NBA 2K26 Summer League Predictions for Thursday, July 17th
The NBA 2K26 Summer League, which takes place in VSiN’s backyard of Las Vegas, Nevada, is here. This event is like the NBA’s version of Comic-Con, as all of the stars, coaches, front office executives and media personalities tend to show up in Sin City. However, the main attraction is the actual basketball itself, which generally features some of the top prospects from the NBA Draft hooping in their new colors for the first time.
For the format of the 2025 Vegas Summer League, check out Jonathan Von Tobel’s in-depth look at the action. However, for some daily best bets, I’ll continue to keep you covered. That said, keep reading for my plays for Thursday, July 17th.
Detroit Pistons vs. Miami Heat – 4:00 pm ET
The Pistons had a shot at making the Vegas Summer League playoffs, but they ended up losing in convincing fashion against the Timberwolves on Tuesday. Detroit suddenly has very little to play for, so Ronald Holland II will likely be shut down. If that’s the case, there’s no reason the Pistons should be favored against the Heat. Even if Miami shuts down Kel’el Ware, there’s nothing significantly better about Detroit’s non-Holland lineup. But I think we’ll see Ware out there. Of course, I have been on the wrong side of these availability guesses over the last few days, but Erik Spoelstra wants to see Ware playing aggressive basketball offensively. He challenged the big man two games ago, and Ware has responded with a few awesome performances. I think the Heat would like to see another one of those, and I also like what we have seen out of Pelle Larsson and Keshad Johnson.
Bet: Heat +3.5 (-110)
Atlanta Hawks vs. Memphis Grizzlies – 6:00 pm ET
Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Clippers – 11:00 pm ET
The Hawks can still make the four-team playoff with a convincing win over the Grizzlies, so they’ll be playing hard when they take the court on Thursday. Meanwhile, Memphis has been miserable since arriving in Sin City, and that could lead to the front office deciding to pull some of the “veterans.” At the very least, I’d be surprised if Jaylen Wells is out there, as he’s going to be a big part of the rotation next season. Regardless, Atlanta has a pretty balanced team. That, plus some motivation, is all I need to trust the Hawks on the moneyline.
I’m pairing Atlanta with Los Angeles, as the Clippers will also have a shot at making the playoffs. Los Angeles will need a blowout win in order to sneak in, but there’s no reason it can’t happen with the Clippers facing an 0-3 Nuggets team. Denver has one of the worst rosters in this tournament, and the team has no reason to match the intensity of LA.
PARLAY: Hawks ML & Clippers ML (-147)
Charlotte Hornets vs. San Antonio Spurs – 7:00 pm ET
The Hornets and Spurs both need a win in order to have a shot at the playoffs, so this has the potential to be a great game. Let’s hope both teams play their guys. But if they do, I can’t imagine passing on Charlotte at plus-money odds. We have seen some good teams in Vegas so far, but the Hornets have been right up there. That’s really not surprising either. They have a bunch of players on the roster that they have drafted in recent years, and they bring PJ Hall, a guy that was previously on a two-way with the Nuggets, off the bench.
I’d like to think Kon Knueppel, Ryan Kalkbrenner, Tidjane Salaun, KJ Simpson, Sion James and Liam McNeeley will all be available for Charlotte, as that would likely be a little too much for San Antonio to overcome — especially with Dylan Harper shut down for the rest of the tournament. But the Hornets are relatively deep, so they can overcome a few absences.
Bet: Hornets ML (+105)
