While the California Classic and Salt Lake City Summer Leagues signal the official return of NBA basketball, all 30 teams do not take the floor until Las Vegas.
The 2023 Las Vegas NBA Summer League is set to tip off on Friday, July 7, and there are plenty of prospects to spotlight and teams to circle as appointment viewing for the diehard hoops junkies.
Of course, French phenom Victor Wembanyama's Spurs debut will be the highlight of the weekend, but the storylines go well beyond the hype around the No. 1 pick.
Other rookies like Scoot Henderson, Brandon Miller, and Chet Holmgren — who missed all of last season with a foot injury — are sure to show out. Second-year players like Jaden Ivey and Jabari Smith Jr. will look to prove they're men amongst boys, and their teams will have almost all of their young talent on display.
As you get ready to soak in some NBA action after a short hiatus, check out The Sporting News' guide on the top prospects and teams to watch in Las Vegas.
MORE: Recapping the 2023 California Classic Summer League
Rookie prospects to watch in NBA Summer League
This could very easily just be a list of the top 10 picks in the 2023 NBA Draft, but let's try and take a different route. While several lottery picks will still be mentioned, there are also a few prospects who intrigue me at Summer League because of their role or how their games have grown since we last saw them.
Victor Wembanyama, Spurs: This one goes without saying. All eyes will be on Wembanyama's debut, which will be broadcast nationally in the United States. He may only play in the Spurs' first two games, so catch him while you can.
Scoot Henderson, Trail Blazers & Brandon Miller, Hornets: These two top prospects battled to the finish line for the No. 2 pick and now they'll have a chance to showcase their talents in front of the entire NBA world. We'll even get to see Henderson and Miller match up against each other on July 11th (if both players are still playing).
Amen Thompson, Rockets & Ausar Thompson, Pistons: During the pre-draft process, there were plenty of questions surrounding the type of talent the Thompson twins faced in the Overtime Elite league. Now, the two top-five picks will have the opportunity to show they can perform against some of the best young talent the NBA has to offer.
Anthony Black, Magic: Black's elite playmaking makes him a strong candidate to fill Orlando's starting point guard role from Day 1, but I'm excited to see if he'll be a little bit more aggressive as a scorer as the go-to guy on the Magic's Summer League team.
Gradey Dick, Raptors: Dick stole the show on draft night with his bedazzled suit, and he has since won over the Raptors' fan base with his funny videos and quotes about his excitement to have landed in Toronto. Now, Raptors fans will get to watch just how lights-out he is as a shooter, filling an immediate need on their roster.
Dereck Lively II, Mavericks: Lively should find a consistent role right away in Dallas and Summer League will be a great opportunity to see his continued growth from his strong end to this past NCAA season. Also, was his pre-draft 3-point shooting a product of open-gym workouts or will he actually stretch the floor in games?
Cam Whitmore, Rockets & Trayce Jackson-Davis, Warriors: Whitmore and Jackson-Davis were the two biggest fallers on draft night and are now ready to prove all the teams who passed on them wrong. Whitmore will be playing on a loaded Rockets squad, while Jackson-Davis will look to put up monster numbers just as he did against similar competition in college.
Returning prospects to watch in NBA Summer League
Chet Holmgren & Jalen Williams, Thunder: Holmgren's return to the court will still be special, even if we already got a preview during the Salt Lake City Summer League. Williams will be a classic case of "this kid is too good to be here," but enjoy watching him before he's shut down.
Jaden Ivey & Jalen Duren, Pistons: This tandem was awesome for the Pistons down the home stretch of the season and now we'll get to see them alongside the team's newest addition, Ausar Thompson.
Jabari Smith Jr., Rockets: Smith Jr. struggled during Summer League last year, but the No. 3 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft will be back for revenge.
Bennedict Mathurin, Pacers: Mathurin was a scoring machine during his rookie season but what type of growth will he show in other areas of his game during Summer League?
Johnny Davis, Wizards: Davis' poor showing in Summer League bled into his rookie season, where he was sent down to the G League for most of the year. How will he bounce back this year?
Jaden Hardy, Mavericks: Hardy is the type of second-year player who should thrive during Summer League. More on him in a minute...
Best teams to watch in NBA Summer League
Trail Blazers: With Damian Lillard's trade request, this gives us our first opportunity to watch Portland's backcourt of the future in Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe.
Hornets: Miller aside, Charlotte has a couple of other rookies I'm really excited to watch, headlined by Nick Smith Jr., Amari Bailey and James Nnaji.
Thunder: Holmgren and J-Dub are must-see-TV at Summer League.
Pistons: Ivey, Duren and Thomspon will probably all start for Detroit during the regular season, and we'll get to see that trio mesh at Summer League. Also, don't sleep on Princeton rookie Tosan Evbuomwan.
Rockets: The Rockets' Summer League roster is loaded, from Smith Jr. and Tari Eason to Thompson and Whitmore.
Jazz: The Jazz drafted young with 19-year-old rookies like Taylor Hendricks, Keyonte George and Brice Sensabaugh. We'll be watching the future of Utah in Las Vegas.
NBA Summer League Predictions
Summer League MVP: Jaden Hardy, Mavericks
Winning Summer League MVP has just as much to do with availability as it does production, and I expect Hardy to play in every game and put up big numbers.
Hardy made the most of his playing time whenever he got it as a rookie, scoring 20 or more points in eight of the 13 games he played at least 20 minutes. The Mavericks' Summer League team should be competitive and he'll put on a scoring clinic to take the spotlight.
Summer League champions: Indiana Pacers
It's hard to predict a champion because you don't know when star prospects will be shut down, but the Pacers have the right blend of rookie talent and second-year players coming in ready to produce.
Mathurin and Andrew Nembhard will be one of the best backcourts in Las Vegas. Jarace Walker is ready to shine. Oscar Tshiebwe and Isaiah Wong are the type of college stars who are fighting for a job and ready to give it everything they have. Even if Indiana shuts down guys like Mathurin, it should still have enough talent to prevail.