That's Vegas, Baby: Making The Summer League Pilgrimage | Part Two
Stephen Gillaspie continues his Summer League pilgrimage, shining a light on the people, places, and moments between the games that make the journey so special.
Now, It’s Time to Work
Four hours. That’s the amount of sleep I got during the night (or morning). But this wasn’t a regular four hours of sleep. My body has been operating three hours ahead of when the events in Vegas are set to take place. Surprisingly, I wasn’t alone. Albert responded to my breakfast text—as did Jam. Nick tagged along for some omelets and fellowship.
With a much smaller group of the No Ceilings crew, the four of us really got to know each other. I’ve always thought of Nick as an intelligent person, but I learned more about his musical abilities and education. As if my opinion of him could be any higher, I found out that he was even more cultured than I knew. Albert actually has an incredible story that I won’t share the details of (not my story to tell) of how he left New York for L.A., and how he, Nick, and the other founders of No Ceilings truly got their start in building the organization I would join after their first cycle.
I’ve spoken to Jam so much before, during, and after podcasts—as well as spending time with him in Portsmouth—that I knew a great deal about how he came into loving basketball and his path to No Ceilings.
After our breakfast, Albert had to make his way to the airport to fly home. Before he headed home, I shared with Mr. Garbage Time that I had a mental checklist of things that I wanted to do with particular members of the No Ceilings family. Of note, these things included:
Have a drink with Rucker.
Eat a steak with Nathan.
Stand next to Albert.
Again, cannot give too many details, but Rucker’s desire to share an adult beverage with people is a list to be on—so I was able and happy to get that one checked off. One of the longstanding inside jokes within our team is Nathan’s preference for how his steaks should be cooked. While I was not able to get this one checked off, I was happy to get the chance to break bread with him the night before. As for Albert, I have heard legends that he is taller than you would think. For me—someone who is six feet tall—I can confirm that he is about three-ish inches taller than me. We hugged and said our goodbyes to Albert.
From there, our trio got even smaller. Jam made arrangements to meet with some folks that he knew throughout the day, and I had the speaking engagement I was offered by Sports Management Worldwide.
Media Advice, Darryn Peterson, and Getting Older
In Part One of this Summer League Pilgrimage piece, I wrote about some sort of FOMO—about how I have a tendency to lose sight of the cool things that have happened over the past six years of me podcasting in my garage in Washington state, to now being invited to speak as a member of a media panel for a prestigious event like Sports Management Worldwide (SMWW).
Thinking about the journey is one thing, but being in front of people who are aspiring to cut their teeth in the basketball world was pretty humbling.
Nick and I arrived at the Westin Hotel, where we gathered our credentials, met with some of the staff, and prepared to take the stage—quite literally. When we went to the conference room, Chad Buchanan—the General Manager of the Indiana Pacers—spoke on a number of topics:
How he went from being a player to finding his way into the front office.
What it’s like to manage NBA players.
What his staff looks for in prospects.
Et cetera, et cetera.
I will note that Nick and I were very pleased to discover that many of the things we value at No Ceilings checked many of the boxes Chad emphasized.
Now, it was my turn. That’s right, after seemingly all of the event’s attendees lined up to ask Chad questions, it was my turn to speak. Not only that, but I was part of a panel with Dei Lynam—a veteran broadcaster and media pillar—as well as Lauren Rosen, the sideline reporter for the Los Angeles Clippers, among many other roles.
Needless to say, I was like a duck on the water—calm on the surface but stirring underneath.
After Dei, Lauren, and I gave brief discussions of our backgrounds, several attendees lined up to ask the panel questions. This is where I felt more “in my element,” so to speak. My military experience has led me to a leadership—or supervisory—role, where I love training people to do things. Questions ranged from “How do you find the time to watch film, write, and put out content while working to gain a following?” to “Have you ever had a ‘cut the camera’ moment with a player?” to “How do I make entertaining content while maintaining a professional scouting opinion?”
Once our panel’s time was up, I chatted with my fellow panel members and some attendees who had further questions. Nick and I thanked the SMWW staff and left the Westin. After a quick trip to our hotel to change, we then made our way back to Thomas & Mack to catch more hoops.
Now, because we had the SMWW event, we missed some of the games throughout the day. BUT, we made it to the gym in time to catch Sacramento vs. Washington, and then the Clippers vs. Utah. With Nick being a Kings fan, it was cool to see him be engaged with the future of his team. With me being an “Acuff guy”, it was easy to root along with my friend. Acuff struggled with efficiency—a common theme throughout Summer League—but he also displayed some passing. He even had some nice defensive moments.
