KU’s Wilson, Dick, Azubuike, Garrett, McCormack, Agbaji playing summer hoops in Vegas

Former University of Kansas standout Gradey Dick had a second straight off-shooting night for the Toronto Raptors in a 99-76 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers in NBA 2K24 Summer League action Sunday in Las Vegas.

Dick, a 6-foot-8, 205-pound, 19-year old shooting guard from Wichita who was taken No. 13 overall by the Raptors in the 2023 NBA Draft, scored 11 points on 5-of-13 shooting Sunday. He was 1-of-3 from three-point range.

Dick scored 10 points on 3-of-12 shooting (2-of-9 beyond the arc) in his summer league debut against Chicago on Friday. He grabbed eight rebounds with four assists and no turnovers in 24 minutes versus Cleveland on Sunday.

“It wasn’t a perfect game from Toronto’s first-round pick Gradey Dick, but it was a step in the right direction for the 19-year-old sharpshooter. The Cavaliers ran him off the line and were aggressive in their closeouts, forcing him to step inside for mid-range jumpers most of the afternoon,” wrote Aaron Rose of SI.com. “After an 0-for-2 start, he settled in, dribbling around a screen for a mid-range bucket, and followed it up moments later with an off-balanced spin-move floater that spun around the rim before falling.

“His shooting stroke looked fine, just 5-for-13 from the field Sunday, but he grabbed eight rebounds, including following up his own short jumper and nailing a put-back floater. He added two assists and could have been credited for another one with a stellar pass off the dribble to find Mouhamadou Gueye who was fouled going up for a dunk.”

K-State’s Nowell cools off in Game Two

Former Kansas State guard Markquis Nowell, who was signed to a two-way contract by Toronto after not being selected in the two-round 2023 NBA Draft, scored five points against the Cavs on 2-of-11 shooting (0-3 on three-point attempts).

Nowell, a 5-7 guard from New York, had four assists against four turnovers in 23 minutes. In Nowell’s pro debut Friday versus the Bulls, he had 17 points on 6-of-12 shooting (4-of-6 on three-pointers), as well as five assists.

McCormack plays 10 minutes after failing to enter first game

Former KU forward David McCormack, a 6-10, 24-year-old free agent currently with the Raptors, did not play in Toronto’s summer league opener. But he scored five points on 2-of-6 shooting Sunday. He had four rebounds in 10 minutes for Toronto.

Jalen Wilson puts up big numbers again

Former KU forward Jalen Wilson, who scored 17 points in his NBA summer league debut — a Friday loss to Cleveland — totaled 18 points on 5-of-10 shooting (3-4 on three-pointers) in Brooklyn’s 98-80 victory over the New York Knicks on Sunday.

Wilson, a 6-8, 22-year-old second-round pick of the Nets in the 2023 NBA Draft, grabbed eight rebounds with two assists and one turnover while starting his second straight game and playing 27 minutes. Wilson is now 4-of-9 from three-point range for Brooklyn.

“He (Wilson) can rebound, he could push it, and on the offensive end, the decisions he made were great,” Nets summer league coach Trevor Hendry told netswire.usatoday.com after the game Sunday.

Marcus Garrett chilly from field

Former KU guard Marcus Garrett of the Knicks, who was productive in his summer league opener Friday during a loss to Philadelphia, scored three points on 1-of-7 shooting vs. Brooklyn on Sunday. He was 1-of-5 from three-point range with seven rebounds and five assists in 19 minutes.

On Friday, Garrett, a 6-5, 24-year-old third-year free agent from Dallas, had 11 points on 5-of-7 shooting in the Knicks’ loss to the Sixers. He had four rebounds, three assists and a turnover in 21 minutes in that game.

Doke goes 7-for-7 on Sunday

Former KU center Udoka Azubuike, who is a free agent after playing limited minutes in three years with the Utah Jazz, scored 14 points on perfect 7-of-7 shooting in the Boston Celtics’ 103-98 loss to Washington Sunday in Vegas.

The 6-11, 23-year-old Azubuike had 10 rebounds and blocked one shot in 18 minutes off the bench for the Celtics.

Azubuike scored six points on 3-of-4 shooting with six rebounds in 17 minutes in his Celtics debut — a 99-88 loss to Miami. So he’s 10-of-11 shooting thus far in summer league action.

Former KU and Boston Celtics great Paul Pierce supported the Celtics from the stands Sunday in Vegas.

“I’m only here to watch the Celtics. This is the only team I come to games for. I don’t watch anybody else,” Pierce told NBA TV, as reported by nba.com.

Pierce was asked about his first and only summer league experience in 1998.

“I played two games,” Pierce told NBA TV. “I had a 46-point game and coach (Rick Pitino) said, ‘Go home for the summer.’’’

Agbaji scores 21 points for Jazz

Former KU guard Ochai Agbaji scored 21 points with nine rebounds, five assists and two blocked shots for Utah in Saturday’s 105-99 win over the Los Angeles Clippers.

The 23-year-old second-year pro hit 8 of 18 shots and was 3-of-10 from three-point range and 2-of-2 from the line.

Former Baylor guard Keyonte George had 33 points and 10 assists for the Jazz Saturday. Utah, which went 1-2 in the Salt Lake City summer league, has played just one game so far in Vegas.