Players with Alabama roots dot NBA Summer League rosters

NBA first-round draft picks (from left) Jabari Smith, Tari Eason and TyTy Washington of the Houston Rockets get ready to throw out the ceremonial first pitch before the Houston Astros’ MLB game against Kansas City Royals on Tuesday, July 5, 2022, at Minute Maid Park in Houston.
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The NBA 2K23 Summer League will tip off its 75-game schedule in Las Vegas at 9 p.m. CDT Thursday with the Houston Rockets and Orlando Magic squaring off, putting former Auburn standout Jabari Smith on the court with one of the two players picked before him in the NBA Draft on June 23.

When the Rockets play their second Summer League game – at 7 p.m. Saturday against the Oklahoma City Thunder – Smith will face the other.

In this year’s NBA Draft, the Magic opened the selections with Duke forward Paolo Banchero. The Thunder followed by picking Gonzaga center Chet Holmgren before Houston made Smith the earliest draft choice from Auburn in NBA history.

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Smith leads a contingent of players from Alabama high schools and colleges into the full 30-team Summer League. Missing from the list is Auburn’s other first-round draft pick, Walker Kessler.

Selected by the Memphis Grizzlies at No. 22 and traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves, Kessler has since been traded to the Utah Jazz in a deal for All-Star center Rudy Gobert. But that trade isn’t official yet because of the NBA moratorium period – a six-day freeze on most transactions at the start of the league’s business year. The moratorium ends at 11 a.m. Wednesday, when the NBA will resume putting its stamp of approval on trades and contracts.

Kessler appeared on the Timberwolves’ original Summer League roster, but he isn’t on the Jazz’s since he’s not officially on the team.

The players from Alabama high schools and colleges on rosters for the NBA 2K23 Summer League include:

· New York Knicks center Garrison Brooks (Auburn High School)

· Indiana Pacers guard Tevin Brown (Fairhope High School)

· Atlanta Hawks guard Sharife Cooper (Auburn)

· Boston Celtics guard JD Davison (Calhoun School in Letohatchee, Alabama)

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· Sacramento Kings guard Keon Ellis (Alabama)

· New Orleans Pelicans guard Jared Harper (Auburn)

· Detroit Pistons forward Braxton Key (Alabama)

· Houston Rockets forward Trhae Mitchell (South Alabama)

· Los Angeles Clippers guard Xavier Moon (Central-Coosa)

· New Orleans Pelicans guard John Petty (Mae Jemison High School in Huntsville, Alabama)

· San Antonio Spurs guard Josh Primo (Alabama)

· Oklahoma City Thunder guard Jaden Shackelford (Alabama)

· Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith (Auburn)

· Washington Wizards guard Craig Sword (Carver High School in Montgomery)

· Orlando Magic forward Emanuel Terry (Cleveland High School)

· Charlotte Hornets forward JT Thor (Auburn)

· Portland Trail Blazers forward Trendon Watford (Mountain Brook High School)

Brooks, Brown, Davison, Ellis, Shackelford and Smith are rookies.

From July 7 through July 15, each of the NBA clubs will play four games in Las Vegas. The two teams with the best records will meet for the Summer League championship on July 17 while the other 28 squads play another game on July 16 or July 17.

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.

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