Maxime Raynaud had a big game, too. It was funny because, as we were watching him throughout the game, I would give Nick some commentary based on the results of Raynaud’s possessions. For example, in the first quarter, Raynaud was very perimeter-oriented. When he continuously played outside and missed a shot, I would look at Nick and say (jokingly, of course): “Yeah, I’m out on Raynaud.” In the second quarter, Maxime did better and flashed a full gambit of moves. This resulted in me telling Nick: “I’ve always liked Raynaud; could not be more in.”
This prompted our beloved Editor-in-Chief to remind me that it was only one short quarter ago that I doubted the French big man. Those who know me will tell you I only speak in sports and movie quotes. My response to Nick exemplifies this, when I replied:
“I live my life one quarter of basketball at a time.”
We laughed and enjoyed the rest of the game.
We also saw AJ Dybantsa and Will Riley go off for their big performances. The biggest thing I harped on throughout the cycle was how offensively advanced AJ Dybantsa is compared to other power wings and forwards who have made big names for themselves in the NBA. That sentiment was ever-apparent while watching him develop chemistry with his new teammates in DC. He was able to get wherever he wanted. One play that stood out in particular was when he started out with the ball at the top of the key, drove right, hit a sharp cross, and rose up for a smooth middy.
Will Riley was absolutely lights out. While Nick and I were watching him, we could not help but notice how much sauce his game has. I know, very professional. But it’s true! He played with supreme confidence. If he wanted to hit a deep three, he did it. If he wanted to get to the hoop, he did. His game was very comparable to that of Kelly Oubre Jr. As a second-year player in Summer League, Riley reminded many Sacramento players that there are levels to the NBA.
Now, because we’re old and still recovering from the night before, we debated whether to stay for the late game. We landed on Darryn Peterson as the determining factor. If he played, we stayed. He did, so we did too.
And, truthfully, I’m very glad we fought through. I’ve been a Darryn guy all season long. It was awesome getting to see him interact with staff, teammates, and even the event staff. He made himself available to the kids in the arena a fair bit. At one point, a group of kids took pictures with him, came back to their seats, and talked about how “chill” Darryn is.
For as chill as Darryn may appear to be, the “killer” stuff with him is very real. His frame in person is everything you would want it to be, and his shot is—all hyperbole aside—effortless. He is one of the more natural scoring talents I have evaluated. The big-time dunk that circulated on social media drew one of the biggest “pops” (reactions) I heard during my time here. The biggest thing that stood out to me with Darryn, though, was how much he wanted to attack Clipper rookie Keaton Wagler.
Now, Wagler caught fire in the second half of the game, but Peterson defended him with purpose—picking him up 3/4 of the court and pestering him as he tried to get situated and his teammates into position. This would ultimately be Peterson’s last performance at Summer League, so I was happy to see him.
As I mentioned in Part One of this recap of my time in Summer League, meeting some people I have worked with and kept up with was one of my favorite parts of making the journey to Vegas. That sentiment continued this day as well. I had the chance to meet one of my favorite people on Draft Twitter—and someone I have begun to turn to for guest spots with some consistency—James Barlowe. Draft Junky James was super cool to chop it up with in person, and he was just as cool as he has been online and on shows. I also met someone who I haven’t worked with (yet!) in Christian Odjakjian. Nick and I sat with Christian for probably about 30 minutes. I knew he was a knowledgeable dude, but the level of Sicko I discovered Christian was quite impressive. That man has the same disease as the No Ceilings crew.
The Blues, More Farewells, and The Last Man Standing
Once we broke from the stadium, Nick and I made our way back to the Luxor (our hotel if you’re a “Part Two only” reader) to reunite with Jam. We did the whole “what are y’all feeling like for dinner?” song and dance, which led us to walk around the Mandalay Shops at our neighboring hotel. We landed on the House of Blues—mainly because it felt like they had to have some good ribs at a minimum.
It did not disappoint.
Great ribs, pulled pork, and some awesome sides were certainly worth the stop, and the music was incredible too. As we were eating, there was a musician (I feel truly terrible that I could not find his name) who played into the blues aesthetic, but worked in hits from different genres. For example, one moment he played No Diggity. Next, he played Black Magic Woman. Then he played Tennessee Whiskey.
It was a great way to end the night.
