Eleven VFLs to Compete in 2026 NBA Summer League

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee males’s basketball crew could have 11 alumni who completed their faculty careers in Knoxville participating within the 2026 NBA Summer League.

The annual 11-day occasion will run from July 9-19 at Cox Pavilion and the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

Nine totally different NBA franchises will roster no less than one VFL, together with one (San Antonio) sporting three.

All 30 groups will play 4 video games from July 9-16, with the playoff and comfort contests taking over the ultimate three days of every. Every crew will play no less than 5 video games and all of the motion shall be televised on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU or Prime Video.

To sustain with the University of Tennessee males’s basketball crew on social media, comply with @Vol_Hoops on Instagram and X/Twitter, in addition to /tennesseebasketball on Facebook.

Nate Ament (2025-26) | Milwaukee Bucks

A lottery choose within the 2026 NBA Draft, Ament went No. 13 total to the Miami Heat, together with his rights then traded to Milwaukee. In his lone season at Tennessee, the one-and-done sensation was a six-time SEC Freshman of the Week, a Second Team All-SEC choose, an SEC All-Freshman Team honoree, an NABC First Team All-Central District selection and a finalist for each the Julius Erving Award and the Kyle Macy Award. Ament averaged 16.7 factors, 6.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.0 steal per recreation for the Volunteers, scoring 27-plus factors 5 occasions to tie for the fifth-most by an SEC freshman within the final 20 seasons (2006-26).

Kennedy Chandler (2021-22) | Chicago Bulls

Another one-and-done standout at Tennessee, Chandler was the No. 38 choice within the 2022 NBA Draft by his hometown Memphis Grizzlies. In his one 12 months on Rocky Top, Chandler was a Second Team All-SEC and SEC All-Freshman Team designee, in addition to the SEC Tournament MVP. After enjoying in 36 video games for Memphis in 2022-23, he competed within the G League for a lot of the subsequent three seasons, earlier than incomes two 10-day contracts with the Utah Jazz late final 12 months. He made essentially the most of these alternatives, averaging 15.0 factors, 6.7 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.0 steal in 32.3 minutes per recreation over 11 outings, scoring in double figures 9 occasions, with 16-plus on 5 events.

Ja’Kobi Gillespie (2025-26) | San Antonio Spurs

Drafted No. 42 total within the 2026 NBA Draft by the Spurs after a sensational senior marketing campaign in his lone 12 months together with his home-state flagship college. The AP SEC Newcomer of the Year collected First Team All-SEC standing from the league’s coaches, in addition to NABC First Team All-Central District plaudits and NCAA Midwest Region All-Tournament Team accolades. He averaged 18.4 factors, 5.4 assists, 2.8 rebounds and a pair of.1 steals per recreation, whereas changing into the fifth Division I participant ever to log 200 assists and 100 made 3-pointers in a season. Gillespie set the Tennessee file for steals in a season (79), a recreation (eight, twice) and in an NCAA Tournament recreation (six).

Keon Johnson (2020-21) | Orlando Magic

Yet one other in-state, one-and-done first-round choose, Johnson went No. 21 total to the New York Knicks, who despatched his rights to the Los Angeles Clippers. Tabbed to the SEC All-Freshman Team in his lone 12 months with the Volunteers, Johnson went on to play 161 video games within the NBA over the following 4 seasons, for 3 franchises. He averaged 8.2 factors, 2.7 rebounds and 1.9 assists per recreation for the Clippers, Portland Trail Blazers and Brooklyn Nets, making 68 begins. His finest 12 months got here in 2024-25 for Brooklyn, when he averaged 10.6 factors per recreation and began 56 contests. Johnson spent the 2025-26 season within the G League with the Maine Celtics.

