After seeing every team in the Summer League play a few games, there have been a ton of standouts. You can review every single team and take a positive takeaway from each one. Summer League gives us, as fans, an opportunity to see new talent showcased for the first time. Summer League can also give us some serious stakes, as many players are playing for a chance to keep their NBA dreams alive. It gives us a glimpse into some teams and their plans for their younger players. This article will go into three rookie players who have raised their fantasy stock from their Summer League play. It was tough to narrow this down to three rookies, so there will be honorable mentions at the end. With that being said, let’s get into it.
3 Rookie Fantasy Risers from the 2025 Las Vegas Summer League
1) Nique Clifford
The first player on this list is Nique Clifford. Clifford was the 24th overall pick in the draft, and was traded to the Sacramento Kings on draft day. This could not have been a better move for the Kings thus far. Clifford is averaging 18.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, and five assists through his four games of Summer League. The guard out of Colorado State is showing everyone his versatile scoring, and his great all-around feel for the game. With the Kings being in the middle of a stacked Western Conference, they need some role players to step up. Keon Ellis was that guy for them last year, and this year it can possibly become Clifford. He still has some work to do in becoming a good fantasy player, but Summer League has certainly helped his fantasy stock so far.
2) Tre Johnson
The next player on this list is going to be Tre Johnson. Johnson was the sixth overall pick in the 2025 draft, selected by the Washington Wizards. So far, he has truly shown his elite scoring upside throughout his two games of Summer League. He is averaging 19.5 points on 58.3% shooting through those games, and it’s really unfortunate his hamstring injury held him out for two games. Nonetheless, Johnson still showed high scoring potential in those two games. With the Wizards shipping Jordan Poole to New Orleans, C.J. McCollum is still going to start the season for the Wizards. It wouldn’t be surprising though if Johnson made a serious run at a staring spot some time during the season. Look out for Johnson towards the end of your fantasy drafts.
3) Liam McNeeley
The last player that makes this list is Liam McNeeley. He was the 29th overall pick in the 2025 draft, and went to the Charlotte Hornets. The Hornets already selected Kon Knueppel with the fourth overall pick, and McNeeley has looked a lot better throughout his Summer League so far. McNeeley is averaging 18 points per game while also shooting 42.9% from three-point range on seven attempts per game. McNeeley has shown that he has a place on this roster, with a path to becoming an every day player for this Hornets team. The Hornets ranked 28th in the league in three-point percentage in 2024-25, the third worst in the entire NBA. McNeeley could certainly help this cause, so keep him on your radar for the 2025-26 fantasy season.
Honorable Mentions and Wrap-Up
Now, we can get into the honorable mentions. To start, Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper proved they deserve the hype that they are getting. Jeremiah Fears has improved throughout each of his Summer League games. Guards Walter Clayton Jr. and Tyrese Proctor have potentially looked good enough to be solid bench options for their respective teams next season. And lastly, Jase Richardson has shown NBA-level poise and all around efficiency to show that he will be a solid contributor to the new-look Magic next season. Overall, there are many rookies who are going to make solid fantasy contributions next season. The guys who have helped their case through Summer League the most though, include Nique Clifford, Tre Johnson, and Liam McNeeley.
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