Tamar Bates, Kobe Brown and Caleb Grill are among many former Mizzou and Columbia standouts looking to make an impression in the NBA Summer League from Thursday to July 20 in Las Vegas.
Bates may play his way to a permanent roster spot with the Denver Nuggets, Brown could solidify a rotational role with the Los Angeles Clippers and Grill might make a case to have his Exhibit 10 deal with the Chicago Bulls converted into a two-way contract.
The offseason competition also serves as a showcase for the top picks in the NBA Draft, headlined by the debut of ex-Duke standout Cooper Flagg with the Dallas Mavericks.
A key matchup Mizzou fans should circle on their calendars is when Bates and the Nuggets take the court against Brown and the Clippers at 10 p.m. July 17 at the Thomas & Mack Center. The game will be broadcast on ESPN2.
Here are the former Tigers and Columbia stars competing in the Las Vegas event and when you can watch them.
Bates — Nuggets
The 6-foot-5 guard from Kansas City looks to make an immediate impression for the Nuggets and continue the team’s recent trend of successful two-way contract players, joining the likes of Monte Morris, Torrey Craig and P.J. Dozier.
Bates is set to make his Summer League debut against the Milwaukee Bucks at 8:30 p.m. Thursday (NBATV) at the Cox Pavilion. His team then takes the court against the Minnesota Timberwolves at 9 p.m. Saturday (NBATV) and Toronto Raptors at 7 p.m. Tuesday (ESPN+ and ESPN3) before the matchup with Brown and the Clippers.
Bates played two seasons with the Tigers. He averaged 13.4 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.1 steals across 66 games. He led Division I in free-throw percentage his senior campaign at 94.6%.
Brown — Clippers
The 6-7 forward and the Summer League are no strangers to each other.
Brown has played in 10 Summer League games across two seasons, averaging 15.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.1 steals. He has shot 47.5% from the field, 34.6% from 3-point range and 71.1% from the charity stripe in the offseason competition.
Brown takes the court for his third Summer League with the Clippers, facing the Houston Rockets at 9 p.m. Friday (NBATV) and Bucks at 8:30 p.m. Sunday (NBATV) at the Cox Pavilion. His team then faces the Los Angeles Lakers at 9:30 p.m. Monday (NBATV) at the Thomas & Mack Center before facing Bates and Denver.
The No. 30 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft has played 84 games with the Clippers across two seasons, averaging 2.0 points and 1.5 rebounds on 43.2% shooting from the field.
Brown played four seasons with Mizzou, averaging 10.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.1 steals per game across 123 contests. He shot 49.2% from the field, 31.3% from deep and 74.7% from the free-throw line.
Grill — Bulls
The 6-3 guard’s uphill road to the NBA makes a strong Summer League outing essential: The Wichita native will be auditioning to take someone else’s two-way deal.
Grill, 25, first takes the hardwood in a Bulls jersey against the Raptors at 7 p.m. Friday (NBATV) at the Cox Pavilion. His team next takes on the Sacramento Kings at 7 p.m. Saturday (NBATV) and Indiana Pacers at 5 p.m. Monday (ESPNU). Grill and Chicago then face the Bucks at 4:30 p.m. next Wednesday (ESPN2) at the Thomas & Mack Center.
Grill averaged 11.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.4 steals in 38 games across two seasons with Missouri. He finished the 2024-25 campaign ranked No. 44 nationally in 3-point percentage at 39.6% and was named the SEC Sixth Man of the Year.
John Tonje — Utah Jazz
The former Mizzou guard was selected No. 53 overall by the Utah Jazz during the NBA Draft on June 26 in Brooklyn.
Tonje signed a two-way contract with the Jazz and was on the team’s roster for the Salt Lake City Summer League from Saturday to Tuesday. However, Tonje did not see the court, as he has been dealing with a sprained ankle.
Tonje looks to make his Summer League debut — he’s considered day-to-day — against the Charlotte Hornets at 6 p.m. Friday (ESPN) at the Thomas & Mack Center. His team then faces the Golden State Warriors at 9 p.m. Sunday (ESPN2), San Antonio Spurs at 7:30 p.m. Monday (NBATV) and Washington Wizards at 9 p.m. next Wednesday (ESPN).
The 6-5 North Omaha, Nebraska, product played just eight games for Mizzou during the 2023-24 season, averaging 2.6 points on 50% shooting from the field. He was ruled out for the remainder of the campaign with a foot injury Jan. 16, 2024, before becoming a second-team All-American at Wisconsin in the 2024-25 season.
DaJuan Gordon — Lakers
The ex-Tigers guard made his Summer League debut as the Lakers took on the Warriors in the California Classic on Saturday in San Francisco.
Gordon started for Los Angeles in its 89-84 loss to Golden State, finishing with seven points, two rebounds and one steal on 3-for-7 shooting from the field.
The 6-4 Chicago product is averaging 6.0 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 1.3 steals in three games with the Lakers during the Summer League. He is shooting 41.2% from the field, 30% from 3 and 50% from the charity stripe.
Gordon and Los Angeles open up Las Vegas Summer League competition against the Mavericks at 7 p.m. Thursday (ESPN) at the Thomas & Mack Center. His team then matches up against the New Orleans Pelicans at 7:30 p.m. Saturday (ESPN2), Brown and the Clippers on Monday and then the Boston Celtics at 8 p.m. July 17 (ESPN).
After going undrafted in 2024 after heading to New Mexico State then UT Arlington after his time at MU, Gordon earned a spot on the Lakers’ G League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers. He played 34 games and averaged 8.7 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.0 assists. He shot 45.2% from the field, 29.5% from deep and 67.4% from the free-throw line.
Gordon played one season at Mizzou (2021-22) and averaged 8.3 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game in 32 games. He shot 40.7% from the field, 36.4% from 3 and 74.5% from the line.
Former MU star Carroll to coach Suns
Former Mizzou standout DeMarre Carroll will coach Phoenix’s Summer League squad, the team revealed Monday.
“The past two days, they’ve been competing at a high level,” Carroll said Tuesday in a video posted on X by Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic. “I know they’re antsy. I’ve been in their position before, so I just try to tell them, obviously, ‘Just go out there and compete, be who you are and just try to play as hard as you can.’”
New Suns coach Jordan Ott added Carroll to his coaching staff as an assistant June 11 after the latter had stints on the staffs of the Bucks, Lakers and Cleveland Cavaliers.
As part of his duties, Carroll will coach the Suns’ Summer League team. It tips off action against the Wizards at 8 p.m. Friday at the Thomas & Mack Center (ESPN). Carroll then leads his team against the Hawks at 2:30 p.m. Sunday (NBATV), Kings at 9 p.m. Monday (ESPNU) and Timberwolves at 4 p.m. next Wednesday (NBATV) at the Cox Pavilion.
Carroll played 11 seasons in the NBA for the Grizzlies, Rockets, Nuggets, Jazz, Hawks, Raptors, Nets and Spurs. He averaged 8.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists on 43% shooting from the field in 578 career games.
Carroll played in three years of Summer League games, averaging 8.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.0 steals across 13 games.
The Birmingham, Alabama, product was selected No. 27 overall by the Grizzlies in the 2009 NBA Draft after spending two of his four collegiate seasons at Mizzou. Carroll averaged 14.8 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.4 steals in 70 games with the Tigers.
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