University of Tennessee Athletics
Photo by: Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics
Eleven VFLs to Compete in 2026 NBA Summer League
July 08, 2026 | Men's Basketball
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee men's basketball team will have 11 alumni who finished their college careers in Knoxville taking part in the 2026 NBA Summer League.
The annual 11-day event will run from July 9-19 at Cox Pavilion and the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.
Nine different NBA franchises will roster at least one VFL, including one (San Antonio) sporting three.
All 30 teams will play four games from July 9-16, with the playoff and consolation contests taking up the final three days of each. Every team will play at least five games and all the action will be televised on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU or Prime Video.
To keep up with the University of Tennessee men's basketball team on social media, follow @Vol_Hoops on Instagram and X/Twitter, as well as /tennesseebasketball on Facebook.
Nate Ament (2025-26) | Milwaukee Bucks
A lottery pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, Ament went No. 13 overall to the Miami Heat, with his rights then traded to Milwaukee. In his lone season at Tennessee, the one-and-done sensation was a six-time SEC Freshman of the Week, a Second Team All-SEC pick, an SEC All-Freshman Team honoree, an NABC First Team All-Central District choice and a finalist for both the Julius Erving Award and the Kyle Macy Award. Ament averaged 16.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.0 steal per game for the Volunteers, scoring 27-plus points five times to tie for the fifth-most by an SEC freshman in the last 20 seasons (2006-26).
Kennedy Chandler (2021-22) | Chicago Bulls
Another one-and-done standout at Tennessee, Chandler was the No. 38 selection in the 2022 NBA Draft by his hometown Memphis Grizzlies. In his one year on Rocky Top, Chandler was a Second Team All-SEC and SEC All-Freshman Team designee, as well as the SEC Tournament MVP. After playing in 36 games for Memphis in 2022-23, he competed in the G League for most of the next three seasons, before earning two 10-day contracts with the Utah Jazz late last year. He made the most of those opportunities, averaging 15.0 points, 6.7 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.0 steal in 32.3 minutes per game over 11 outings, scoring in double figures nine times, with 16-plus on five occasions.
Ja'Kobi Gillespie (2025-26) | San Antonio Spurs
Drafted No. 42 overall in the 2026 NBA Draft by the Spurs after a sensational senior campaign in his lone year with his home-state flagship school. The AP SEC Newcomer of the Year collected First Team All-SEC status from the league's coaches, as well as NABC First Team All-Central District plaudits and NCAA Midwest Region All-Tournament Team accolades. He averaged 18.4 points, 5.4 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game, while becoming the fifth Division I player ever to log 200 assists and 100 made 3-pointers in a season. Gillespie set the Tennessee record for steals in a season (79), a game (eight, twice) and in an NCAA Tournament game (six).
Keon Johnson (2020-21) | Orlando Magic
Yet another in-state, one-and-done first-round pick, Johnson went No. 21 overall to the New York Knicks, who sent his rights to the Los Angeles Clippers. Tabbed to the SEC All-Freshman Team in his lone year with the Volunteers, Johnson went on to play 161 games in the NBA over the next four seasons, for three franchises. He averaged 8.2 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game for the Clippers, Portland Trail Blazers and Brooklyn Nets, making 68 starts. His best year came in 2024-25 for Brooklyn, when he averaged 10.6 points per game and started 56 contests. Johnson spent the 2025-26 season in the G League with the Maine Celtics.
Tyreke Key (2022-23) | Toronto Raptors
A graduate transfer who spent the final year of his career with his home-state Volunteers, Key produced 8.2 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game in his only campaign on Rocky Top. He logged double-digit points 12 times for Tennessee, with a season high of 23. Key spent his first year as a professional with the Leuven Bears in Belgium, before competing for Raptors 905 in the G League the last two seasons. After averaging 8.6 points per game in 2024-25, he put up 10.9 points per game on 49.5 percent shooting in 2025-26 and earned his first NBA deal late in the season. Key signed a 10-day contract with the Toronto Raptors on April 6, 2026.
