The time for Summer League is here as fans will get their first looks at a number of rookies selected in the 2025 NBA Draft. The Los Angeles Lakers will get started at the California Classic, but the Las Vegas Summer League is where every team will participate and prospects such as Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper and Kon Knueppel will get their first taste of NBA action.
Knueppel was the fourth overall pick of the Charlotte Hornets and is one of the more intriguing prospects of this year’s class. He is believed to be one of the more NBA-ready prospects who will be able to step in and contribute immediately.
In leading up to his Hornets debut, Knueppel was recently asked what his favorite Summer League memory is and he pointed to then-Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell knocking down a game-winner against the Philadelphia 76ers back in 2016, via Hornets reporter Jeremy Grandison:
Kon Knueppel’s favorite Summer League memory? #Hornets
D’Angelo Russell’s game winner against the 76ers in 2016 pic.twitter.com/BhPXsmT21X
— Jeremy Grandison (@JeremyGrandiso1) July 3, 2025
The cheer from that crowd sounded more like a playoff game than a Summer League contest, but that just shows how much Lakers fans travel to support their team. This was following Russell’s rookie season with the Lakers so he was expected to dominate in his second Summer League stint and that moment showed the “ice in his veins” that he would come to be known for.
That 2016 Lakers squad was an extremely talented one as it not only featured Russell, but also Brandon Ingram who was the second overall pick that year, as well as Larry Nance Jr. and Ivica Zubac. This was during a time when the Lakers scouting department was finding excellent talent throughout the draft and building up a roster full of promising young talent.
Knueppel and the Hornets aren’t scheduled to face the Lakers during Summer League this year, so unless they meet in the Summer League playoffs Lakers fans won’t see how the fourth pick in this year’s draft faces off against what L.A. has to offer.
Dalton Knecht & Bronny James headline Lakers Summer League roster
The Lakers have a number of promising players suiting up for Summer League this year with last year’s draft picks headlining the roster. Their 2024 first-round pick Dalton Knecht and second-round pick Bronny James will be leading the way this year. Trey Jemison, who remains on a two-way contract from last year, will also be playing as will rookie big man Eric Dixon, who was signed to a two-way contract following the 2025 NBA Draft.
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