ESPN: Former Tar Heels Rockie set for a possible return.

An intriguing approach to present some of the young professional talent in sports begins on Saturday.

With the 2024 NBA season and draft behind us, we can now look forward to the summer league, which gives us a sneak peek at some of the young players and draft picks from around the professional basketball landscape. Ten former Tar Heels will compete for a roster slot in the 2024–25 NBA Summer League, which is based in Las Vegas. On July 6th, the mini-season begins, and on July 20th, tournament play starts.

The San Antonio Spurs drafted Harrison Ingram with the No. 48 pick in June, and he will start for them on Saturday against the Hornets as one of their youthful players. As the lone former Tar Heel selected in the draft, Ingram should expect a heavier workload and greater expectations than any of his colleagues from North Carolina.

Armando Bacot and Cormac Ryan, those teammates, will suit up for the Oklahoma City Thunder and Utah Jazz, respectively. Following the draft, both signed Exhibit 10 free-agent contracts with their new teams. Tuesday, July 9th, is when the two will play each other.

In his second summer league season, Leaky Black, who went undrafted the previous season and was signed by the Charlotte Hornets, will continue to represent his home state. In addition to making an impression over the summer, Black ended up being a part of the Hornets team in the latter stages of the 2023–24 NBA season. He played 10.9 minutes a game on average.

Pete Nance, who plays for the Cleveland Cavaliers, will participate in his second consecutive summer league. Last summer, he played 7.2 points and 20.8 minutes per game on average. Alongside Armando Bacot, another forward who spent just a year in Chapel Hill, Walker Kessler, will be a member of the Utah Jazz.

Finally, Garrison Brooks, who participated for the Pelicans in the 2023 NBA Summer League, was selected by the Chicago Bulls to play for them. In addition to playing sometimes in the G-League, Brooks has lived abroad.

NBA TV, ESPN+, and the ESPN networks host all of the action. In this short league play, a number of former teammates and Tar Heels are expected to cross paths. The chance is enormous for those hoping to secure a position on an NBA roster soon.