NBA Summer League - wikipedia NBA Summer League NBA Summer League Current season, competition or edition : 2017 NBA Summer League Sport Basketball Inaugural season Orlando : 2001 Las Vegas : 2004 Utah : 2015 No. of teams Orlando : 10 Utah : 4 Las Vegas : 24 Country United States Most recent champion ( s ) Orlando : Dallas Mavericks Las Vegas : Los Angeles Lakers TV partner ( s ) NBA TV and ESPN The NBA Summer League is a series of off - season competitions during which National Basketball Association teams come together to try out different summer rosters instead of their regular season line - ups. The summer teams typically consist of a mix of rookies, second year players, and unsigned free agents. The current summer league consists of three separate leagues : the Las Vegas Summer League, the Utah Jazz Summer League, and the Orlando Pro Summer League. Contents 1 History 1.1 Las Vegas Summer League 1.2 Utah Jazz Summer League 1.3 Orlando Pro Summer League 2 Las Vegas MVP winners 3 Champions 4 See also 5 Notes 6 References 7 External links History Summer leagues have existed for decades. Historically, there was not an organized structure, with leagues sometimes overlapping and not officially coordinated. In 2004, the league held the Las Vegas Summer League for the first time ; it is by far the largest league, with 24 teams participating as of 2017. The Orlando Pro Summer League has been held since 2001. The Utah Jazz Summer League began play in 2015, replacing the Rocky Mountain Revue, an event held from 1984 -- 2008 before going on a lengthy hiatus due to declining participation. The leagues generally consist of a handful of games per team. Unlike regulation NBA games, which are 48 minutes long, games only last 40 minutes, plus multiple 5 - minute overtime periods ( first overtime is played in its entirety ; true sudden death thereafter ). Before the 2013 leagues, no official champions were named at any league, with the leagues focusing more on individual auditions and development. Champions are currently named for the Orlando and Las Vegas leagues, although team performance is not emphasized. Unsigned free agents are often signed to summer league deals, providing a chance to possibly be signed to a contract during the regular season. Any team can sign the free agent after the league is over, not just the one he played for in summer league. For example, Jeremy Lin, a Harvard graduate, was invited to play for the Dallas Mavericks summer league team despite being undrafted earlier in the year. In the 2010 summer league, Lin performed well and was later signed by the Golden State Warriors. Las Vegas Summer League The Las Vegas Summer League played its inaugural season in 2004 University of Nevada, Las Vegas ( UNLV ) 's arena, the Thomas & Mack Center with six NBA teams -- Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Denver Nuggets, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, and Washington Wizards -- playing a total of 13 games. With Warren LeGarie leading the way, the summer league had three successful summers in which participation increased to 16 teams playing more than 40 games at UNLV. In 2007, the NBA attached its name to the event, making it the `` NBA '' summer league. In 2008, the summer league expanded to 22 teams and was sponsored by EA Sports. As of the summer 2015 season, Samsung is the sponsor and the official sponsored branding is the `` Samsung NBA Summer League ''. Utah Jazz Summer League From 1984 until 2008, the Utah Jazz hosted a tournament known as the Rocky Mountain Revue. Launched as a community outreach campaign to encourage interest in the Jazz in the summer of 1984 under the direction of Jazz public relations staffers David Allred and Kim Turner, initially the league operated as a three - week, pro-am league in July with alumni players from Utah, BYU, Weber State and Utah State. In 1990, after sending a team to the California Summer League the previous summer, Scott Layden, then the Jazz 's director of basketball operations, invited the Portland Trail Blazers, Phoenix Suns, and Sacramento Kings to join the league and moved to an all - NBA format. Over the course of the next 20 years, as few as four teams ( 1990 ) and as many as 16 teams ( 1998 ), participated, including the first International entry, Burghy Roma. The league did not play games during the 1999 strike - shortened season. In 2008, the NBA Development League had a D - League Ambassadors team. The Rocky Mountain Revue also showcased the Iranian national team. Games were hosted at Westminster College ( Salt Lake City ), East High School ( Salt Lake City ), Delta Center and the Revue 's final home, Salt Lake Community College. The Revue was known for its popularity, evidenced by sold out crowds each time the Jazz played. The Revue was one of the first NBA summer leagues to feature NBA officials, as the NBA used the league for referee development and training. The only NBA teams that did not send a team to the Revue at least once were the Los Angeles Lakers, Detroit Pistons and Washington Wizards. Due to declining participation, the event was cancelled for the 2009 season. However, the Jazz confirmed in November 2014 that they would revive the league for 2015, albeit with a smaller number of teams participating. The event would include the Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers, and San Antonio Spurs as