Dylan Harper, Ace Bailey Among Top Rookies to Watch at Summer League Today

The 2025 NBA Draft came and went, seeing shiny new rookies land with teams across the league. At NBA Summer League, which starts today from Utah, most of those will see their professional basketball debuts,

Here are some of the top rookies to watch out for in tonight’s NBA Summer League slate:

Dylan Harper vs. Kasparas Jakucionis

The 2025 draft’s second overall pick in San Antonio guard Dylan Harper will take center stage in the first game of Summer League, facing off against the class’s top slider in Miami guard Kasparas Jakucionis.

The two are similar stylistically, having similarly bigger frames for guards, dynamic scoring, table-setting passing and close to the same collegiate output. Still, NBA teams saw Harper as a far better prospect, with pedigree and a hard-to-match downhill scoring attack.

Saturday could reveal if the gap between the two truly is as big as it seems.

The Spurs and Heat face off at 3:30 p.m. CT.

Adou Thiero, Lakers

The Lakers paid a pretty penny to move up and select Adou Thiero early in the second round. And given the team’s free agency struggles, many are wondering if the hyper-athletic forward will be able to contribute as a rookie.

If Thiero is truly ready to be a plug-and-play NBA piece, it’s likely we’ll know as soon as Saturday’s Summer League matchup against Golden State.

In the least, Thiero should be able to thrive in transition, cutting and defensively with his next-level athleticism.

The Lakers and Warriors face off at 5:30 p.m. CT.

VJ Edgecombe vs. Ace Bailey

Perhaps the highest-profile matchup of the night will be between two top-five draft picks: Philadelphia’s VJ Edgecombe and Utah’s Ace Bailey. 

All eyes will be on Bailey especially, as the 6-foot-9 forward saw one of the messier pre-draft processes. Edgecombe went at No. 3, where Bailey and his camp reportedly thought he should be drafted. 

Regardless, the matchup between the 76ers and Jazz could very well pack the most talent. The teams tip off at 8 p.m. CT.