NBA Summer League is about to turn into a Tar Heel showcase.
When the action gets rolling July 3 in California and July 4 in Utah, with the main event beginning July 9 in Las Vegas, UNC basketball will be everywhere. Chicago Bulls rookie Caleb Wilson and Atlanta Hawks rookie Henri Veesaar headline the group, but they’re far from alone. A long list of former Tar Heels from the Roy Williams and Hubert Davis eras will spend the next two weeks trying to make noise in front of NBA executives.
RJ Davis, now with the San Antonio Spurs, arrives with a résumé that already stands out. The second-leading scorer in UNC history had his No. 4 jersey unveiled in the Smith Center rafters last season, then moved from the Los Angeles Lakers system to San Antonio.
In the G-League with the Coachella Valley Lakers, he earned a spot on the NBA G-League All-Rookie Team while averaging 18.9 points, 4.9 assists and 3.7 rebounds. He also hit 45.9% of his 3-point tries.
Pete Nance will be back in a Milwaukee Bucks uniform after bouncing through three NBA stops since leaving Chapel Hill. He began with Cleveland, then went to Philadelphia before landing with Milwaukee. Last season, he played 47 games for the Bucks and averaged 5.4 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1 assist.
Cormac Ryan is joining him there. The former UNC sharpshooter made the most of his 11 games last season, putting up 14.3 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 25 minutes a night while shooting 45.8% from deep.
Drake Powell will suit up for Brooklyn after a rookie year interrupted by knee and ankle injuries. The former first-round pick played in 63 games, averaged 6.5 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists, and logged just over 20 minutes per game.
Seth Trimble gets his chance with Washington. The former Tar Heel captain averaged 14 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game as a senior, and he’ll have a chance to show off his two-way game with No. 1 pick AJ Dybantsa on the roster.
Veesaar’s path to summer league comes with a fresh contract. Multiple national reports say he signed a four-year, $9.3 million deal with Atlanta after being taken 52nd in the 2026 NBA Draft. He averaged 17 points and 8.7 rebounds in his lone season at UNC, and the 7-footer will get a chance to show what he can do inside and on the perimeter.
Wilson, meanwhile, enters as one of the biggest names in the group. Spotrac says the No. 4 overall pick is set for a four-year deal worth $48.5 million with Chicago. After setting freshman records at UNC, he’ll try to become a foundation piece for a Bulls franchise that once was saved by a Tar Heel named Michael.
The schedule gives these former Tar Heels plenty of overlap and a few head-to-head chances. Davis opens against Miami on Friday, July 3. Nance and Ryan debut for Milwaukee against Golden State on July 4, while Veesaar’s Hawks face Utah and Powell’s Nets meet Sacramento that same day.
There’s a Tar Heel-on-Tar Heel matchup on July 5 when Milwaukee plays Brooklyn, and another busy stretch follows on July 6 with Atlanta against Oklahoma City, San Antonio against the Lakers, Brooklyn against Golden State and Milwaukee against Sacramento.
Veesaar gets Memphis on July 7, then Davis and Veesaar meet when San Antonio plays Atlanta on July 9. Trimble’s Wizards also begin that night against Utah.
Wilson makes his first appearance July 10 against Memphis, while Powell faces New York and Milwaukee takes on Miami. The schedule keeps piling up from there: Davis against New York on July 11, Veesaar against Powell’s Nets the same night, Trimble against Sacramento on July 12, and Davis against Nance and Ryan on July 12 as San Antonio meets Milwaukee.
Wilson returns July 13 against Utah, then meets Trimble’s Wizards on July 14. Trimble also plays the Clippers on July 15, while Powell gets Houston that same day. Wilson closes that stretch against the Lakers on July 16, and Veesaar finishes with Memphis later that night.
In Other News...
UNC Basketball Just Hit A Turning Point Fans Have Been Waiting For
North Carolinas mens basketball program is entering a new era in the 2025-26 academic year, and the timing makes it feel like more than just another coaching change. After Hubert Daviss departure, the Tar Heels moved quickly to reset the direction of the program, even as the rest of the athletic department kept producing big moments, from the Diamond Heels run to the College World Series finals to Seth Trimbles last-second three against Duke.
The focus now shifts to what comes next for a program that expects to compete at the highest level every season. Michael Malone has already begun working the transfer portal and the recruiting trail, trying to blend Carolina roots with a fresh approach, and for fans still sorting through the meaning of Daviss exit, the bigger question is whether this reset can turn a turbulent stretch into something more sustainable. [Read more 🡒]
UNC Just Entered A Crucial Battle For A Future Frontcourt Anchor
Michael Malones arrival in Chapel Hill came on the same day the transfer portal window opened, but the Tar Heels are already looking beyond the immediate roster shuffle. North Carolina has moved into the mix for Darius Wabbington, a 4-star center in the 2027 class whose appeal goes well beyond size. He brings a versatile game to the frontcourt and backed it up with a strong junior season, the kind of profile that makes him a priority for programs trying to secure a long-term anchor in the middle.
Wabbington has trimmed his recruitment to a small group of contenders, and UNC is still very much in the hunt as the staff works to build a relationship with one of the classs top big men. The next step is expected to be an on-campus visit, which would give the Tar Heels a better chance to sell both the program and the opportunity waiting in Chapel Hill. For a new coach trying to establish momentum quickly, landing a player like Wabbington would be a meaningful early statement, even if the final decision is still ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Former Tar Heel Garrison Brooks Lands His Next Overseas Opportunity
Garrison Brooks is keeping his pro career rolling overseas, lining up another stop in Japan after building a path that has taken him from North Carolina to the NBA G League, Lithuania and now back to the Japanese league. For Tar Heel fans, it is another reminder that Brooks has carved out a steady international career since leaving Chapel Hill, with Japan becoming a familiar landing spot.
Brooks previously suited up for the Chiba Jets, and his next chapter will come with a different club as he prepares for the 2026-2027 season. The move gives him another chance to settle in within a league he already knows, and it adds one more layer to a post-UNC journey that has already spanned multiple countries and levels of the pro game. [Read more 🡒]