeared in 50 games this past season, averaging 3.0 points and 1.7 rebounds in 7.3 minutes per outing. Richards is actually the only soon-to-be third-year pro on the Charlotte roster, with the hope that he dominates the competition and assumes a bigger role this coming season. This is the final year of Richards’ rookie contract, so every minute will be important.

Friday, July 8 – 6:00 p.m. EST (ESPN2) vs. Pacers
Sunday, July 10 – 9:30 p.m. EST (NBA TV) vs. Lakers
Wednesday, July 13 – 5:00 p.m. EST (ESPNU) vs. Cavaliers
Thursday, July 14 – 6:00 p.m. EST (ESPN2) vs. Bulls

Ashton Hagans – Cleveland Cavaliers

It’s been an up-and-down journey for Ashton Hagans since leaving Kentucky in 2020. He initially signed a two-way deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves out of college but was soon waived after violating the league’s COVID-19 protocols. An injury last summer prevented him from competing, so this year will be critical in his path to making an NBA roster. Hagans actually played two games with the Wolves during the ’19-20 season but has yet to carve out a role at this level.

Friday, July 8 – 5:00 p.m. EST (NBA TV) vs. Spurs
Sunday, July 10 – 7:00 p.m. EST (ESPNU) vs. Nuggets
Wednesday, July 13 – 5:00 p.m. EST (ESPNU) vs. Hornets
Thursday, July 14 – 5:30 p.m. EST (NBA TV) vs. Pistons

Kellan Grady – Denver Nuggets

One of three (or four, technically) rookie ‘Cats to take the floor this summer, Kellan Grady might be the most intriguing to watch. His injuries toward the end of his final college season were well-documented after the fact, so I’m interested to see how his recovery has gone since then and how he’ll be able to produce. Grady should have a great shot to make an NBA roster in the coming years, especially if he does more off the ball than he did during his lone season at UK, which is what front offices will be keeping a close eye on.

Friday, July 8 – 9:00 p.m. EST (NBA TV) vs. Timberwolves
Sunday, July 10 – 7:00 p.m. EST (ESPNU) vs. Cavaliers
Wednesday, July 13 – 10:00 p.m. EST (NBA TV) vs. Clippers
Friday, July 15 – 6:00 p.m. EST (NBA TV) vs. 76ers

TyTy Washington Jr. – Houston Rockets

After slipping to the backend of the first round in June’s NBA Draft, TyTy Washington Jr. joins a pretty stacked roster that includes the likes of Jabari Smith Jr., Josh Christopher, Tari Eason, Usman Garuba, and Daishen Nix. He appears to be in a great position to thrive alongside so many prospects who will most likely be on NBA rosters this season. Like Grady, the front office folks in Houston will be keeping an eye on Washington’s production post-injury, which is believed to be the reason he slipped further down than expected.

Thursday, July 7 – 10:00 p.m. EST (ESPN) vs. Magic
Saturday, July 9 – 8:00 p.m. EST (ESPN2) vs. Thunder
Monday, July 11 – 7:00 p.m. EST (ESPN) vs. Spurs
Thursday, July 14 – 9:30 p.m. EST (NBA TV) vs. Trail Blazers

Isaiah Jackson – Indiana Pacers

It only feels like a matter of time before Isaiah Jackson assumes a larger role with the Pacers. Starting center Myles Turner has been rumored as a trade possibility for years now and the Pacers don’t look to be fighting for serious playoff contention any time soon. Perhaps the front office wants to see if Jackson is overwhelmingly better than the competition at Summer League before making any final decision on trading Turner. Jackson had moments as a rookie last season, but Indiana will be hoping for a lot more from a player they used a first-round pick on.

Friday, July 8 – 6:00 p.m. EST (ESPN2) vs. Hornets
Sunday, July 10 – 3:00 p.m. EST (ESPN) vs. Kings
Tuesday, July 12 – 9:00 p.m. EST (NBA TV) vs. Pistons
Friday, July 15 – 9:00 p.m. EST (ESPN2) vs. Wizards

Brandon Boston Jr. – LA Clippers

Brandon Boston Jr. had some impressive moments as a rookie with the LA Clippers last year as the franchise hopes it landed a second-round steal. That hope could become a reality starting this Summer League if Boston can outplay the majority of the competition. He didn’t shoot it all that well during his 51 games with the Clips a season ago. I’ll be looking for Boston to pour in buckets efficiently against players he should be better than.

Saturday, July 9 – 9:30 p.m. EST (NBA TV) vs. Grizzlies
Tuesday, July 12 – 11:00 p.m. EST (NBA TV) vs. Lakers
Wednesday, July 13 – 10:00 p.m. EST (NBA TV) vs. Nuggets
Friday, July 15 – 5:00 p.m. EST (ESPN2) vs. Jazz

Sacha Killeya-Jones – Los Angeles Lakers

While he wasn’t the most memorable player at Kentucky before transferring, Sacha Killeya-Jones still qualifies to make this list. He left Lexington after two seasons for NC State, although he did not play a game with the Wolfpack before going pro. Killeya-Jones has made basketball stops across the globe since going undrafted in 2019 and will look to make the NBA leap with an impressive run at Summer League.