Chaz Lanier (2024-25) | Detroit Pistons
The fifth Tennessee native to appear on this list, Lanier dazzled in his lone season with the Volunteers and was drafted No. 37 by Detroit in 2025. Labeled a Third Team All-American by the NABC and The Sporting News, Lanier was a First Team All-SEC pick by the AP, the SEC Newcomer of the Year by the league's coaches and the Jerry West Award winner. As a rookie in 2025-26, he helped the Pistons post the best record in the Eastern Conference. Lanier totaled 80 points, 23 rebounds and 17 assists over his 34 contests at the NBA level. He also averaged 18.6 points per game in 20 outings for the Motor City Cruise in the G League.
Jahmai Mashack (2021-25) | Memphis Grizzlies
A four-year Tennessee stalwart, Mashack was the No. 59 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets, with his rights sent to the Grizzlies, whom he signed a two-way deal with on Nov. 16, 2025. In his final year with the Volunteers, Mashack was a finalist for Naismith Defensive Player of the Year and an SEC All-Defensive Team choice. As a rookie, Mashack competed in 31 games for Memphis and made seven starts, producing 6.2 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.2 steals per game. He had a 13-point, 15-rebound, 14-assist triple-double on April 10, 2026. Mashack also averaged 10.7 points, 6.2 assists, 4.9 assists and 2.3 steals per game for the Memphis Hustle in his 15 outings in the G League.
Igor Miličić Jr. (2024-25) | San Antonio Spurs
Miličić spent one season at Tennessee, during which he registered 9.4 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game, while notching 37 starts and shooting 47.2 percent from the field. After a knee injury during the pre-draft process, Miličić inked an Exhibit 10 contract with the Philadelphia 76ers to compete for the Delaware Blue Coats in the G League. He averaged 6.9 points and 5.0 rebounds per game on the year, during which he made 45 appearances. Miličić will now play alongside a pair former Tennessee point guards, Ja'Kobi Gillespie and ex-teammate Zakai Zeigler, with the Spurs this summer in Las Vegas.
Felix Okpara (2024-26) | Washington Wizards
Selected with the No. 46 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic, Okpara's rights were quickly traded to the Wizards. An SEC All-Defensive Team honoree during his final season at Tennessee, Okpara averaged 7.5 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game in his two years suiting up for the Volunteers. He shot 59.3 percent from the floor for Tennessee, throwing down 138 dunks. Okpara capped his career with the second-best blocks average in program history, as well as the fourth-best offensive rebounding mark (2.51). He is one of four Volunteers ever to notch 50-plus blocks multiple times and he finished his career with the second-most blocks (243) of any active Division I player.
Jaden Springer (2020-21) | Dallas Mavericks
Tabbed the No. 28 choice in the 2021 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers, Springer is the fourth one-and-done freshman on this list. An SEC All-Freshman Team choice in his lone season with the Volunteers, he earned two SEC Freshman of the Week nods. Springer played in 110 games for three NBA franchises in his first four years as a professional. In addition to Philadelphia, Springer played for the Boston Celtics and Utah Jazz, winning an NBA title with the former in 2023-24. This past year, after first making the New Orleans Pelicans' opening day roster, Springer played for the Birmingham Squadron in the G League, averaging 13.9 points and 3.9 assists per game, over 31 contests.
Zakai Zeigler (2021-25) | San Antonio Spurs
The third member of the Spurs' summer league roster and the fifth member of the 30-win 2024-25 Tennessee roster on this list, Zeigler was an All-SEC Defensive Team choice in all four years with the Volunteers. The two-time First Team All-SEC and two-time SEC Defensive Player of the Year set the program record for both steals (251) and assists (747). In his initial season at the professional level, Zeigler played for France-based Nanterre 92, for whom he averaged 7.6 points, 5.8 assists, 1.6 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game, across 29 appearances. He also logged a 2.56 assist-to-turnover ratio in his rookie campaign.
