The 2025 edition of the NBA Summer League wrapped up over the weekend. Fourteen players with Nebraska ties received opportunities to compete in front of team executives, coaches and scouts.
Here’s a rundown of how each of them did.
Omaha Natives
John Tonje, Utah Jazz (Omaha Central/Wisconsin)
Stats: 10.0 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 2.5 APG, 3.0 TPG, 0.5 SPG, 33.3% FG (30.8% 3FG), 66.7% FT, 22.5 MPG, 2 GP, UTA 4-4
The Jazz competed in the Salt Lake City Summer League prior to heading to Vegas for the official NBA Summer League, giving them an additional three games for eight in all.
However, Tonje — who Utah took with the 43rd pick in the 2025 NBA Draft — only played in two games while dealing with a minor injury. He struggled in his second game, but his debut was a strong one.
The Omaha Central alumnus put up 16 points on 5-of-9 from the field (4-of-7 from 3) and 2-of-4 from the one while chipping in three boards, three assists and a steal. He hit a big 3 late in regulation, but the Jazz ended up falling to San Antonio in overtime. Even so, the Jazz outscored the Spurs by 15 in his 23 minutes on the court.
Hunter Sallis, Philadelphia 76ers (Millard North/Wake Forest)
Stats: 6.1 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 1.7 APG, 1.6 TPG, 1.3 SPG, 0.6 BPG, 28.0% FG (12.5% 3FG), 76.5% FT, 23.3 MPG, 7 GP
Sallis went undrafted but signed a two-way deal with the 76ers. He played in seven of their eight games between Utah and Las Vegas, starting a few.
The former Mustang’s best game came in a 91-90 win against Memphis in Salt Lake City. He put up 11 points on 4-of-9 shooting (1-of-3 from 3) and 1-of-2 from the line with two rebounds, two assists and a steal in 19 minutes.
Saint Thomas, Philadelphia 76ers (Millard North/USC)
Stats: 3.3 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 0.8 APG, 0.3 TPG, 38.5% FG (16.7% 3FG), 100% FT, 9.8 MPG, 4 GP
Thomas signed a Summer League deal with the 76ers after going undrafted, reuniting him with his former teammate in Sallis.
Thomas didn’t play in Utah but got an opportunity in Vegas, appearing in four of the 76ers’ five games, though he played limited minutes.
Thomas ended Summer league on a high note, playing 16 minutes in an 87-82 win against Brooklyn. He finished with nine points on 3-of-5 from the field (1-of-3 from 3) and 2-of-2 from the line, three steals, two boards, an assist and a block.
Chucky Hepburn, Toronto Raptors (Bellevue West/Louisville)
Stats: 3.8 PPG, 1.0 RPG, 3.6 APG, 1.6 TPG, 1.2 SPG, 22.7% FG (23.5% 3FG), 83.3% FT, 13.6 MPG, 5 GP
Hepburn signed a two-way deal with Toronto after going undrafted. For the Summer Raptors, he backed up Jamal Shead, the 45th pick in the 2024 draft who played in 75 games with 11 starts for the Raptors as a rookie.
Hepburn played in all five games as the Raptors made it to the semifinals before falling to Summer League runner-up Sacramento. Shots didn’t fall for him, but he dished out at least four assists in each of his first four games before scoring eight points in the semifinal loss. Hepburn finished with 18 assists to just eight turnovers, displaying his playmaking ability.
Frankie Fidler, Milwaukee Bucks (Bellevue West/Michigan State)
Fidler signed a Summer League deal with the Bucks after going undrafted but did not appear in a game in Vegas.
Creighton Bluejays
Baylor Scheierman, Boston Celtics
Stats: 12.3 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 6.8 APG, 1.8 TPG, 2.3 SPG, 27.4% FG (20.5% 3FG), 87.5% FT, 29.0 MPG
The Aurora native is heading into year two with Boston and got extensive run with the Summer Celtics in Vegas, starting four games before sitting the fifth. He was ice cold from deep, but the Celtics brass likely isn’t worried about that after he shot 41.1% on 10.1 3-point attempts per game in the G League as a rookie. Shots will eventually fall for him, and beyond the scoring he stuffed the stat sheet. The Celtics won his minutes in each of his four appearances.
Scheierman’s best performance came against Miami as he finished with 19 points, nine assists, five steals and three rebounds. He preceded that game with a 13-point, eight-rebounds, eight-assist, three-steal outing against New York.
Trey Alexander, New Orleans Pelicans
Stats: 9.5 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 2.8 APG, 1.3 TPG, 0.5 SPG, 38.5% FG (38.5% 3FG), 86.7% FT, 20.5 MPG, 4 GP
Alexander earned G League Rookie of the Year last season while playing on a two-way contract with Denver. However, the Nuggets cleaned house, signing a new general manager and head coach, and the Nuggets decided to use their two-ways on new players rather than retaining Alexander.
