Game Preview: Brooklyn Nets Face Oklahoma City Thunder in First Summer League Matchup

The Brooklyn Nets and Oklahoma City Thunder are set to kick off their Summer League mini-camp in a head-to-head matchup on ESPN2.

Nov 17, 2021; Brooklyn, New York, USA; The old Nets logo on the court prior to the game between the Cleveland Cavilers and the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

The start of the 2025 NBA Summer League min-camp is officially upon us as the Brooklyn Nets squad prepares to kick off their knockout stage matchups, starting with the defending NBA Champion Oklahoma City Thunder.

Summer League - Game 1 😎🏀 pic.twitter.com/GBcJ9rvOyw

— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) July 10, 2025

Coming into the Summer League, Brooklyn was poised to show off all five of their newly drafted players from the NBA Draft, but a small knee injury has sidelined the No. 22 overall pick, Drake Powell, from playing. Fans will still be able to get a good gauge on Egor Demin, Nolan Traore, Ben Saraf and Danny Wolf, who all were selected in the first round alongside Powell.

For a point guard like Egor Demin, a strong showing in the Summer League can give the Nets front office some sort of relief, knowing that their No. 8 overall pick can truly hold his own against NBA competition.

next stop: summer league ☀️🏀 https://t.co/9CLcvdpG76 pic.twitter.com/4NCCbSCZ5E

— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) July 8, 2025

Aside from their draft picks, Brooklyn will also see some new and returning faces join their mini-camp squad in hopes of landing a full-time or two-way contract with the Nets. Undrafted free agents like Ole Miss's Dre Davis and Oregon's TJ Bamba will look to make a solid impression on the Nets front office, especially now with Powell sidelined for the tournament.

This game will help settle nerves for both players and coaches on the Nets who have faced a bit of flak since the NBA Draft, where Brooklyn did not make a single trade despite having five picks and also selected three overseas guards, which had fans questioning general manager Sean Marks' decisions.

Already having pro experience, all three guards are expected to transition seamlessly to the NBA's style of play. While they have all been regarded as terrific playmakers, the Nets will likely want to see more than playmaking in Vegas, as the guards will all need to put on their best scoring chops to impress head coach Jordi Fernadez, who is still looking for his starting point guard for next season.