NBA Summer League is almost here, and a familiar group of former Tar Heels is set to get another crack at making an NBA impression.
The 2026 event will feature several UNC alumni spread across the California Classic and the main Summer League in Las Vegas, with rosters still being finalized. Three players from last season’s Tar Heels squad - Seth Trimble, Henri Veesaar and Caleb Wilson - are expected to take part for their teams, while veterans Leaky Black and RJ Davis are also on rosters as they chase an NBA spot for the upcoming season.
The first wave of action comes in the opening week, when the California Classic runs July 3-6 and the Salt Lake City Summer League takes place July 4, 6-7. After that, everything shifts to Las Vegas for the 2026 NBA Summer League from July 9-19.
Here’s the current list of former Tar Heels set to be involved:
Former Tar Heels competing in the 2026 California Classic
Brooklyn Nets: Drake Powell
Milwaukee Bucks: Pete Nance, Cormac Ryan
San Antonio Spurs: RJ Davis
Former Tar Heels competing in the 2026 NBA Summer League
Atlanta Hawks: Henri Veesaar
Chicago Bulls: Caleb Wilson
Washington Wizards: Leaky Black, Seth Trimble
The California Classic participants are also likely to appear in NBA Summer League action as well, and the list will be updated as more information comes in.
For some players, Summer League is about finding a home. For others, it’s about keeping a foothold in the league. Either way, the stage is the same: a chance to perform in front of NBA scouts from around the league and turn that exposure into something more.
That’s the real pull of this event. Even if a player doesn’t stick with the team he’s with now, another franchise could still notice and take a shot. Standard contracts, two-way deals and G League opportunities are all in play, and for the guys on these rosters, every possession matters.
Some players, like Caleb Wilson, don’t need to win a job outright. Others are fighting for one. Either way, the 2026 NBA Summer League will give former Tar Heels a chance to put their names back in the conversation.
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Tar Heels Summer League Brings One Encouraging Sign And One Rough Start
Summer League offered a little bit of everything for North Carolina fans on Friday, with Henri Veesaar and Cormac Ryan each giving their new teams something to build on. Veesaar came off the bench for the Hawks and gave them a steady 18-minute stint in an overtime loss to Utah, while Ryan drew a start for Milwaukee and helped the Bucks beat the Warriors Blue with a productive night from the perimeter.
Drake Powells first turn in Brooklyn was a different kind of test. He started against Sacramento and found other ways to stay involved, helping on the glass and as a passer, even as his shot never came around in the loss. The schedule now gives the Tar Heels another layer to watch, with Powells Nets set to see Ryans Bucks on Sunday, a small but familiar crossover for a program tracking several former players at once. [Read more 🡒]
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North Carolina is heading into 2026 with a passing game that looks nothing like the one it will leave behind. A new starting quarterback, a rebuilt receiver room and changes up front all come with the territory, and Bobby Petrino is now the one tasked with sorting it out as offensive coordinator under Bill Belichick. The setup at least gives the Tar Heels more ways to stress defenses, with Jordan Shipp joined by Nathan Leacock, Mason Humphrey and Trech Kekahuna as the main names to know.
Shipp still looks like the clear headliner, but the bigger question is whether the rest of the group can make the offense more than a one-man show. Leacock is getting another chance to live up to the lofty expectations that followed him into college, while Humphrey and Kekahuna offer different kinds of help that could round out the room. The real pressure point, though, is the quarterback spot, because if Petrino and UNC do not get steady play there, all of that new talent could end up looking better on paper than it does on Saturdays. [Read more 🡒]