well as the Jazz in a six - game, four - day event. Orlando Pro Summer League The Orlando Pro Summer League named a champion for the first time in 2013 with the Oklahoma City Thunder defeating the Houston Rockets 85 - 77. On July 11, 2014, the Philadelphia 76ers won the 2014 Orlando Summer League championship with a 91 - 75 win over the Memphis Grizzlies. The Dallas Mavericks were the champions in 2017. Las Vegas MVP winners Year Nat. Player Pos. Team 2012 Damian Lillard ( co-MVPs ) PG Portland Trail Blazers Josh Selby ( co-MVPs ) PG Memphis Grizzlies 2013 Jonas Valančiūnas Toronto Raptors 2014 Glen Rice Jr. SG Washington Wizards 2015 Kyle Anderson SF San Antonio Spurs 2016 Tyus Jones PG Minnesota Timberwolves 2017 Lonzo Ball PG Los Angeles Lakers Champions Year League Champion Score Runner - up League MVP Championship MVP 2013 Orlando Oklahoma City Thunder 85 -- 77 Houston Rockets Jeremy Lamb Las Vegas Golden State Warriors 91 -- 77 Phoenix Suns Jonas Valančiūnas Ian Clark 2014 Orlando Philadelphia 76ers 91 -- 75 Memphis Grizzlies Elfrid Payton Las Vegas Sacramento Kings 77 -- 68 Houston Rockets Glen Rice Jr. Ray McCallum, Jr. 2015 Orlando Memphis Grizzlies 75 -- 73 ( OT ) Orlando Magic ( White ) Aaron Gordon Las Vegas San Antonio Spurs 93 -- 90 Phoenix Suns Kyle Anderson Jonathon Simmons 2016 Orlando Orlando Magic ( White ) 87 -- 84 ( OT ) Detroit Pistons Arinze Onuaku Las Vegas Chicago Bulls 84 -- 82 ( OT ) Minnesota Timberwolves Tyus Jones Jerian Grant 2017 Orlando Dallas Mavericks 83 -- 81 ( OT ) Detroit Pistons Las Vegas Los Angeles Lakers 110 -- 98 Portland Trail Blazers Lonzo Ball Kyle Kuzma See also Summer Pro League, summer basketball league in Long Beach, California Notes ^ Jump up to : Orlando Summer League only awards one MVP. References Jump up ^ Zwerling, Jared. `` Vegas Baby, Vegas : How Warren LeGarie Made Sin City NBA 's Summer League Hot Spot ''. Bleacher Report. Retrieved 14 July 2015. Jump up ^ `` 2014 Las Vegas Summer League : Game Rules, Format and Tie - Break Criteria ''. NBA official website. National Basketball Association. 11 June 2014. Retrieved 14 July 2015. Jump up ^ Zwerling, Jared. `` Meet the NBA 's King of Summer ''. Retrieved 12 July 2016. Jump up ^ Release, Official. `` Tomorrow 's stars to shine bright at Samsung NBA Summer League 2015 ''. Retrieved 12 July 2016. Jump up ^ `` NBA.com ''. Retrieved 12 July 2016. Jump up ^ Utah Jazz Media Guide 2002 - 2003 Jump up ^ Jazz cancel 2009 Rocky Mountain Revue, KSL.com, May 1, 2009 Jump up ^ `` InsideHoops.com - Rocky Mountain Revue ''. Retrieved 12 July 2016. Jump up ^ `` NBA.com : 2010 NBA Summer League schedule ''. Retrieved 12 July 2016. Jump up ^ `` Rocky Mountain Revue canceled for 2009 ''. Retrieved 12 July 2016. Jump up ^ `` Utah 's Rocky Mountain Revue NBA summer league may return ''. Retrieved 12 July 2016. Jump up ^ `` Thunder at Rockets ''. Retrieved 12 July 2016. Jump up ^ `` Summer League Recap : Thunder vs. Rockets - THE OFFICIAL SITE OF THE OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER ''. Retrieved 12 July 2016. Jump up ^ `` 76ers at Grizzlies ''. Retrieved 12 July 2016. Jump up ^ `` Mavericks win Orlando Pro Summer League - Official Website of the Dallas Mavericks ''. The Official Site of the Dallas Mavericks. 2017 - 07 - 06. Retrieved 2017 - 07 - 08. External links NBA Summer League home National Basketball Association Eastern Conference Atlantic Boston Celtics Brooklyn Nets New York Knicks Philadelphia 76ers Toronto Raptors Central Chicago Bulls Cleveland Cavaliers Detroit Pistons Indiana Pacers Milwaukee Bucks Southeast Atlanta Hawks Charlotte Hornets Miami Heat Orlando Magic Washington Wizards Western Conference Northwest Denver Nuggets Minnesota Timberwolves Oklahoma City Thunder Portland Trail Blazers Utah Jazz Pacific Golden State Warriors Los Angeles Clippers Los Angeles Lakers Phoenix Suns Sacramento Kings Southwest Dallas Mavericks Houston Rockets Memphis Grizzlies New Orleans Pelicans San Antonio Spurs Annual events Draft Summer League Christmas Day All - Star Weekend Game MVP Playoffs List Finals Champions MVP Others NBA Silver Anniversary Team NBA 35th Anniversary Team 50 Greatest Players ABA Merger Arenas Awards BAA Cheerleading Collective bargaining agreement Criticisms and controversies 2007 Tim Donaghy betting scandal G League Dress code Draft eligibility Global Games Africa 2015, Africa 2017 First overall draft picks Hall of Fame Members Head coaches Current Player - coaches Champions Foreign coaches Lockouts Larry O'Brien Trophy Mascots Midwest Division NBA champions NBA Store Media TV NBA TV NBL NBPA Owners Players Current rosters Foreign players Race and ethnicity Retired numbers Banned or suspended Highest paid Records regular season post-season All - Star Game Win - loss records Rivalries Salary cap Seasons Teams Defunct Expansion Relocated Timeline WNBA Basketball in the United States Portal 2017 -- 18 season Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=NBA_Summer_League&oldid=791211731 '' Categories : Basketball leagues in the United States NBA Summer League Talk Contents About Wikipedia Deutsch Español فارسی Français 한국어 Հայերեն Italiano עברית ქართული 日本 語 Português Русский Suomi 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 18 July 2017, at 20 : 52. 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Question: who is allowed to play in nba summer league
Answer: typically