Dallas Mavericks' Cooper Flagg vs. L.A. Lakers' Bronny James NBA Summer League: How To Watch

Dallas Mavericks' Cooper Flagg makes his NBA Summer League debut vs. the Los Angeles Lakers and guard Bronny James in Las Vegas on Thursday July 10, and will be broadcast on ESPN at 5 p.m. PT. The highly-anticipated debut is between two of the most recognizable young players in the NBA.

Jun 27, 2025; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks first overall pick Cooper Flagg speaks to the media during a press conference at the Dallas Mavericks Practice Facility. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Dallas Mavericks' Cooper Flagg makes his NBA Summer League debut vs. the Los Angeles Lakers and guard Bronny James in Las Vegas on Thursday July 10, and will be broadcast on ESPN at 5 p.m. PT. The highly-anticipated debut is between two of the most recognizable young players in the NBA.

Expectations are high for Flagg, the No. 1 overall NBA Draft pick in 2025, in Dallas as a potential generational talent. He dazzled in his one season at Duke, averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists on 48.1 percent shooting.

Jun 27, 2025; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks first overall pick Cooper Flagg speaks to the media during a press conference at the Dallas Mavericks Practice Facility. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

It'll be all eyes on Flagg... But also Bronny James, the son of NBA legend Lebron James, brings his own media presence.

The former USC Trojan James is preparing for his second year in the NBA after an encouraging rookie season with the Lakers. James wil look to develop further in summer league as he builds on his first season in the NBA. James played in 27 regular season games last season, averaging 2.3 points per game on 31.3 percent shooting.

The Lakers have already played in three games in the California Classic, with James playing in two games. L.A. and Bronny are fresh off a 89-88 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday, July 8, with much thanks to a 15-5 run late to take the lead with 13.3 left to play.

Apr 19, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James (9) warms up prior to the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

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Ticket prices are hot and are selling quickly for Flagg's debut. According to Vivid Seats, the average ticket price for the matchup is $223. The most expensive ticket is $3,073 for the Michelob Ultra Courtside Deck, while the cheapest is $85. Tickets sold quickly, as fewer than one percent are available on Vivid Seats.

“Coach Scheyer trusted me a lot last year at Duke, and I handled the ball often in the halfcourt, setting up actions and making plays,” Flagg said at his Dallas introductory press conference. “I think it’s something I can do at a high level, so I’m excited to experiment and do some new things.”

Mavericks coach Jason Kidd has been vocal in his confidence in Flagg as a Maverick.

“Having that kind of confidence from (Kidd), just knowing that he trusts me to try some new things… we’ve talked about it,” Flagg said. “He told me, ‘You’re going to go through some failure, but I’m not worried about the mistakes.’ So it’s about pushing through, getting out of my shell, and trying different things on the court.”

Mar 17, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James during the game against the San Antonio Spurs at the Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

For both Bronny and Flagg, Thursday night's NBA summer league game is a great chance to find early momentum in the 2025-26 NBA season, while possibly dusting off the cobwebs and playing through some nerves.

Trojans fans will be watching to see how Bronny has developed since his time at USC, with the hope he can become a contributor to the Lakers this season.

Jan 28, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James (9) controls the ball against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Last season, James did well with the G League's South Bay Lakers, combining for 18.6 points, 4.8 assists and 4.6 rebounds per game over 18 games.

After one season at USC, James was selected by the Los Angeles Lakers in the second-round with the 55th overall pick of the 2024 NBA Draft. James played in 25 games for the Trojans, making six starts, averaging 4.8 points and 2.8 rebounds per game.

USC has seen a surge of basketball players in the NBA, with 10 Trojan basketball players who appeared in at least one NBA game last season. Maybe Bronny will become the next great.