Rookie Standouts from Opening Day of 2025 Las Vegas NBA Summer League

The NBA Summer League is back in full swing after a full slate of contests on Thursday.

A number of high-profile rookies, including top pick Cooper Flagg, took the court for their NBA debuts in Las Vegas, and a few more are set to compete for the first time on Friday. Teams like the Utah Jazz, Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Lakers and others have already played in multiple Summer League contests, as smaller events kicked off on July 5 in Salt Lake City and San Francisco.

Aside from the aforementioned squads, though, Thursday and Friday are observers' first look at a number of first-year players across the NBA.

Here are the top performers from the opening day of the Las Vegas Summer League.

Joan Beringer, Minnesota Timberwolves

Despite being relatively new to basketball, Beringer looked comfortable on the court, dominating on defense and finishing well around the basket on offense.

Joan Beringer has FIVE blocks in 8 minutes of playing time 😳🖐️ pic.twitter.com/Ysyix3uiYO
— NBA TV (@NBATV) July 10, 2025

In a win against the Pelicans and top-10 pick Jeremiah Fears, Beringer went 5-of-6 from the field, finishing the game with 11 points, eight rebounds, an assist, six blocks, two steals and just one turnover.

Derik Queen, New Orleans Pelicans

Playing against Beringer, Queen finished with a double-double, scoring 13 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.

Queen also added three assists and shot 5-of-9 from the floor including a make on his only attempt from beyond the arc, but the rookie big man also committed seven turnovers in his debut.

Nique Clifford, Sacramento Kings

In a win against the Orlando Magic, Clifford tied for a team-high 17 points, adding four rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block.

Clifford shot 5-of-12 from the field and 1-of-3 from beyond the arc while committing just one turnover.

Maxime Raynaud, Sacramento Kings

Alongside Clifford in the Kings' starting lineup, Raynaud pitched in 16 points, six rebounds, two assists and a steal.

Maxime Raynaud at halftime vs. ORL ⤵️:

👑 13 PTS
👑 2 AST
👑 2 REB
👑 50% 3-PT FG

Kings Summer League presented by @Ticketmaster pic.twitter.com/zkGzcnU5zE
— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) July 11, 2025

The second-round selection shot 6-for-11 from the floor and 2-for-5 from beyond the arc and finished with zero turnovers.

Jase Richardson, Orlando Magic

Competing against Clifford and Raynaud, Richardson put up 14 points to go along with an assist, a rebound, and a steal while shooting 5-of-8 from the field and 2-of-3 from deep.

The young guard also turned the ball over just one time in his professional debut.

Ryan Nembhard, Dallas Mavericks

Playing alongside heralded No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg, Nembhard stole the show on Thursday night, scoring a team-high 21 points in a narrow win against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Nembhard, the younger brother of Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nebmhard and an undrafted free agent, shot 8-of-14 from the field and 1-of-2 from beyond the arc while adding five assists, two rebounds and a steal.

Miles Kelly, Dallas Mavericks

Kelly served as Nembhard's co-star in the win, finishing with 17 points, four rebounds, two assists and a steal.

The undrafted free agent from Auburn shot 6-of-12 from the field and 3-of-8 from 3-point range while committing zero turnovers.

Nolan Traore, Brooklyn Nets

Even in a loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, Traore had a solid NBA debut.

NT with the smooth drive and finish for his first summer league bucket ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/SWjxiVJprb
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) July 10, 2025

The first-round pick tallied 13 points, three rebounds and three assists while shooting 3-of-5 from the field.

Nikola Topic, Oklahoma City Thunder

An unconventional rookie, Topic missed all of the 2024-25 season after being selected in the first round of the 2024 draft.

In his Las Vegas Summer League debut, the 19-year-old put up 18 points, six assists, four rebounds and a steal while shooting 7-of-18 from the field and 2-of-6 from beyond the arc.

Chris Youngblood, Oklahoma City Thunder

Another undrafted signee from the 2025 class, Youngblood earned the start for OKC on Thursday and turned in a strong performance.

The sharpshooter finished with 19 points, five rebounds and two steals while connecting on 7-of-10 attempts from the floor and 3-of-5 attempts from beyond the arc.

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