Tyreke Key (2022-23) | Toronto Raptors

A graduate switch who spent the ultimate 12 months of his profession together with his home-state Volunteers, Key produced 8.2 factors, 2.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists per recreation in his solely marketing campaign on Rocky Top. He logged double-digit factors 12 occasions for Tennessee, with a season excessive of 23. Key spent his first 12 months as an expert with the Leuven Bears in Belgium, earlier than competing for Raptors 905 within the G League the final two seasons. After averaging 8.6 factors per recreation in 2024-25, he put up 10.9 factors per recreation on 49.5 p.c taking pictures in 2025-26 and earned his first NBA deal late within the season. Key signed a 10-day contract with the Toronto Raptors on April 6, 2026.

Chaz Lanier (2024-25) | Detroit Pistons

The fifth Tennessee native to seem on this listing, Lanier dazzled in his lone season with the Volunteers and was drafted No. 37 by Detroit in 2025. Labeled a Third Team All-American by the NABC and The Sporting News, Lanier was a First Team All-SEC choose by the AP, the SEC Newcomer of the Year by the league’s coaches and the Jerry West Award winner. As a rookie in 2025-26, he helped the Pistons publish the perfect file within the Eastern Conference. Lanier totaled 80 factors, 23 rebounds and 17 assists over his 34 contests on the NBA degree. He additionally averaged 18.6 factors per recreation in 20 outings for the Motor City Cruise within the G League.

Jahmai Mashack (2021-25) | Memphis Grizzlies

A four-year Tennessee stalwart, Mashack was the No. 59 choose within the 2025 NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets, together with his rights despatched to the Grizzlies, whom he signed a two-way cope with on Nov. 16, 2025. In his last 12 months with the Volunteers, Mashack was a finalist for Naismith Defensive Player of the Year and an SEC All-Defensive Team selection. As a rookie, Mashack competed in 31 video games for Memphis and made seven begins, producing 6.2 factors, 2.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.2 steals per recreation. He had a 13-point, 15-rebound, 14-assist triple-double on April 10, 2026. Mashack additionally averaged 10.7 factors, 6.2 assists, 4.9 assists and a pair of.3 steals per recreation for the Memphis Hustle in his 15 outings within the G League.

Igor Miličić Jr. (2024-25) | San Antonio Spurs

Miličić spent one season at Tennessee, throughout which he registered 9.4 factors, 6.7 rebounds and 1.9 assists per recreation, whereas notching 37 begins and taking pictures 47.2 p.c from the sector. After a knee damage through the pre-draft course of, Miličić inked an Exhibit 10 contract with the Philadelphia 76ers to compete for the Delaware Blue Coats within the G League. He averaged 6.9 factors and 5.0 rebounds per recreation on the 12 months, throughout which he made 45 appearances. Miličić will now play alongside a pair former Tennessee level guards, Ja’Kobi Gillespie and ex-teammate Zakai Zeigler, with the Spurs this summer season in Las Vegas.

Felix Okpara (2024-26) | Washington Wizards

Selected with the No. 46 choose within the 2026 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic, Okpara’s rights had been shortly traded to the Wizards. An SEC All-Defensive Team honoree throughout his last season at Tennessee, Okpara averaged 7.5 factors, 6.4 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per recreation in his two years suiting up for the Volunteers. He shot 59.3 p.c from the ground for Tennessee, throwing down 138 dunks. Okpara capped his profession with the second-best blocks common in program historical past, in addition to the fourth-best offensive rebounding mark (2.51). He is one in every of 4 Volunteers ever to notch 50-plus blocks a number of occasions and he completed his profession with the second-most blocks (243) of any lively Division I participant.

Jaden Springer (2020-21) | Dallas Mavericks

Tabbed the No. 28 selection within the 2021 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers, Springer is the fourth one-and-done freshman on this listing. An SEC All-Freshman Team selection in his lone season with the Volunteers, he earned two SEC Freshman of the Week nods. Springer performed in 110 video games for 3 NBA franchises in his first 4 years as an expert. In addition to Philadelphia, Springer performed for the Boston Celtics and Utah Jazz, successful an NBA title with the previous in 2023-24. This previous 12 months, after first making the New Orleans Pelicans’ opening day roster, Springer performed for the Birmingham Squadron within the G League, averaging 13.9 factors and three.9 assists per recreation, over 31 contests.