We made our way back to our room, where Nick and I would conk out while Jam stayed up to make his red-eye flight back home. So we would tell Jam goodnight and goodbye.
After getting some much-needed sleep, Nick and I would get some breakfast at an Irish Pub in the Mandalay Shop. I had another first: a rasher sandwich and chips. The time at the pub was great because, for some reason, our waiter was very keen on quoting Harry Potter with us. It was another fun experience. But soon after our meal, Nick hit the road to head back home.
This led to me being the lone wolf of the No Ceilings team. The good news? There were still plenty of hoops to lock onto.
One of the tips Tyler Rucker gave me was to catch some games in the “smaller gym” at Thomas & Mack. See, there are two playing floors at the venue, allowing multiple games to be played simultaneously. I had yet to be in the smaller setting, but the Pistons and the Knicks were the first game, and they were there.
Now, if you have attended the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, the smaller gym feels much like that. The seating is more communal, and you’re right on the floor. So, I felt more at home watching Detroit and New York face off.
While I have been a big-time Ebuka Okorie fan—and he had some fun moments—I was tremendously impressed by Jack Kayil. When I watched his film this year, I felt most of the guard’s game was heavily predicated on his athleticism. There were glimpses of Russellwestbrook or Dennis Smith Jr. in his film. The inconsistencies in his game had me concerned. Boy, has he done a number on me. He played much more under control than I had grown to understand. If he can hit shots in the NBA the way I saw him do in Summer League, the defending champions may have added a true winner on the margins.
I stayed throughout the night, watching multiple games. In those games, a few players stood out in tangible ways. Cameron Boozer was every bit as strong as I expected. There were several possessions where he got the ball on the perimeter and worked his way into the paint.
Caleb Wilson continued to shoot from deep while still finding ways to finish with ferocity in the paint. I will say that—while the defense still requires some work—Caleb finished the first quarter with two blocks and a steal. This gave me a ton of comfort in how I projected him to be impactful on that end.
Brayden Burries was so impactful for the Bucks. The shooting feels remarkably comfortable for him, and he is so strong and quick on both ends of the floor that he is going to find a way to be successful in a meaningful way.
Some other players truly surprised me. Sergio de Larrea had a big game for the Mavs, but one of the biggest men of mystery in the 2026 NBA Draft, Vsevlod Ishchenkov, felt like he belonged on the floor. His connective feel allowed the ball to hum for Dallas, as he both finished and manufactured points. Khaman Maluach had been on a tear all Summer League long, but watching him rebound, absolutely demolish Milwaukee’s shot attempts, and even hit three-pointers…the Suns may have an All-NBA-level player on their hands if everything breaks right. And, speaking of breaking right, my take that Koa Peat could be this draft class’s Peyton Watson may not have been a high enough bar for the Arizona prospect to clear. He played strong, but was also super bouncy. He was very vocal on the court, too, letting the whole gym know when he was doing something well. He even took some jumpers that looked more natural and comfortable for him than the ones we saw at the NBA Combine.
A Pro Day, a Sunken Ship, and the Final Slate (For Me)
I’ll spare you the finite details of an exhausted 36-year-old man who went back to his room and immediately passed out. That’s what happened since I was a one-man band with places to be the next morning.
After some sleep and a brief No Ceilings housekeeping, I got into another Uber to make my way to the One Motive Pro Day I was invited to by their founder, Drew Kelso. Drew has become someone in the space that I have grown to really trust, respect, and admire. Our love of the game and shared Arkansas kinship have really strengthened our bond. Drew and his team have become prominent in their field in finding unearthed gems, so when they offered me the opportunity to attend their pro day, I quickly accepted.
The event was pretty awesome. It was held at a local high school gym and offered some great access to the players and Drew’s staff. There wasn’t much time wasted getting into the scheduled events. The players opened with some stretching and drills, and then went right into the game. I found a seat next to some NBA scouts (there were actually quite a few teams in attendance) whom I knew, and we watched the exhibition. There were some players there I’ve known for a bit. Ethan Taylor was there—and showed off some of his scoring prowess that I’ve seen during his time with Air Force. Jamar Brown was also featured. I loved getting a chance to see the leadership traits during the drills and in between plays. He also showed a high level of intensity and athleticism.