Friday, July 8 – 10:00 p.m. EST (ESPN2) vs. Suns
Sunday, July 10 – 9:30 p.m. EST (NBA TV) vs. Hornets
Tuesday, July 12 – 11:00 p.m. EST (NBA TV) vs. Clippers
Friday, July 15 – 11:00 p.m. EST (ESPN2) vs. Pelicans

Mychal Mulder – Miami Heat

The old man of this group, 28-year-old Mychal Mulder is no stranger to Summer League. After going undrafted in 2017, he’s made multiple stops in the association, playing with several G League programs along with a trio of NBA teams: the Golden State Warriors, Orlando Magic, and Miami Heat. Mulder is currently on a two-way deal with the Heat and will have a shot to make the team’s final roster for the ’22-23 season, but a good showing at Summer League might be necessary to pull that off.

Saturday, July 9 – 5:30 p.m. EST (NBA TV) vs. Celtics
Tuesday, July 12 – 7:00 p.m. EST (NBA TV) vs. Hawks
Wednesday, July 13 – 9:00 p.m. EST (ESPN2) vs. 76ers
Friday, July 15 – 10:00 p.m. EST (NBA TV) vs. Raptors

Kahlil Whitney – Minnesota Timberwolves

While his time at Kentucky wasn’t very memorable, Kahlil Whitney is still part of the Big Blue Nation. He’s spent most of his post-UK basketball career in the G League and Canada so far but is looking to make a leap to the NBA. The former five-star recruit will have to make a big statement during this event if he wants to make that happen.

Friday, July 8 – 9:00 p.m. EST (NBA TV) vs. Nuggets
Sunday, July 10 – 9:00 p.m. EST (ESPNU) vs. Grizzlies
Wednesday, July 13 – 4:00 p.m. EST (ESPNU) vs. Bucks
Thursday, July 14 – 10:00 p.m. EST (ESPN) vs. Nets

Olivier Sarr – Phoenix Suns

Olivier Sarr played 22 games with the Oklahoma City Thunder (including a pair of starts) a season ago where he was actually quite productive for a bad team. He averaged 7.0 points and 4.2 rebounds on 57.4 percent shooting in 19.1 minutes per contest. Sarr should step into this camp as one of the top overall prospects with NBA teams keeping a close eye on him. This will be an important stretch of games for the 7-footer looking to stay in the league.

Friday, July 8 – 10:00 p.m. EST (ESPN2) vs. Lakers
Sunday, July 10 – 5:30 p.m. EST (NBA TV) vs. Wizards
Tuesday, July 12 – 10:30 p.m. EST (ESPN) vs. Mavericks
Friday, July 15 – 8:00 p.m. EST (NBA TV) vs. Kings

Shaedon Sharpe – Portland Trail Blazers

Yes, we’re going to include Shaedon Sharpe in this article. The No. 7 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft will have plenty of eyes on him during his inaugural Summer League run, which will be the first time anyone has seen him play real basketball games in a year. Three of Portland’s four games will be on ESPN networks, including a showdown against the Pistons and No. 5 overall pick Jaden Ivey on the main channel. I can’t speak for you all reading this, but I will be locked into all four of Sharpe’s games.

Friday, July 8 – 12:00 p.m. EST (ESPN) vs. Pistons
Saturday, July 9 – 10:00 p.m. EST (ESPN2) vs. Pelicans
Monday, July 11 – 11:00 p.m. EST (ESPN2) vs. Knicks
Thursday, July 14 – 9:30 p.m. EST (NBA TV) vs. Rockets

Nate Sestina – Sacramento Kings

Nate Sestina has already taken the floor for the Kings during the San Fransisco Summer League and will continue his run with the team in Vegas. He averaged 5.0 points and 4.0 rebounds while playing 16.9 minutes across two games where he shot just 30.0 percent from the floor. Sestina has been playing international basketball for the last couple of years, where he’s found success, but the NBA has eluded him so far. He’ll need a far better performance in Vegas than what he produced in California earlier this month.

Saturday, July 9 – 4:00 p.m. EST (ESPN) vs. Magic
Sunday, July 10 – 3:00 p.m. EST (ESPN) vs. Pacers
Wednesday, July 13 – 8:00 p.m. EST (NBA TV) vs. Thunder
Friday, July 15 – 8:00 p.m. EST (NBA TV) vs. Suns

Johnny Juzang – Utah Jazz

A minor car accident prevented Johnny Juzang from practicing over the weekend, but he’s expected to be ready to go for Summer League action in Vegas. The former Wildcat turned UCLA Bruin went unselected in the 2022 NBA Draft, but he’ll reportedly get picked up on a two-way deal with the Jazz ahead of the upcoming season. Juzang should be able to go out and play without too much pressure, especially considering Utah is on the verge of an all-out rebuild.

Saturday, July 9 – 7:30 p.m. EST (NBA TV) vs. Hawks
Monday, July 11 – 10:00 p.m. EST (NBA TV) vs. Mavericks
Wednesday, July 13 – 7:00 p.m. EST (ESPN2) vs. Raptors
Friday, July 15 – 5:00 p.m. EST (ESPN2) vs. Clippers

Davion Mintz – Washington Wizards

Last but certainly not least, Davion Mintz will make his professional debut with the Wizards. The fan-favorite shooting guard wasn’t drafted in June but was quickly picked up by Washington in the aftermath. It’ll admittedly be an uphill climb for Mintz to ultimately crack an NBA roster, but there will be no better time to make a first impression than what he’ll have in Vegas.

Saturday, July 9 – 6:00 p.m. EST (ESPN2) vs. Pistons
Sunday, July 10 – 5:30 p.m. EST (NBA TV) vs. Suns
Wednesday, July 13 – 6:00 p.m. EST (NBA TV) vs. Pelicans
Friday, July 15 – 9:00 p.m. EST (ESPN2) vs. Pacers