On Thursday night, everyone turned on ESPN to see former Duke star Cooper Flagg in his NBA Summer League debut. Don't worry, they got what they wanted and got to watch Flagg in action.
However, the former Blue Devil only scored 10 points, and he himself even admitted that the game wasn't up to his usual standard. One rookie who did play up to par, if not well above it, was none other than former Auburn Tigers guard Miles Kelly.
Kelly went off for 17 points, four rebounds, two assists, and one steal as he helped lead the Dallas Mavericks (alongside Flagg) to the win over the Los Angeles Lakers.
Following a college career spent mainly at Georgia Tech, with just one season at Auburn, Kelly devastatingly went undrafted during the 2025 NBA Draft. Just a few days later, he signed a two-way contract with the Mavs, and it has paid off so far.
Miles Kelly finishes his first game of the NBA Summer League with a WIN for Dallas over the Lakers:
— Vince Wolfram (@vincewolfram15) July 11, 2025
17 points (3-8 3FG), 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal in 28 minutes of action. pic.twitter.com/VBvZxKbjLc
Out of his Dallas teammates, Kelly was only outscored by fellow undrafted rookie Ryan Nembhard, who was able to produce an astonishing 21 points in the Summer League game.
Kelly was far from the only Tiger in action on Thursday night, with six other former Auburn stars on rosters for Summer League matchups.
Jaylin Williams, who is on the Mavericks' roster, did not clock in during the game against the Lakers. Similarly, Chaney Johnson and Denver Jones are on the Cleveland Cavaliers' Summer League team but didn't play against the Pacers.
Rookie Dylan Cardwell, who was signed by the Sacramento Kings, played 10 minutes in his game against the Orlando Magic but failed to produce any stats. Last but certainly not least, Johni Broome, who was drafted 35th overall by the Philadelphia 76ers, earned eight points, five rebounds, one assist, one steal, and one block against the San Antonio Spurs.
Kelly, Flagg, and the Mavericks will play again on Saturday, July 12, when they face the New Orleans Pelicans. The game is scheduled to tip off at 7:30 p.m. CT and will be broadcast on ESPN2 and ESPN+.