2026 NBA SUMMER LEAGUE TV SCHEDULE
Thursday, July 9
Spurs [Gillespie/Miličić/Zeigler] vs. Hawks (4:30 p.m., ESPN2)
Pistons [Lanier] vs. 76ers (5:30 p.m., Prime Video)
Mavericks [Springer] vs. Warriors (7 p.m., ESPN)
Magic [Johnson] vs. Hornets (7:30 p.m., Prime Video)
Wizards [Okpara] vs. Jazz (9 p.m., ESPN)
Friday, July 10
Bucks [Ament] vs. Heat (4 p.m., Prime Video)
Bulls [Chandler] vs. Grizzlies [Mashack] (8 p.m., Prime Video)
Raptors [Key] vs. Celtics (9 p.m., ESPN)
Saturday, July 11
Magic [Johnson] vs. Heat (3:30 p.m., Prime Video)
Spurs [Gillespie/Miličić/Zeigler] vs. Knicks (6 p.m., ESPN)
Raptors [Key] vs. Rockets (9:30 p.m., Prime Video)
Mavericks [Springer] vs. Lakers (10 p.m., ESPN)
Sunday, July 12
Pistons [Lanier] vs. Cavaliers (4 p.m., Prime Video)
Magic [Johnson] vs. Trail Blazers (7 p.m., ESPNU)
Wizards [Okpara] vs. Kings (8 p.m., Prime Video)
Bucks [Ament] vs. Spurs [Gillespie/Miličić/Zeigler] (9 p.m., ESPN)
Monday, July 13
Pistons [Lanier] vs. Knicks (4 p.m., Prime Video)
Raptors [Key] vs. Pacers (4:30 p.m., ESPN2)
Grizzlies [Mashack] vs. Mavericks [Springer] (7 p.m., ESPN)
Bulls [Chandler] vs. Jazz (9 p.m., ESPN)
Bucks [Ament] vs. Suns (10 p.m., Prime Video)
Tuesday, July 14
Grizzlies [Mashack] vs. Warriors (7 p.m., ESPN)
Bulls [Chandler] vs. Wizards [Okpara] (8 p.m., Prime Video)
Wednesday, July 15
Magic [Johnson] vs. 76ers (4 p.m., ESPNU)
Pistons [Lanier] vs. Suns (6 p.m., ESPNU)
Bucks [Ament] vs. Hornets (7:30 p.m., Prime Video)
Spurs [Gillespie/Miličić/Zeigler] vs. Jazz (9:30 p.m., Prime Video)
Wizards [Okpara] vs. Clippers (10:30 p.m., ESPN)
Thursday, July 16
Mavericks [Springer] vs. Thunder (4 p.m., Prime Video)
Bulls [Chandler] vs. Lakers (6 p.m., Prime Video)
Grizzlies [Mashack] vs. Hawks (8 p.m., Prime Video)
Raptors [Key] vs. Heat (9 p.m., ESPN2)
Friday, July 17 – Sunday, July 19
TBD
The annual 11-day event will run from July 9-19 at Cox Pavilion and the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.
Nine different NBA franchises will roster at least one VFL, including one (San Antonio) sporting three.
All 30 teams will play four games from July 9-16, with the playoff and consolation contests taking up the final three days of each. Every team will play at least five games and all the action will be televised on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU or Prime Video.
To keep up with the University of Tennessee men's basketball team on social media, follow @Vol_Hoops on Instagram and X/Twitter, as well as /tennesseebasketball on Facebook.
Nate Ament (2025-26) | Milwaukee Bucks
A lottery pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, Ament went No. 13 overall to the Miami Heat, with his rights then traded to Milwaukee. In his lone season at Tennessee, the one-and-done sensation was a six-time SEC Freshman of the Week, a Second Team All-SEC pick, an SEC All-Freshman Team honoree, an NABC First Team All-Central District choice and a finalist for both the Julius Erving Award and the Kyle Macy Award. Ament averaged 16.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.0 steal per game for the Volunteers, scoring 27-plus points five times to tie for the fifth-most by an SEC freshman in the last 20 seasons (2006-26).
Kennedy Chandler (2021-22) | Chicago Bulls
Another one-and-done standout at Tennessee, Chandler was the No. 38 selection in the 2022 NBA Draft by his hometown Memphis Grizzlies. In his one year on Rocky Top, Chandler was a Second Team All-SEC and SEC All-Freshman Team designee, as well as the SEC Tournament MVP. After playing in 36 games for Memphis in 2022-23, he competed in the G League for most of the next three seasons, before earning two 10-day contracts with the Utah Jazz late last year. He made the most of those opportunities, averaging 15.0 points, 6.7 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.0 steal in 32.3 minutes per game over 11 outings, scoring in double figures nine times, with 16-plus on five occasions.
