Here’s Everything You Need to Know About the 2022 NBA Summer League originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
The NBA offseason is proving to be anything but dull.
In the less than three weeks since the Golden State Warriors won their seventh NBA Championship, some of the splashiest stars heard their names called at the 2022 NBA Draft, while countless veterans have shaken up the sports world in free agency.
Now it’s time to see some of those up-and-comers in the league.
The NBA is returning to play this week in Las Vegas at the 2022 NBA Summer League.
Here’s all you need to know ahead of the 11-day event.
What is the NBA Summer League?
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NBA Summer League is a 75-game, 11-day offseason competition, typically held in July, that allows players and teams alike to try out different lineups with special emphasis usually paid to rookies, bench players and members of the affiliate G League teams.
Where is the NBA Summer League?
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NBA Summer League originated in Orlando, where a tournament was held from 2002 to 2017 (omitting 2007 and 2011). Over time, teams began to opt to head out to Las Vegas for a rival tournament. By 2018, the Orlando Pro Summer League closed its doors and all attention shifted out West.
In addition to the Las Vegas league that features all 30 teams, the Utah Jazz and Sacramento Kings each host their own mini-tournaments ahead of the official event, though the usual tournament in Sacramento had a new location this year.
The Salt Lake City Summer League dates back to 1984, but has undergone several changes to its current format of four teams facing each other in six games across three days.
In its fourth year, the California Classic continues to be a competition between the Kings, Warriors, Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers.
When is the NBA Summer League?
Precursor tournaments are already underway in San Francisco and Salt Lake City, but the main production is set to begin Thursday, July 7, in Las Vegas.
The dates for each of the three tournaments are below:
- California Classic (San Francisco) - July 2 - 5
- Salt Lake City Summer League (Salt Lake City) - July 5 - 7
- NBA 2k23 Summer League (Las Vegas) - July 7 - 17
A full schedule of all games is available here.
Who competes in the NBA Summer League?
While there are no hard-and-fast rules about who coaches and who front offices choose to play during NBA Summer League, don’t expect to find your favorite All-Stars out there. In fact, you’d be hard-pressed to find a single starter or veteran player.
Summer League is typically reserved for rookies, sophomores and G League players. Every once in a while, a team in the midst of a rebuild with lots of young talent will field their best players, but most don’t want to assume the injury risk on a game without any in-season significance.
How many teams compete in the NBA Summer League?
All 30 teams will be present in Las Vegas this upcoming week.
What is the format for the NBA Summer League?
All 30 teams will compete in a series of four games from July 7 to July 15. The top-two teams based on winning percentage will then advance to a championship matchup, while the remaining 28 teams await assignments for their fifth and final game on either July 16th or 17th.
The NBA announced that these consolation matchups will come down to a number of factors, including team rivalries, broadcast interest and other scheduling considerations (i.e. timing of back-to-backs).
Should there be a tie-breaker between teams at the top of the leaderboard, the championship matchup will be determined by a series of tiebreakers:
Two teams tied:
1. Head-to-head matchup: If those two teams played each other in one of the prior four matchups, the winning team earns the higher seed.
2. Point differential: The team with the greater point differential through four games receives the higher seed.
More than two teams tied:
1. Point differential: The team with the greatest point differential through four games receives the higher seed.
2. Random drawing: The higher seed will be determined by a “coin flip.”
When is the championship in the NBA Summer League?
The championship game is set for July 17 at 3 p.m. ET.
How can I watch the NBA Summer League?
All 75 games will be carried live on the ESPN networks or NBA TV. ESPN+ and the ESPN app will also have games available to stream.
