Even though it might be too early to make any sweeping judgments about strong performances at NBA Summer League, some players have stood out.
As the NBA 2K24 Summer League tournament nears an end, we took a look at a few of the standout undrafted free agents who have already exceeded expectations set by their two-way contracts signed after the 2023 NBA Draft.
While you may be familiar with some names (e.g. Adama Sanogo and Oscar Oscar Tshiebwe) already, others may feel less familiar.
This story used AI-Powered statistics provided by the Stats Perform database.
Stay tuned for our third edition of this series, which will look at players who may have earned a two-way contract (e.g. Jelly Walker, KJ Williams, Nathan Mensah and more) based on their performances in Las Vegas as well.
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1
Adama Sanogo
TEAM: Chicago Bulls
It probably isn’t shocking that Adama Sanogo, who was named the NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player after winning a title for UConn, played well at NBA 2K24 Summer League.
Sanogo averaged 22.2 points, 18.3 rebounds (!), 1.7 assists, 3.0 steals and 2.2 blocks per 40 minutes for the Bulls. The big man had at least nine rebounds during four games in a row and, aside from his first appearance, shot very efficiently from the floor.
He was 7-of-9 (77.8 percent) as the roll man after ball screens and 21-of-29 (72.4 percent) overall when finishing at the rim, per Synergy. But this was expected from the former UConn standout.
Sanogo averaged 12.8 points per game in the paint, via CBB Analytics, which ranked in the 99th percentile last season. He shot 76.9 percent at the rim, per Bart Torvik, which ranked as the best among collegiate players who turned pro (minimum: 100 attempts).
When he doesn’t have the ball, Sanogo still finds ways to create value. He averaged 0.25 off-ball screens per offensive chance, per Stats Perform, which was third-best among all undrafted free agents.
But another exciting element is that his total rebound percentage (23.4 percent) at NBA 2K24 Summer League ranked as the second-best among all qualified rookies.
Sanogo is slightly undersized for his position at a touch above 6-foot-7 in socks, but he has a wingspan just shy of 7-foot-3. His hand length (9.75 inches) ranked in the 91st percentile and his overall “combine score” was second-best among centers who stayed in the draft, per Nick Kalinowski.
His closest physical comparisons include Paul Millsap and Channing Fye, according to Stadium Speak. So long as Sanogo manages to continue his efficient scoring, he can play real minutes in the NBA.
2
Oscar Tshiebwe
TEAM: Indiana Pacers
Much like with Sanogo, it probably isn’t shocking that a former national collegiate player of the year thrived while at a summer league competition.
But he still deserves credit for his remarkable productivity on the floor for the Pacers. He averaged 19.6 points, 20.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 0.6 steals and 1.2 blocks per 40 minutes while on the floor for Indiana. He also managed to not miss a shot in either of the two wins he played for the Pacers.
Tshiebwe was 13-of-16 (81.3 percent) at the rim during summer league, per Synergy. But the highlight for Tshiebwe is his ability to grab rebounds.
Oscar Tshiebwe doing what he does… 2 offensive boards in 10 seconds pic.twitter.com/U7JLSHti3C
— Jared Christopher (@JaredLChris) July 9, 2023
His rate of crashing the board or boxing out (41.0 percent) his opponent ranked second-best among all undrafted free agents last season, per Stats Perform. His rating At The Rim (ATR) was also second-best among NCAA players last season, per Cerebro.
Standing a hair above 6-foot-7 barefoot but with a wingspan longer than 7-foot-3, per Stadium Speak, some of his closest physical comparisons include Al Horford and DeAndre Jordan.
Tshiebwe could have a productive career cleaning the glass in the frontcourt.
3
Mike Miles Jr.
TEAM: Dallas Mavericks
There is a lot to love about undrafted free agent Mike Miles Jr.
The former TCU star averaged 25.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 8.1 assists and 1.7 steals per 40 minutes for the Mavericks during NBA 2K24 Summer League. Perhaps his best game was during a victory against the Hawks on July 16, in which he scored 12 points on just seven attempts while adding five rebounds and eight assists.
Despite his physical limitations, per Synergy, Miles was 15-of-22 (68.2 percent) at the rim. That includes some remarkable acrobatic finishes:
Mike Miles Jr incredible, leaning inside hand finish for the Mavs! pic.twitter.com/2IRNnYkgKt
— Aram Cannuscio (@AC__Hoops) July 12, 2023
Miles is undoubtedly undersized standing at under 6-foot-1 in socks with a negative wingspan, which could limit some of his potential at the next level. But his athletic testing jumped off the page.
His overall “combine score” was second-best among point guards who stayed in the draft, per Nick Kalinowski.
Among all participants in the NBA Draft Combine since 2000, per Stadium Speak, his three-quarter sprint (3.11 seconds) and standing vertical (33 inches) both ranked in the 90th percentile or better while his max vertical (37 inches) and his lane agility (11.01 seconds) ranked in the 75th percentile or better.