Instead, he signed a two-way deal with the Pelicans just a couple days before Summer League began. He played limited minutes in New Orleans’ first two games, didn’t play in the third then exploded in the fourth to finish with 25 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals while shooting 7-of-13 from the field (5-of-9 from 3) and 6-of-6 from the line in 25 minutes against Oklahoma City. The Pelicans won his minutes by five but lost the game by 14.
Ryan Kalkbrenner, Charlotte Hornets
Stats: 9.7 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 1.5 APG, 0.8 TPG, 0.7 SPG, 1.7 BPG, 56.4% FG (28.6% 3FG), 70.6% FT, 25.0 MPG, 6 GP
The 34th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft made a successful debut, starting all six games for the Summer League champion Charlotte Hornets.
Kalkbrenner didn’t post gaudy numbers, but he was solid throughout the two weeks and played his role. Charlotte won his minutes in every game, outscoring the opposition by 68 points in the 150 minutes the 7-footer was on the floor.
The rookie played his best in the championship, an 83-78 win against Sacramento on Sunday. He posted 15 points, nine rebounds, one block and one steal while shooting 5-of-6 from the field (1of-1 from 3) and 4-of-5 from the line. He also recorded the game-sealing block on a jump shot at the buzzer in Charlotte’s 96-94 win against Philadelphia in pool play.
Jamiya Neal, Charlotte Hornets
Neal signed a Summer League deal with the Hornets but only made one appearance, playing just under four minutes in a 22-point win against Dallas.
Steven Ashworth, Indiana Pacers
Stats: 3.8 PPG, 0.8 RPG, 2.4 APG, 2.4 TPG, 0.6 SPG, 33.3% FG (30.8% 3FG), 100% FT, 10.2 MPG, 5 GP
Ashworth signed an Exhibit 10 deal with the Pacers and played in all five games in Vegas off the bench. His best game came in a 91-88 win against the Knicks as he finished with six points on 2-of-3 from deep, four assists and two rebounds in 15 minutes.
Exhibit 10 contracts including a training camp invitation and carry a bonus if the player fails to make the NBA squad but signs with the team’s G League affiliate.
Nebraska Cornhuskers
Jack McVeigh, Atlanta Hawks
Stats: 14.0 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 1.0 APG, 1.3 TPG, 0.3 SPG, 0.3 BPG, 61.8% FG (45.5% 3FG), 100% FT, 23.0 MPG, 4 GP
The former Husker who made the most noise in Vegas is the Aussie who made his NBA debut on a two-way contract with the Houston Rockets last season following a successful career in the Australian NBL.
The sharpshooter signed a Summer League deal with the Hawks after the Rockets decided not to retain him and made the most of his opportunity with a pair of 20-point outings among his four appearances.
McVeigh went off for 21 points on 8-for-10 from the field (4-for-6 from deep) and 1-of-1 from the line with four rebounds, three assists and a block in a 111-108 overtime win against his former organization, the Rockets. He followed that with 20 points on 7-for-11 (including 3-for-7 from 3) and 3-for-3 from the line in a 92-88 win against Memphis.
He showed off his scoring prowess, finishing 10-for-22 from deep and 21-34 overall while hitting all six of his free throws as Atlanta went 5-0 but came up short of the semifinals due to a point differential tiebreaker.
Keisei Tominaga, Indiana Pacers
Stats: 5.0 PPG, 0.3 RPG, 0.3 BPG, 29.4% FG, 18.2% 3FG), 75.0% FT, 11.0 MPG, 3 GP
Tominaga spent last season with the Pacers’ G League affiliate as well as joining the club for Summer League, but he played a total of 1:50 in Indiana’s first three games. Tominaga got a bit more run in the final two games and poured in 12 points in 19 minutes in a 113-104 win against New Orleans to close out Summer League. However, he shot just 2-for-11 from deep in his 33 minutes on the court in Vegas.
Brice Williams, Detroit Pistons
Stats: 7.0 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 1.0 APG, 0.7 BPG, 31.8% FG (33.3% 3FG), 75.0% FT, 13.3 MPG, 3 GP
Williams signed a Summer League deal with the Pistons after going undrafted. He appeared in three games in Vegas.
His best performance was his debut as he put up 10 points on 4-of-9 from the field (2-of-6 from 3), two rebounds, two assists and a block in 14 minutes a 98-83 win against Houston.
Juwan Gary, Los Angeles Clippers
Gary signed a Summer League deal with the Clippers after going undrafted. He didn’t play until L.A.’s final game but made the most of the opportunity, putting up 10 points on 3-of-4 shooting (1-of-2 from 3) and 3-of-3 from the foul line with two boards, an assist and a block in 14 minutes against Memphis.
