College athletics have long been finished; the New York Knicks and Carolina Hurricanes are already champions; the only NFL news is Travis Kelce’s wedding and the dreaded dog days of baseball are upon us. The FIFA World Cup has provided a lone lifeline to sports fans.
Yet, for the sports psychos who need a little bit more than the drama of the greatest soccer player of all time and a Spaniard destined to stand beside him, the NBA Summer League has delivered a competitive spark. College basketball stars and the promising youth of the NBA have clashed every night over the past couple of weeks. From AJ Dybantsa to Nick Martinelli, basketball is very much alive in Las Vegas.
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Northwestern had four alumni play in the Summer League during July, all of whom hoped to secure guaranteed roster spots and possibly even minutes on NBA courts this upcoming season. Here’s how the Wildcat quartet fared.
Today is the last day of Summer League. The championship between the Golden State Warriors and the Memphis Grizzlies is at 8 p.m. CT. Brooks Barnhizer plays for the Thunder at 4:30 p.m. CT.
Following a productive four-year career at Northwestern and a final season at North Carolina, Nance went undrafted in the 2023 NBA Draft and signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He struggled to find playing time in the NBA until last season with the Bucks, when he appeared in 47 games. Nance entered this year’s Summer League on a minimum contract with the Bucks with a team option for next season.
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Nance didn’t appear in any of the Bucks’ first three games as part of the California Classic earlier this month, but received a starting spot upon meeting the rest of the association in Las Vegas and shined immediately. In his debut, Nance led the Bucks in scoring with 16 points on 60% shooting from the field and four 3-pointers. He followed that up with eight points, five rebounds and five assists against the San Antonio Spurs and seven points and three rebounds against the Phoenix Suns.
In the Bucks’ first win in Las Vegas, Nance played 27 minutes and had 11 points and four assists against the Charlotte Hornets. His plus-minus was a team-high plus 25, and he added three makes from beyond the arc. Nance capped off his Summer League with another 11 points and three 3-pointers in a win over the Philadelphia 76ers.
Across the Bucks’ five games, Nance averaged 11 points and 3.8 rebounds on 49% shooting from the field and made over 2.5 threes per game. It’s always hard to draw conclusions based upon Summer League results, but Nance’s consistent all-around performances and hot hand from long range should ensure a spot on a weakened Bucks roster this upcoming season. The size and shooting ability that Nance showcased should excite Milwaukee’s front office, as he could be an incredibly useful depth guy off the bench.
Despite Buie taking Northwestern basketball to new heights and scoring over 2,000 points during his time in Evanston, he’s struggled to find a home in the NBA. After going undrafted in the 2024 NBA Draft and bouncing around G League teams, Buie was signed by the Bulls for the Summer League and hoped to make an impact on another Illinois team.
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Buie scored two points in three minutes in the Bulls’ first Summer League game, but seemingly did enough to impress the coaching staff to warrant more playing time. He played 14 minutes in game two but struggled to shoot and finished with three points on 20% shooting from the field. Buie’s third attempt was more of the same, as his lack of size led to turnover issues and defensive lapses.
The Bulls’ fourth summer league game was Buie’s best performance, as he scored 12 points in his 19 minutes played. He also made all five of his free throw attempts and had three assists. Buie netted two triples in his fifth game, but his overall struggles continued as the Bulls dropped to 1-4.
In an overall Summer League performance he’d love to have back, Buie averaged 5.6 points on 27% shooting from the field across his five games. It’s difficult to predict what the future holds for Buie, but it’s hard to envision the Bulls or any other team giving him an NBA opportunity this season.
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Barnhizer was drafted 44th overall by the Thunder in the 2025 NBA Draft and showed real promise in his rookie season’s 40-game sample size. Barnhizer is on a two-way contract for the upcoming season and hopes to use Summer League to expand his role within a crowded Thunder rotation.
Oklahoma City began the month in Utah against the Grizzlies. Barnhizer started the first game and scored 13 points on 50% shooting from the field with six rebounds. He struggled to shoot the ball in the second game but contributed 13 rebounds before putting up 15 points and 10 boards in game three. Barnhizer’s impact is evident in his finishing the third game with a plus-1 rating, despite his team losing by 34 points.
In the Thunder’s first game in Las Vegas, Barnhizer led the team in scoring and rebounding with 12 points and 10 rebounds. His second game was quieter, but on night three, Barnhizer had 12 points, 11 rebounds and five assists in a close loss to the Denver Nuggets. The Thunder’s fourth game in Las Vegas was Barnhizer’s best performance of the entire month of July, as he once again led the team in scoring and rebounding with 21 points and 12 rebounds. Barnhizer looked like a man amongst boys in the game against the Dallas Mavericks and truly showed the steps he’s taken.
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The Thunder have one more game to play, but Barnhizer averaged 11.9 points and 9.6 rebounds on 41% shooting from the field across his first seven Summer League games. Barnhizer’s efficiency could have been better, but he started every game and was the one consistent option on both ends of the floor for a Thunder team that didn’t win a game. It will be hard for him to see consistent NBA minutes next season on such a loaded depth chart, but he proved once again his two-way skills and value on the court. Barnhizer will be ready when his opportunity finally comes.
Martinelli was drafted by the Clippers with the 55th pick in the 2026 NBA Draft and signed a two-year, two-way contract. Though the guarantees in his contract give Martinelli some stability, his competitive nature compelled him to take Summer League by storm.
The Clippers started in Las Vegas, and Martinelli debuted with 11 points and five rebounds in 22 minutes off the bench in a losing effort. However, he wouldn’t let his team lose twice in a row and bounced back to lead the Clippers to their first win against the Utah Jazz, scoring 14 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the field.
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He struggled to 12 points and 10 rebounds in game three, and then put together his Magnum Opus in a blowout over the Wizards. Rewarded with the starting spot for his effective play, Martinelli had 19 points on 8-of-9 shooting from the field with three makes from beyond the arc. He also had five rebounds, two steals and finished the game as a plus-13. The two-way impact was undeniable; his energy was consistent and contagious. As he did so many times in a Northwestern jersey, Martinelli made his teammates better and inspired the win in Las Vegas.
The Clippers’ third win of Summer League featured more highly efficient scoring from Martinelli, as he had 18 points on 7-of-8 shooting to go along with six rebounds. Martinelli’s plus-15 plus-minus compelled his team to an overtime win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, capping off a tremendous Summer League effort.
Martinelli averaged 14.8 points and 6.4 rebounds on over 60% shooting from the field across his five Summer League games. He proved to be a reliable threat on the offensive end, an above-average rebounder and a defender capable of standing his ground in the paint and on the perimeter. If Martinelli can continue to develop his long-range shot, he should grow into a valuable sixth or seventh man with the ability to change the tide of games. One couldn’t have asked for much more from the 55th pick in the draft as he’s already begun his campaign to make the 29 other front offices look silly.
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