The Utah Jazz have announced the Utah Summer League schedule which includes a pair of newcomer teams in the Atlanta Hawks and Memphis Grizzlies.
Along with the NBA Draft and the exciting free agency period, one of the offseason traditions that has become a highly anticipated mainstay among Utah Jazz fans is the Utah Summer League. Taking place in July of each year, the Summer League in SLC has been a fun chance for fans to get an early look at promising young players as well as a small taste of Jazz basketball on their home court to tide them over during the long offseason.
There was some concern that the Utah Summer League could be in peril after the Orlando Summer League was done away with beginning with the 2018 offseason, as well as when both the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers announced they wouldn’t play in Salt Lake this year. Especially with all 30 teams participating in Las Vegas Summer League this summer, the future of the event in Utah felt unclear.
Fortunately, even after those changes, the Jazz made it clear that the Utah Summer League tradition would continue, albeit with some new faces. With the official Utah Summer League schedule release on Wednesday, we now know which teams will be participating and when those games will be held.
The Jazz will be joined in Summer League by the returning San Antonio Spurs as well as the Atlanta Hawks and Memphis Grizzlies. Tuesday’s NBA Draft Lottery revealed that Atlanta will receive the third overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft while the Grizzlies will receive the fourth. In other words, there will likely be some top incoming talent in action in this year’s Utah Summer League.
One fun thing about Utah Summer League is that it has had a top pick each of the last few years: Ben Simmons, Markell’s Fultz and Jayson Tatum have all attended. The Hawks have the No. 3 pick and the Grizzlies have the No. 4 pick, so that will hold true again.
— Kyle Goon (@kylegoon) May 16, 2018
The games will be played on July 2nd, 3rd and 5th at Vivint Smart Home Arena, with the following teams playing as follows:
The Utah Summer League schedule is out. The Atlanta Hawks and the Memphis Grizzlies join the Jazz and the Spurs as newcomers. The games will be played at Vivint Smart Home Arena. pic.twitter.com/sscyWCVLmq
— Kyle Goon (@kylegoon) May 16, 2018
This will give Jazz fans a first look at whoever Utah opts to select with the 21st and 52nd picks of the 2018 NBA Draft (assuming they don’t trade up to nab a specific target as they did last year with Donovan Mitchell). While I would guess that after a near All-Star caliber year, Mitchell likely won’t participate in Summer League, I could be wrong as the second-year player is certainly eligible.
Certainly, though, Jazz fans will get a chance to see last year’s first-round draft pick Tony Bradley as well as potentially catching Utah’s two-way players from this past season Georges Niang and Erik McCree. Nigel Williams-Goss, who has been killing it playing overseas in Serbia, could potentially be in action as well.
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We’ll be sure to keep you posted once Summer League rosters are announced at some point following the NBA Draft. For now, mark your calendars for this fun event in July that’s always an absolute thrill to enjoy. I know I, for one, am ecstatic that Summer League is returning to Salt Lake City and will feature a pair of new teams with top picks in the upcoming draft.