Former Razorbacks competing in NBA Summer League
The 2024 slate of NBA Summer League games officially started on Saturday, and multiple former Razorback basketball players debuted with their respective teams.
Starting with the California Classic Summer League in Sacramento and Sac Francisco from July 6-10 and then followed by the Salt Lake City Summer League from July 8-10, former Hoop Hogs looking to make their mark at the professional level will conclude the summer with the NBA 2k25 Summer League in Las Vegas from July 12-22.
Organizations participating in the California Classic include the Charlotte Hornets, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, Sacramento King and San Antonio Spurs. The Memphis Grizzlies, OKC Thunder, Philadelphia 76ers and Utah Jazz will play in the Salt Lake City Summer League, while all 30 NBA teams will compete in the 2k25 Summer League.
Rosters for every team haven't been finalized, but two former Razorbacks have already made appearances while others have games coming up:
Nick Smith Jr. — Charlotte Hornets
Nick Smith Jr's lone season at Arkansas was plagued by injuries, but the former No. 2 high school player has carved out a solid role in the NBA as he heads into his second season with the Hornets.
After falling in the first round of the 2023 NBA Draft to No. 27, Smith was picked up by Charlotte. As a rookie, he appeared in 51 games and averaged 5.9 points, 1.4 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game.
While he didn't have the chance to showcase his talents at Arkansas, Smith has provided some solid scoring off the bench for the Hornets. Last season, he had 10 double-digit scoring performances including a 24-point outburst in the season finale against Cleveland.
The Little Rock native flashed some serious range in the Hornet's summer league game on Saturday as he finished the game with 10 points, seven rebounds and three assists in a 97-65 win over the San Antonio Spurs.
The Charlotte Hornets are scheduled to play their next game on Sunday against China at 7 p.m. CT on ESPNU.
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Jimmy Whitt Jr. — Golden State Warriors
After spending his last season with the Santa Cruz Warriors — the G-League affiliate of the Golden State Warriors — former Hog Jimmy Whitt is finally getting the chance to earn playing time in the summer league.
The former Razorback appeared in 22 games last season and averaged 12.9 minutes per appearance for Santa Cruz. He also averaged 4.9 points and 2.5 rebounds on 53.2% shooting from the field.
Golden State is currently playing in the California Classic Summer League, but Whitt will not join the team until the NBA 2K25 Summer League in Las Vegas.
Whitt played for Arkansas for two seasons, but those were separated by a three-year stint at SMU. He came to Fayetteville right out of high school and then transferred from the Mustangs to the Razorbacks ahead of the 2016-2017 season.
Ricky Council IV — Philadelphia 76ers
Ricky Council IV is heading into his second season with the Philadelphia 76ers after going undrafted in the 2023 NBA Draft. He signed a two-way deal with the team which was later converted to a four-year deal that was worth $7.3 million.
Last season, Council played sparingly but contributed well when he was on the court. He averaged nine minutes per game across the 32 he appeared in. He averaged 5.4 points and 1.4 rebounds per matchup on 48.2% shooting from the field.
Council played at Arkansas for one season as a transfer from Wichita State. He averaged 16.1 points on 43% field goal shooting to go along with 4.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game.
The 76ers will begin their Summer League session in the Salt Lake City Summer League on Monday, July 8 at 6 p.m. CT.
Mason Jones — Sacramento Kings
Mason Jones has spent time bouncing around the NBA and international ranks since leaving Arkansas after the COVID-shortened 2019-2020 season, as he's played for the Philadelphia 76ers, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers and now Sacramento Kings organizations.
The Dallas, Texas, native was picked up by the Kings in December 2023 and was then assigned to the G-League affiliate Stockton Kings.
Jones' most consistent time in the NBA was with the Houston Rockets. He appeared in 26 games and started one of those. He averaged 5.8 points, two rebounds and 1.5 assists in 11.8 minutes per game during the 2020-2021 season.
For his career, Jones has played in a total of 41 games in the NBA and has averaged 4.9 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.2 assists per matchup in that span.
During the Kings' opening Summer League game against China, Jones played 22:25 minutes and scored 19 points to go along with four rebounds and five assists.
The Kings' next game will be against the Miami Heat, which is scheduled for Sunday at 3:30 p.m. CT on NBA TV.