The NBA Summer League has become the next proving ground for a group of Clemson ties, with six former Tigers set to spend the month trying to turn opportunity into something bigger.
The action is already underway in Las Vegas, where all 30 NBA teams are taking part beginning Thursday. Before that, some clubs got a head start through the California Classic in Sacramento and San Francisco, along with the 2026 Salt Lake City Summer League in Utah. That early slate has already given several Clemson alums a chance to get on the floor.
Transfer guard Jestin Porter is among the first to make his mark. He joined the Memphis Grizzlies’ Summer League team and has already flashed the shot-making that made him Clemson’s leader in 3-pointers and steals last season.
Porter appeared in two of Memphis’ three games in Salt Lake City, finishing with 11 points in 31 minutes and knocking down three 3-pointers. He also started Tuesday night against the Atlanta Hawks.
Porter is not the only former Tiger already in the mix. Four others have taken the court, including three starters from Clemson’s Elite Eight team in the 2023-24 season.
Chase Hunter and Jack Clark are back together on the Golden State Warriors’ Summer League roster, while Ian Schieffelin is with the Miami Heat, trying to earn an NBA contract. Their paths crossed quickly in San Francisco, where former teammates lined up against each other in the California Classic.
On Monday, Miami beat Golden State 95-85. Schieffelin turned in 11 points and eight rebounds in 21 minutes, while Hunter finished with four points and Clark added seven. Even in defeat, Clark and Hunter showed the kind of familiarity that comes from years together, connecting on a cross-court pass that ended with a Hunter layup.
Another Clemson name in the mix is Viktor Lakhin, who landed with the Sacramento Kings two seasons after his lone year at Clemson in 2024-25. He made the most of his outing Sunday against the Golden State Warriors Blue, scoring a team-high 12 points in a win.
Florida State forward Chauncey Wiggins is also worth watching, as he will spend the month with the Boston Celtics.
None of the six was drafted, which makes this stretch especially important. For all of them, Summer League is the chance to show they can stick.
Several of the former Tigers have already spent time in the G League. Hunter was with the Birmingham Squadron, the New Orleans Pelicans’ affiliate, on an Exhibit 10 contract and averaged 7.8 points and two assists in a little more than 20 minutes per game last season. Clemson already knows what it got from him during his college run, when he averaged more than 13 points per game in his final three seasons at Littlejohn Coliseum.
Clark, now in his second season away from Clemson, played 35 games for the Santa Cruz Warriors and posted 10.6 points and 6.1 rebounds in 2025-26.
Lakhin’s route was a little different. He was signed to the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Summer League team, but a torn tendon in his left foot led to his waiver by October. He still found his way onto the floor, spending time with the Oklahoma City Blue and later playing in Puerto Rico for Cangrejeros de Santurce from March to May.
Schieffelin’s path has been the most unusual of the bunch. After finishing his basketball eligibility, he traded his high tops for football cleats and joined Dabo Swinney’s program. That detour lasted only briefly, though, as he caught just two passes for 10 yards before leaving football and returning to basketball.
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