His closest physical comparisons include Jalen Brunson, Jameer Nelson and Ty Lawson. If his jumper starts connecting more consistently, he could make a name for himself at the next level.
The good news is that although he shot just 33.4 percent during his three years at TCU, per Stats Perform, the guard was 12-of-26 (46.2 percent) on 3-pointers from an NBA distance last season.
4
Craig Porter Jr.
TEAM: Cleveland Cavaliers
Craig Porter Jr. has averaged 20.4 points, 11.1 rebounds, 7.6 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.3 blocks per 40 minutes for the Cavaliers during NBA 2K24 Summer League.
His versatility, once again, was on full display. Here is more about the All-AAC guard, as explained by Houston Cougars head coach Kelvin Sampson (via Hoop Herald):
“I don’t know if he’s great at anything but I don’t know if there’s anything he’s not pretty good at. That’s what I like about him.”
Porter was one of just four players in Division I men’s college basketball to score 67 or better in each category of the 5-metric suite, per Cerebro. Two of the other three (Brandin Podziesmski and Jalen Pickett) were top-32 picks in the 2023 NBA Draft.
Porter has recorded seven or more rebounds in all five of his appearances in NBA 2K24 Summer League. He has also recorded six or more assists in three consecutive games.
Despite the fact that his 3-pointer wasn’t falling for Cleveland, shooting just 11.1 percent from beyond the arc across five games, he still shot well off the bounce. Porter was 8-of-19 on dribble jumpers, via Synergy.
He ranked sixth-best in hand-on-bucket (29.5 percent) among all qualified rookies during summer league.
Although a bit undersized at just under 6-foot-1 in socks, his wingspan (6-foot-4) gives him serviceable length at the next level. Porter was a standout performer at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament for seniors.
Craig Porter gets the switch he wants off the screen, drives, stops on a dime and hits the bank as he turns off his pivot pic.twitter.com/4nBnTKp01j
— Aram Cannuscio (@AC__Hoops) July 16, 2023
While he didn’t receive an invite to the 2023 NBA Draft Combine, his athletic testing may have made headlines.
Among all participants since 2000, per Stadium Speak, his three-quarter sprint (3.19 seconds) would have ranked him in the 80th percentile and his standing vertical (34.5 inches) would have ranked 97th percentile.
His closest physical comparisons include Chris Paul and Mike Conley.
5
Colin Castleton
TEAM: Los Angeles Lakers
After signing a two-way deal with the Lakers, undrafted free agent big man Colin Castleton looked outstanding during summer league.
He averaged 20.6 points, 13.5 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.7 blocks per 40 minutes for Los Angeles. He was 8-of-11 (72.7 percent) as the roll man during ball screens, per Synergy, and 6-of-8 (75.0 percent) when cutting to the basket.
His blend of rim protection and offensive playmaking is hard to find.
Castleton is one of just three high-major players on record since 2008 to reach challenging thresholds for assist rate (15.0 percent) and block rate (9.0 percent) in the same season, via Bart Torvik.
He is also one of just three Division I men’s college basketball players on record with at least collegiate 140 assists, 140 blocks and fewer than 200 fouls.
Another beautiful pass from Colin Castleton, this time to D'Moi Hodge on the back-cut pic.twitter.com/FOgrG1tX1f
— Aram Cannuscio (@AC__Hoops) July 9, 2023
He recorded at least six assists in more than half of his games during summer league for the Lakers.
19.8 percent of his passes led directly to a shot from a teammate at Florida last season. That ranked top-15 among all notable undrafted free agents who played in NBA 2K24 Summer League, per Stats Perform.
Castleton also set 0.13 dribble handoffs per touch last season, also via Stats Perform, which ranked top-15 among notable UDFA as well. These actions give him tremendous value as a connective piece for Los Angeles.
Colin Castleton got to operate as a playmaking hub during his final college season and it’s translated into his Lakers debut at Summer League. Castleton has averaged 4.3 AST to 1.6 TO putting his versatile playmaking profile on display. @Castleton_ can serve as a DHO hub, make… pic.twitter.com/c5uHZbcSN6
— NBA Draft Dude 🤙 (@CoreyTulaba) July 14, 2023
Castleton is just about 6-foot-11 in socks and his wingspan is nearly 7-foot-4.
According to Stadium Speak, his closest physical comparisons include Chris Bosh and Mike Muscala.
He could potentially crack the rotation in the frontcourt for the Lakers if they become depleted by any unexpected injuries or if they do not make any more transactions to replenish their frontcourt depth.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
- Miles Norris (Hawks)
- D’Moi Hodge (Lakers)
- Terquavion Smith (76ers)
- Joey Hauser (Jazz)
- Omari Moore (Bucks)
- Markquis Nowell (Raptors)
- Jaylen Martin (Knicks)
- Leaky Black (Hornets)
