Portland Trail Blazers Summer League squad could be coming into focus
The NBA Summer League is a way for franchises, the Portland Trail Blazers included, to try out some new players and some new looks from old players.
We saw a tweet this morning from Alex Kennedy, a writer for HoopsHype, that rebooted our dormant offseason noggins.
The Trail Blazers are working out free agents KJ McDaniels, Casper Ware, Kadeem Jack, Isaiah Cousins, Kyle Randall and several others over the next few days at a mini camp. Today, Blazers like Zach Collins, Wade Baldwin, Caleb Swanigan and Jake Layman played with/against the FAs.
— Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) June 5, 2018
As we mentioned in a Monday piece, we Portland Trail Blazers fans start to get a little antsy around this time of year. There so much happening in the world of sports that we start to feel left out.
Well, no more! That Kennedy tweet got the blood coursing through our veins again.
And then the Blazers’ Casey Holdahl made a reference to the NBA Summer League.
Well, you can imagine our excitement.
Sounds like the summer league team is coming together https://t.co/Ofm5ZKiNTh
— Casey Holdahl (@CHold) June 5, 2018
Summer Leagues
NBA summer leagues have been around for a long time in various locations. But it wasn’t until 2004 that the league held its first official Las Vegas Summer League. It’s become the go-to event for most franchises, although there are other leagues that pop into and out of existence.
Damian Lillard was the MVP of the 2012 Las Vegas Summer League prior to his rookie season with the Trail Blazers.
This year will be different, however — and bigger.
As posted on NBA.com:
"The NBA announced today that all 30 teams will compete in MGM Resorts NBA Summer League 2018. (It’s) the first time the entire league will be represented at the annual showcase for up-and-coming talent in Las Vegas. The 14th NBA Summer League will take place July 6-17 at the Thomas & Mack Center and Cox Pavilion on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas."
Players
Now back to those tweets by Alex Kennedy and Casey Holdahl.
More from Blazers News
- Blazers News: Portland signs FIBA WC standout center
- Blazers News: Portland re-signing failed lottery pick
- Portland Trail Blazers NBA 2K24 team, player ratings
- Woj: Blazers, Lillard ‘fully prepared’ for star to be with team in training camp
- 3 Underrated Blazers who could make a massive impact this season
The Blazers are already working out Zach Collins, Wade Baldwin, Caleb Swanigan and Jake Layman against that big group of free agents, as Kennedy reported.
Here’s a quick look at each of those free agents:
K.J. McDaniels: A 6-foot-6, 205-pound small forward/shooting guard, McDaniels was a second-round (32nd) pick of the Philadelphia 76ers in 2014 out of Clemson. He’s played parts of three seasons with Philly, Houston and Brooklyn, averaging 5.5 points per game in limited action.
Casper Ware: A 5-foot-10, 175-pound point guard from Long Beach State, Ware went undrafted and has spent most of his professional career playing outside the United States.
Kadeem Jack: Listed as a 6-foot-9, 235-pound forward, Jack attended Rutgers University. An undrafted player out of college, he’s spent significant time since 2015 playing in the NBA’s G League.
Next: Choice quotes from players working out for Blazers
Isaiah Cousins: Hailing from the University of Oklahoma, Cousins was selected by the Sacramento Kings with the 59th pick in the 2016 draft. The 6-foot-5, 191-pound guard has since played in the G League and in the French League.
Kyle Randall: A 6-foot-1, 175-pound point guard from Central Michigan University, Randall went undrafted and has since bounced around, playing in both the G League and in the North American Premier Basketball league as well as in Serbia.