Utah Jazz See Unexpected Star Emerge in Loss vs. Warriors

The Utah Jazz came up short in a second-straight loss for their time in the Las Vegas Summer League, falling 93-103 to the Golden State Warriors in a match where the Jazz were down a few notable names.

No Ace Bailey. No Walt Clayton. No John Tonje for the Jazz, and starting wing Elijah Harkless also found himself out of the mix early, sidelined with a wrist injury in the first quarter. A rough setup for Utah that left them a bit depleted from the jump.

Though in the midst of the many absences for the Jazz, there was one unexpected hero who wound up with a standout performance without a large chunk of firepower on the floor: undrafted wing Cam McGriff.

McGriff, who was placed in the starting lineup amid Walt Clayton Jr.'s absence, was one of the Jazz’s better players on Sunday night vs. the Warriors. In 35 minutes (second most for Utah), he had 19 points, five rebounds, three assists, and two steals on 7/15 shooting from the field, coming in as the third-leading scorer on the floor for the Jazz.

𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘦𝘦𝘴𝘩 Cam that's 𝐭𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 😮‍💨#TakeNote | @cameron_mcgriff pic.twitter.com/ZCGGQ97cQG
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) July 14, 2025

McGriff has been a tenured G League veteran since 2021 while also spending a few stints with overseas clubs, most recently playing for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants during his most recent season. He also had a run with the Portland Trail Blazers during the 2021-22 season, suiting up in a total of three games.

Now, at 27 years old, he's a rare experienced face among many names on Jazz's summer league roster stacked with a list of young talent, and he's made a solid impact in his first start.

Alongside McGriff on Sunday was also a strong performance from Cody Williams, who surged in the second half to finish with a team-high 22 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and three steals, while Kyle Filipowski chipped in for his 21 points, six rebounds, one assist, and a head-turning eight fouls.

As for the Warriors, it was none other than former Utah Ute Gabe Madsen lighting up the box score, collecting 22 points off the bench on 7/12 shooting.

When looking through the bigger picture lens, McGriff likely doesn't have a spot on the Jazz's main roster for next season, even with a strong summer league, simply due to his age and the current status of Utah's roster. However, in a setting like summer league, all 30 teams are scouting out talent, and even eyes overseas, as well.

Even if his next opportunity may not be with the Jazz, a couple more nights like this for McGriff can give him a bit more traction to take another step forward in his pro career.

Cody and Kyle secure a 20-piece each, four Jazzmen finish in double figures and Cam McGriff drains 𝗳𝗶𝘃𝗲 triples 📈#TakeNote pic.twitter.com/X9rUnRz1in
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) July 14, 2025

McGriff and the Jazz will have their chance to bounce back on Monday in a back-to-back vs. the San Antonio Spurs and second-overall pick, Dylan Harper.

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