There was one player who truly impressed me, whom—I’ll admit, I wasn’t very familiar with. That was Okechukwu Okeke out of Albany. Okeke is listed at 6’10”, but he played larger—and this wasn’t an event where he was just the tallest dude. Drew’s group had five players who were his height or taller. He set bruising screens, blocked shots, elevated off of two feet, and even made some slick passes out of the short roll. In short, Okeke played hard all exhibition long. He even stayed behind after the event to thank each and every person for coming. When he thanked me, I told him he played his ass off and did a good job. This brought a big smile to his face. I love it when big men have a little something wrong with them in the right ways.
Once the Pro Day was over, I dapped Drew and his staff up, thanked them for letting me swing through, and Ubered back to the Luxor.
Now, there was something that I had to do in Las Vegas before I made my voyage back home—and it didn’t have to do with basketball. My youngest son, Miles, has autism. I’m not saying that to elicit any response (my son is amazing), but mainly to provide context. You see, Miles has become hyper-fixated on the Titanic. He has long loved all sorts of vehicles, but he has found some interesting documentaries about the legendary ship on YouTube Kids.
He wants to know all he can about the sunken wonder.
It was quite serendipitous to learn that the Luxor Hotel is home to the Titanic Artifact Exhibit. Now that I was all by myself in this big old city, it made me feel a little closer to home to take some pictures of the exhibit, have my picture taken on a replica of the stairwell, and even buy a children’s book with some cool facts about the Titanic.
It gave me the chance to come home a little bit of a hero. Funnily enough, that became one of the things I looked forward to most all week.
Once the tour was over, I had a chance to choke down some food and make my way back to Thomas & Mack for what would be my final day in the gym.
I made it back just in time to beat tip-off for Sacramento and Brooklyn. I was pleased to discover that Darius Acuff Jr. and Mikel Brown Jr. would both play. At this point in the Summer League calendar, it’s not uncommon for teams to “shut down” their top prospects after seeing them play for a couple of days. Even for second-year players like Egor Dёmin, Nique Clifford, Maxime Raynaud, and Dylan Cardwell, they were still pushing to get reps in for Summer League. This was great news for me.
Though I was the last No Ceilings member in Vegas, I wasn’t alone. Most of the time I spent in the gym, I was able to hang out with a scout I recently had the chance to get to know. It pays to be in the gym, kids. Get out there!
While we spent time talking about the current rookies, some sleeper prospects for next year, and how we got to be where we are now, the Kings and Nets treated us to some solid performances. In this game, I watched Darius Acuff play the most comfortable and complete game I had seen during Summer League. He was able to space the floor, made some slick cuts to the paint off the ball, and showed some good defensive possessions. His draft peer, Mikel Brown, also showed out. His creativity off the live dribble was very exciting. His ability to know where his escape routes are while driving to the rim is rivaled by very, very few players in the 2026 NBA Draft class. The shooting touch was also on display—exemplified by a possession in which Mikel went for a deep three-pointer on a break-down dribble.
Following that game, I stayed for the matchup between the Chicago Bulls and the Washington Wizards. Whether the decision was his or his team’s, AJ Dybantsa did not play in the game—but he was there in support of his team. All hope was not lost, however, as Caleb Wilson suited up to play. It would be reported after the game, but Caleb reportedly pitched the idea of playing in this game. Obviously, it worked. While watching Wilson—who was my favorite player in this class—I had this thought:
I hope that the Bulls work Caleb to primarily be an interior finisher, but also allow him to take some shots from deep. Don’t get me wrong, he had a very strong performance, but there were moments where I felt like Caleb didn’t go after the “little things” out there. I didn’t feel that way during the regular season, but I also understood the idea of letting him explore the studio space.
Once the game was over, so was my night at Thomas & Mack. After another Uber and a bite at Wahlburgers, I went back to my room to get some more work done and prepare for my trip back to Georgia.
So Long for Now, Vegas
Even with no idea what my first-ever trip to Summer League would be like, I was blown away by my time in Las Vegas. So many firsts for me helped to make this trip special, but it was the realization of connections that made my time there unforgettable. While I was somewhat sad to say some “see you laters,” I was super grateful for the time that I was able to spend with the people who have helped make my basketball journey special.
Also, while I am being pretty cheesy and heavy about a very fun time, I know that this trip is really just the beginning. I’m aware that more is coming for our team, and I know we are going to get to do more like this.
That awareness has been a catalyst for my tendency not to appreciate things as they happen—being present in the moment. As I stated in Part One, the one thing I’m trying to improve on is taking in the special things that happen to me as they happen.
So, as I left, I bid Las Vegas a farewell…until the next time!
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