Ja'Kobi Gillespie (2025-26) | San Antonio Spurs
Drafted No. 42 overall in the 2026 NBA Draft by the Spurs after a sensational senior campaign in his lone year with his home-state flagship school. The AP SEC Newcomer of the Year collected First Team All-SEC status from the league's coaches, as well as NABC First Team All-Central District plaudits and NCAA Midwest Region All-Tournament Team accolades. He averaged 18.4 points, 5.4 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game, while becoming the fifth Division I player ever to log 200 assists and 100 made 3-pointers in a season. Gillespie set the Tennessee record for steals in a season (79), a game (eight, twice) and in an NCAA Tournament game (six).
Keon Johnson (2020-21) | Orlando Magic
Yet another in-state, one-and-done first-round pick, Johnson went No. 21 overall to the New York Knicks, who sent his rights to the Los Angeles Clippers. Tabbed to the SEC All-Freshman Team in his lone year with the Volunteers, Johnson went on to play 161 games in the NBA over the next four seasons, for three franchises. He averaged 8.2 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game for the Clippers, Portland Trail Blazers and Brooklyn Nets, making 68 starts. His best year came in 2024-25 for Brooklyn, when he averaged 10.6 points per game and started 56 contests. Johnson spent the 2025-26 season in the G League with the Maine Celtics.
Tyreke Key (2022-23) | Toronto Raptors
A graduate transfer who spent the final year of his career with his home-state Volunteers, Key produced 8.2 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game in his only campaign on Rocky Top. He logged double-digit points 12 times for Tennessee, with a season high of 23. Key spent his first year as a professional with the Leuven Bears in Belgium, before competing for Raptors 905 in the G League the last two seasons. After averaging 8.6 points per game in 2024-25, he put up 10.9 points per game on 49.5 percent shooting in 2025-26 and earned his first NBA deal late in the season. Key signed a 10-day contract with the Toronto Raptors on April 6, 2026.
Chaz Lanier (2024-25) | Detroit Pistons
The fifth Tennessee native to appear on this list, Lanier dazzled in his lone season with the Volunteers and was drafted No. 37 by Detroit in 2025. Labeled a Third Team All-American by the NABC and The Sporting News, Lanier was a First Team All-SEC pick by the AP, the SEC Newcomer of the Year by the league's coaches and the Jerry West Award winner. As a rookie in 2025-26, he helped the Pistons post the best record in the Eastern Conference. Lanier totaled 80 points, 23 rebounds and 17 assists over his 34 contests at the NBA level. He also averaged 18.6 points per game in 20 outings for the Motor City Cruise in the G League.
Jahmai Mashack (2021-25) | Memphis Grizzlies
A four-year Tennessee stalwart, Mashack was the No. 59 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets, with his rights sent to the Grizzlies, whom he signed a two-way deal with on Nov. 16, 2025. In his final year with the Volunteers, Mashack was a finalist for Naismith Defensive Player of the Year and an SEC All-Defensive Team choice. As a rookie, Mashack competed in 31 games for Memphis and made seven starts, producing 6.2 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.2 steals per game. He had a 13-point, 15-rebound, 14-assist triple-double on April 10, 2026. Mashack also averaged 10.7 points, 6.2 assists, 4.9 assists and 2.3 steals per game for the Memphis Hustle in his 15 outings in the G League.
Igor Miličić Jr. (2024-25) | San Antonio Spurs
Miličić spent one season at Tennessee, during which he registered 9.4 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game, while notching 37 starts and shooting 47.2 percent from the field. After a knee injury during the pre-draft process, Miličić inked an Exhibit 10 contract with the Philadelphia 76ers to compete for the Delaware Blue Coats in the G League. He averaged 6.9 points and 5.0 rebounds per game on the year, during which he made 45 appearances. Miličić will now play alongside a pair former Tennessee point guards, Ja'Kobi Gillespie and ex-teammate Zakai Zeigler, with the Spurs this summer in Las Vegas.
Felix Okpara (2024-26) | Washington Wizards
Selected with the No. 46 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic, Okpara's rights were quickly traded to the Wizards. An SEC All-Defensive Team honoree during his final season at Tennessee, Okpara averaged 7.5 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game in his two years suiting up for the Volunteers. He shot 59.3 percent from the floor for Tennessee, throwing down 138 dunks. Okpara capped his career with the second-best blocks average in program history, as well as the fourth-best offensive rebounding mark (2.51). He is one of four Volunteers ever to notch 50-plus blocks multiple times and he finished his career with the second-most blocks (243) of any active Division I player.