Zakai Zeigler (2021-25) | San Antonio Spurs

The third member of the Spurs’ summer season league roster and the fifth member of the 30-win 2024-25 Tennessee roster on this listing, Zeigler was an All-SEC Defensive Team selection in all 4 years with the Volunteers. The two-time First Team All-SEC and two-time SEC Defensive Player of the Year set this system file for each steals (251) and assists (747). In his preliminary season on the skilled degree, Zeigler performed for France-based Nanterre 92, for whom he averaged 7.6 factors, 5.8 assists, 1.6 rebounds and 1.1 steals per recreation, throughout 29 appearances. He additionally logged a 2.56 assist-to-turnover ratio in his rookie marketing campaign.

2026 NBA SUMMER LEAGUE TV SCHEDULE

Thursday, July 9

Spurs [Gillespie/Miličić/Zeigler] vs. Hawks (4:30 p.m., ESPN2)

Pistons [Lanier] vs. 76ers (5:30 p.m., Prime Video)

Mavericks [Springer] vs. Warriors (7 p.m., ESPN)

Magic [Johnson] vs. Hornets (7:30 p.m., Prime Video)

Wizards [Okpara] vs. Jazz (9 p.m., ESPN)

Friday, July 10

Bucks [Ament] vs. Heat (4 p.m., Prime Video)

Bulls [Chandler] vs. Grizzlies [Mashack] (8 p.m., Prime Video)

Raptors [Key] vs. Celtics (9 p.m., ESPN)

Saturday, July 11

Magic [Johnson] vs. Heat (3:30 p.m., Prime Video)

Spurs [Gillespie/Miličić/Zeigler] vs. Knicks (6 p.m., ESPN)

Raptors [Key] vs. Rockets (9:30 p.m., Prime Video)

Mavericks [Springer] vs. Lakers (10 p.m., ESPN)

Sunday, July 12

Pistons [Lanier] vs. Cavaliers (4 p.m., Prime Video)

Magic [Johnson] vs. Trail Blazers (7 p.m., ESPNU)

Wizards [Okpara] vs. Kings (8 p.m., Prime Video)

Bucks [Ament] vs. Spurs [Gillespie/Miličić/Zeigler] (9 p.m., ESPN)

Monday, July 13

Pistons [Lanier] vs. Knicks (4 p.m., Prime Video)

Raptors [Key] vs. Pacers (4:30 p.m., ESPN2)

Grizzlies [Mashack] vs. Mavericks [Springer] (7 p.m., ESPN)

Bulls [Chandler] vs. Jazz (9 p.m., ESPN)

Bucks [Ament] vs. Suns (10 p.m., Prime Video)

Tuesday, July 14

Grizzlies [Mashack] vs. Warriors (7 p.m., ESPN)

Bulls [Chandler] vs. Wizards [Okpara] (8 p.m., Prime Video)

Wednesday, July 15

Magic [Johnson] vs. 76ers (4 p.m., ESPNU)

Pistons [Lanier] vs. Suns (6 p.m., ESPNU)

Bucks [Ament] vs. Hornets (7:30 p.m., Prime Video)

Spurs [Gillespie/Miličić/Zeigler] vs. Jazz (9:30 p.m., Prime Video)

Wizards [Okpara] vs. Clippers (10:30 p.m., ESPN)

Thursday, July 16

Mavericks [Springer] vs. Thunder (4 p.m., Prime Video)

Bulls [Chandler] vs. Lakers (6 p.m., Prime Video)

Grizzlies [Mashack] vs. Hawks (8 p.m., Prime Video)

Raptors [Key] vs. Heat (9 p.m., ESPN2)

Friday, July 17 – Sunday, July 19

TBD