NBA Summer League preview 2014: DeAndre Kane, Melvin Ejim, Tyrus McGee, Diante Garrett

The second half of the NBA Summer League preview will focus exclusively on four players that will be playing in Las Vegas beginning on July 11th.

More from Iowa State Cyclones

We’ll look at last season’s popular duo, a former 3-point specialist, and a former Iowa State Cyclone that hasn’t had much praise for how much he’s improving in the NBA.

Los Angeles Lakers

Things are getting a little exciting in Lakerland. Carmelo Anthony has emerged as a top candidate and DeAndre Kane has the potential to play alongside Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, and Julius Randle. He’ll already have the chance to play around Randle in Vegas.

His competition at guard will be experienced players Kendall Marshall and Rodrigue Beaubois along with newcomers Anthony Ireland and Jordan Clarkson.

San Antonio Spurs

If Melvin Ejim doesn’t make an impression with the 76ers, he’ll have another shot with the Spurs. It’s rare to see a player compete in both summer leagues, but Ejim is already showing how hard he’ll work to get a spot in the NBA.

The roster isn’t officially complete for the Spurs just yet, but HoopsHype has a rumored roster that lists Kyle Anderson, Nobel Boungou-Colo, Darington Hobson, and Deshaun Thomas as the potential competition. Of course, this roster also lists Ejim as a guard, so it’s hard to say how accurate it is.

Mar 14, 2013; Kansas City, MO, USA; Iowa State Cyclones guard Tyrus McGee (4) drives in for a basket against the Oklahoma Sooners in the first half during the second round of the Big 12 tournament at the Sprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports

Golden State Warriors

The Warriors are bringing a ton of players to Vegas, and one of them will be 3-point specialist Tyrus McGee, the kind of roleplayer NBA teams would love to have. Trying to get any playing time at guard with the Warriors will be quite a challenge, and he’ll be facing a ton of competition, notably Aaron Craft, Rodney McGruder, Nemanja Nedovic, and Orlando Johnson among others.

Trying to get a spot on the Warriors will likely be the toughest challenge any former Cyclone will face, but at least McGee will have some film that other teams will look at if he’s not picked up by Golden State.

Utah Jazz

The Jazz’s roster is also not yet finalized, but HoopsHype has Diante Garrett along with Trey Burke, Ian Clark, Dante Exum, and Khalif Wyatt competing with him at guard. Garrett played last season with the Jazz and consistently came off the bench.

Haven’t kept up with Garrett’s career? Playing for the Jazz will do that, especially with how bad they’ve been, but Garrett appeared in 71 games and averaged 14.8 minutes. His statline is 3.5 points and 1.7 assists per game and shooting 37.5 percent from 3-point range and 38.1 percent from the field overall.

Previous to his current stint with the Jazz, Garrett played overseas between 2011-12 and found a spot on the Phoenix Suns during the 2012-13 NBA season. He also played for the D-League team, the Bakersfield Jam.

Don’t forget to check out the entire NBA Summer League schedule in Vegas here.

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