Lakers, Heat to Face Off in NBA Summer League

Miami and Los Angeles will face off tonight with a star-studded lineup of NBA rookies.

Jul 6, 2024; San Francisco, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James Jr. (9) celebrates from the bench during the third quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports / Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

The Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers are set to battle it out tonight with a loaded slate of NBA rookies.

The first rookie who came off the board on 2024 draft night was Kel’el Ware, who was drafted No. 15 after a comeback season with the Indiana Hoosiers. So far, Ware has been one one of the top rookies in the short slate of games, posting 26 points and 11 rebounds in his second-ever game to follow up a five-block performance.

Just two picks after Ware, the Lakers got the first night’s biggest slider in Dalton Knecht, who has so far yet to see a performance reminiscent of his scorching days as a Tennessee Volunteer. His latest contest featured 12 points on 13 shots overall, but there’s a strong possibility he’ll bounce back sooner rather than later with white-hot 3-point shooting and decent athleticism.

The other high-profile rookie in the contest will be Bronny James, the son of NBA superstar LeBron James, who won two titles with the Heat. 

James — selected at No. 55 via the Lakers' second round selection — made an appearance in Los Angeles first Summer League game against the Kings, posting four points on 2-for-9 shooting, adding two rebounds and two assists in the process. James sat out in the Lakers second contest, but could be looking at a bounce-back game against the Heat.

The two NBA titans tip off at 6 p.m. CT tonight, July 10, from the California Classic.

---

Want to join the discussion? Like Draft Digest on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest NBA Draft news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.