The Nets and Knicks had two of the better players in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, and they were both recognized for their production.
Rookie Cam Thomas showed the Nets may have an immediate contributor with their first-round pick while second-year forward Obi Toppin built off his strong finish to the regular season with the Knicks.
Thomas, the one-and-done guard out of LSU the Nets selected 27th overall in last month’s draft, was named the co-MVP of the summer league along with Kings point guard Davion Mitchell.
The 6-foot-4 Thomas averaged 27.0 points per game and his 36-point performance against the Spurs was the league’s highest single-game scoring total since 2018. He shot 42.3 percent from the field and 36.0 percent from 3-point range on 6.3 3-point attempts per game.
The 6-9 Toppin, taken with the eighth pick in the 2020 draft by the Knicks, was named to the all-summer league first team after averaging 21 points and 8.3 rebounds per game.
On Wednesday, the Knicks announced the re-signings of Derrick Rose, Alec Burks and Taj Gibson. The 32-year-old Rose was a pivotal piece to last year’s playoff team after being acquired from the Pistons on Feb. 8. He averaged 14.9 points, 4.2 assists and 2.9 rebounds in 26.8 minutes in 35 games with the Knicks and is expected to split point guard duties with newcomer Kemba Walker.
“Derrick’s arrival last season played a major role in our team’s success and the culture we instilled,” team president Leon Rose said in a statement. “He continues to be a great player and teammate and is an extension of Coach [Tom] Thibodeau on the court. We look forward to him being a key piece of our team moving forward.”