Tarris Reed Jr. and Alex Karaban are about to get their first taste of pro ball, and the former UConn teammates won’t be sharing the same floor in either of the two summer showcases on their calendars.
Reed, now with the San Antonio Spurs, and Karaban, now with the Sacramento Kings, have both landed in new cities after last week’s 2026 NBA Draft and are set to begin their NBA Summer League runs later this week. They haven’t had much time to settle in with new teammates, but both will be thrown right into action in two different summer circuits.
First up is the California Classic, running July 3-6 in Northern California. The event will feature seven teams, with games split between the Chase Center in San Francisco and the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento. Along with the Spurs and Kings, the field includes the Brooklyn Nets, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat and Milwaukee Bucks.
San Antonio’s slate starts July 3 against Miami at 8 p.m., followed by a July 5 meeting with Golden State at 7 p.m. and a July 6 matchup with the Lakers at 7:30 p.m.
Sacramento opens July 4 against Brooklyn at 5 p.m., then faces Golden State on July 5 at 5 p.m. before closing the California Classic on July 6 against Milwaukee at 10 p.m.
From there, both teams head to Las Vegas for the Summer League, set for July 9-19 on the UNLV campus. Every NBA team will be there, and each club is guaranteed at least five games, giving rookies and young players a chance to start building team chemistry.
The Spurs begin in Vegas on July 9 against Atlanta at 4:30 p.m. on ESPN 2, then take on the Knicks on July 11 at 6 p.m. on ESPN. Their next two games are July 12 against Milwaukee at 9 p.m. on ESPN and July 15 against Utah at 9:30 p.m. on Prime Video, with playoffs to be determined.
The Kings open July 9 against the Clippers at 11 p.m. on ESPN, then play Washington on July 12 at 8 p.m. on Prime Video, Brooklyn on July 14 at 6 p.m. on Prime Video, and Boston on July 15 at 8 p.m. on ESPN2. Their playoff status is also to be determined.
A Spurs-Kings matchup is not on either schedule.
Las Vegas will also give fans a look at some of the other top rookies in the class. The Spurs’ group in the California Classic includes Jayden Quaintance of Kentucky, the No. 20 overall pick; Reed at No.
26; Ja'Kobi Gillespie of Tennessee at No. 42; and Maliq Brown of Duke at No. 44.
The Kings’ California Classic roster features Darius Acuff Jr. of Arkansas, the No. 7 pick; Karaban at No. 29; and Emanuel Sharp of Houston at No. 45.
Brooklyn will bring Mikel Brown Jr. of Louisville, the No. 6 pick; Joshua Jefferson of Iowa State at No. 28; and Tyler Bilodeau of UCLA at No. 43.
Golden State’s group includes Yaxel Lendeborg of Michigan, the No. 11 pick, and Lajae Jones of Florida State at No. 54.
The Lakers will have Cameron Carr of Baylor at No. 24.
Miami’s roster includes Ryan Conwell of Louisville at No. 37 and Otega Oweh of Kentucky at No. 41.
Milwaukee’s players include Brayden Burries of Arizona at No. 10, Nate Ament of Tennessee at No. 13 and Malique Lewis of Trinidad & Tobago at No. 60.
One more familiar face will be with Reed in this stretch: a special friend will join him.
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