Some members of Portland’s young core will get their first taste of the pros in Las Vegas for the NBA summer league.
PORTLAND, Ore. — The Portland Trail Blazers’ NBA Summer League roster features four players on the team’s regular-season roster, including Top 10 pick Donovan Clingan. In a mild surprise, though, absent from the summer-league squad is second-year guard Scoot Henderson and second-year forward Toumani Camara.
Portland begins its summer league schedule in Las Vegas on Saturday, July 13 against the San Antonio Spurs. The Blazers four-game summer-league schedule features three teams that picked in the top six of the 2024 NBA Draft: the Washington Wizards, who drafted Alex Sarr second overall; the San Antonio Spurs, who drafted Stephon Castle with the fourth pick; and the Charlotte Hornets, who selected Tidjane Salaun with pick No. 6.
In NBA Summer League, teams play four scheduled games. The top four teams will then play a two-game single elimination tournament while the other 26 teams play one more game.
Here’s a look at the players on Portland’s summer league roster:
Donovan Clingan, center: Clingan was the Blazers’ lone selection in the 2024 NBA Draft, the No. 7 overall pick. The 7-foot-2 center with a 7-7 wingspan comes to Portland by way of UConn, where he won back-to-back national titles. This past year, Clingan averaged 13 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.5 blocks.
Kris Murray, forward: Portland’s other first-round selection in 2023, Murray came in as a developed scorer from Iowa, but had a much smaller role as a rookie in Portland, averaging around six points on 39% shooting from the field.
Rayan Rupert, forward: The Blazers drafted Rupert with the 43rd selection in the 2023 NBA Draft. He had a very limited role as a rookie until Portland embraced the tank later in the season. Rupert averaged 4.0 points on 34% efficiency, though he shot 36% from the 3-point line.
Justin Minaya, forward: Minaya recently signed a two-way deal to return to Portland. Like last season, Minaya figures to play in both the G-League for the Rip-City Remix as well as the Blazers. Last season, he averaged just under two points and shot below 30% from the field.
Yongxi Cui, guard: Cui recently signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Blazers as an undrafted free agent. The 21-year-old, from Guangzhou, China, averaged 15.8 points and 5.9 rebounds for the Guangzhou Loong Lions in the Chinese Basketball Association. He worked out for the Blazers before the 2024 draft.
Quinn Ellis, guard: Ellis, a 6-2 point guard, averaged 7.3 points a game across 38 games while playing for Trento in Italy. He worked out for the Blazers before the 2024 draft.
Kennedy Chandler, guard: A former top recruit out of high school, Chandler played at Tennessee before being selected 38th overall in the 2022 NBA draft by the Memphis Grizzlies. Chandler has spent most of his time in the G-League, where this past season, he averaged 14.4 points for the Long Island Nets.
Spencer Jones, forward: Jones is the second of three players on this summer league roster who have come straight from college, Jones spent his five years at Stanford. With the Cardinal, Jones averaged 11.7 points on 43% shooting from the field in his final year with Stanford. Jones worked out for the Blazers before the 2024 draft.
Oliver Nkamhoua, forward: Nkamhoua spent four years at Tennessee, playing alongside fellow summer-leaguer Kennedy Chandler, before transferring to Michigan for his fifth year of eligibility. He averaged 14.8 points and 7.1 rebounds on 51% shooting from the field.
Alex Reese, forward/center: Reese is the only player from Portland’s G-League affiliate, the Rip City Remix, on the summer-league roster. In 32 games for the Remix last season, Reese provided a spark off the bench, averaging 13.2 points and five rebounds per game.
Terquavion Smith, guard: In 22 games last season with the Philadelphia 76ers’ G-League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats, Smith averaged 23.2 points per game.