Jaden Springer (2020-21) | Dallas Mavericks
Tabbed the No. 28 choice in the 2021 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers, Springer is the fourth one-and-done freshman on this list. An SEC All-Freshman Team choice in his lone season with the Volunteers, he earned two SEC Freshman of the Week nods. Springer played in 110 games for three NBA franchises in his first four years as a professional. In addition to Philadelphia, Springer played for the Boston Celtics and Utah Jazz, winning an NBA title with the former in 2023-24. This past year, after first making the New Orleans Pelicans' opening day roster, Springer played for the Birmingham Squadron in the G League, averaging 13.9 points and 3.9 assists per game, over 31 contests.
Zakai Zeigler (2021-25) | San Antonio Spurs
The third member of the Spurs' summer league roster and the fifth member of the 30-win 2024-25 Tennessee roster on this list, Zeigler was an All-SEC Defensive Team choice in all four years with the Volunteers. The two-time First Team All-SEC and two-time SEC Defensive Player of the Year set the program record for both steals (251) and assists (747). In his initial season at the professional level, Zeigler played for France-based Nanterre 92, for whom he averaged 7.6 points, 5.8 assists, 1.6 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game, across 29 appearances. He also logged a 2.56 assist-to-turnover ratio in his rookie campaign.
2026 NBA SUMMER LEAGUE TV SCHEDULE
Thursday, July 9
Spurs [Gillespie/Miličić/Zeigler] vs. Hawks (4:30 p.m., ESPN2)
Pistons [Lanier] vs. 76ers (5:30 p.m., Prime Video)
Mavericks [Springer] vs. Warriors (7 p.m., ESPN)
Magic [Johnson] vs. Hornets (7:30 p.m., Prime Video)
Wizards [Okpara] vs. Jazz (9 p.m., ESPN)
Friday, July 10
Bucks [Ament] vs. Heat (4 p.m., Prime Video)
Bulls [Chandler] vs. Grizzlies [Mashack] (8 p.m., Prime Video)
Raptors [Key] vs. Celtics (9 p.m., ESPN)
Saturday, July 11
Magic [Johnson] vs. Heat (3:30 p.m., Prime Video)
Spurs [Gillespie/Miličić/Zeigler] vs. Knicks (6 p.m., ESPN)
Raptors [Key] vs. Rockets (9:30 p.m., Prime Video)
Mavericks [Springer] vs. Lakers (10 p.m., ESPN)
Sunday, July 12
Pistons [Lanier] vs. Cavaliers (4 p.m., Prime Video)
Magic [Johnson] vs. Trail Blazers (7 p.m., ESPNU)
Wizards [Okpara] vs. Kings (8 p.m., Prime Video)
Bucks [Ament] vs. Spurs [Gillespie/Miličić/Zeigler] (9 p.m., ESPN)
Monday, July 13
Pistons [Lanier] vs. Knicks (4 p.m., Prime Video)
Raptors [Key] vs. Pacers (4:30 p.m., ESPN2)
Grizzlies [Mashack] vs. Mavericks [Springer] (7 p.m., ESPN)
Bulls [Chandler] vs. Jazz (9 p.m., ESPN)
Bucks [Ament] vs. Suns (10 p.m., Prime Video)
Tuesday, July 14
Grizzlies [Mashack] vs. Warriors (7 p.m., ESPN)
Bulls [Chandler] vs. Wizards [Okpara] (8 p.m., Prime Video)
Wednesday, July 15
Magic [Johnson] vs. 76ers (4 p.m., ESPNU)
Pistons [Lanier] vs. Suns (6 p.m., ESPNU)
Bucks [Ament] vs. Hornets (7:30 p.m., Prime Video)
Spurs [Gillespie/Miličić/Zeigler] vs. Jazz (9:30 p.m., Prime Video)
Wizards [Okpara] vs. Clippers (10:30 p.m., ESPN)
Thursday, July 16
Mavericks [Springer] vs. Thunder (4 p.m., Prime Video)
Bulls [Chandler] vs. Lakers (6 p.m., Prime Video)
Grizzlies [Mashack] vs. Hawks (8 p.m., Prime Video)
Raptors [Key] vs. Heat (9 p.m., ESPN2)
Friday, July 17 – Sunday, July 19
TBD
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