Jul. 8—LAS VEGAS — Ryan Nembhard and Graham Ike committed to Gonzaga on the same day in April of 2023 and connected on countless occasions over the next two seasons, forming one of the most dependable point guard-big man pairings in college basketball.
Nembhard and Ike as adversaries, though?
It will be a new and slightly uncomfortable feeling for the former college teammates when Nembhard's Dallas Mavericks take on Ike's Golden State Warriors on the opening day of NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.
The Dallas-Golden State matchup, which will take place at 4 p.m. Thursday at UNLV's Thomas & Mack Center and air on ESPN, features two of the five former Zags competing in this year's Summer League showcase.
Nembhard and Ike are joined by another member of Gonzaga's 2023-24 Sweet 16 squad, Anton Watson , who's suiting up for the Los Angeles Lakers after spending the 2025-26 season with the organization's G League affiliate in South Bay.
Two other members of Mark Few's 2025-26 roster, Jalen Warley ( Indiana Pacers ) and Tyon Grant-Foster ( San Antonio Spurs ), are trying to get their foot in the door at Summer League, which starts on Thursday and runs through July 19 with games taking place at Thomas & Mack Center and the Pavilion.
Former Eastern Washington and Washington State standout Cedric Coward will participate in Summer League with the Memphis Grizzlies after finishing fifth in NBA Rookie of the Year voting. Coward and two other ex-Cougars, Isaac Jones ( Detroit Pistons ) and Efe Abogidi ( Denver Nuggets ), are on Summer League rosters.
Nembhard figures to play a starring role for Dallas at Summer League after joining the Mavericks on a two-way deal that was converted to a standard NBA contract midway through the regular season. The point guard put up solid numbers last summer playing alongside top overall draft pick Cooper Flagg and went on to make 60 regular-season appearances for Dallas, averaging 6.6 points and 5.3 assists.
Ike has hit the ground running after signing an Exhibit 10 contract with Golden State and started in both of the team's recent games at the California Classic. The 6-foot-9 All-American forward scored 11 points on 5 of 7 shooting and had four rebounds in Golden State's opening game against Los Angeles . Ike scored eight points with seven rebounds on Monday in a 95-85 loss to the Miami Heat .
Watson came off Los Angeles' bench to score nine points against Ike and Golden State, then delivered a game-winning tip-in to help the Lakers hold off Miami on Sunday in double-overtime. Watson, who also had a highlight poster dunk, finished with a 12-point, 10-rebound double-double and recorded two steals.
Grant-Foster didn't see the court for San Antonio at the California Classic, but could make his Summer League debut on Thursday when the Spurs face the Atlanta Hawks at 1:30 p.m. (ESPN2) at the Thomas & Mack Center.
Warley and the Pacers open their Summer League stint at 1:30 p.m. (ESPN2) on Thursday at the Pavilion.
The Grizzlies should feature Coward heavily after the 22-year-old wing scored 13.6 ppg to go with 5.9 rpg and 2.8 apg as a rookie. The former EWU/WSU player saw time in one of Memphis' two games at Salt Lake Summer League, scoring 11 points on 3 of 12 shooting in a 111-74 blowout of the Oklahoma City Thunder .
Coward was still recovering from a shoulder injury last July and is scheduled to make his Vegas Summer League debut at 5 p.m. (Prime) Friday against the Chicago Bulls at Thomas & Mack.
Jones, who's returning to Summer League as a member of the Pistons after playing for Sacramento the last two seasons, will play at 2:30 p.m. (Prime) on Friday against the Philadelphia 76ers .
Abogidi is debuting at Summer League four years after playing his final game at WSU under former coach Kyle Smith. The springy forward will take the court with Denver at 3:30 p.m. (ESPN2) on Friday against the Houston Rockets at the Pavilion.
Former Gonzaga guard Hunter Sallis , who spent two years with the Bulldogs before transferring to Wake Forest, is heading to Vegas Summer League with the Brooklyn Nets . Michael Ajayi, who spent one season at Gonzaga between stops at Pepperdine and Butler, will play for the Charlotte Hornets after signing a two-way contract with the Eastern Conference franchise.
Spokane's Tyson Degenhart, who had a decorated career at Mt. Spokane High before moving on to Boise State, is back at Summer League for year two with the Toronto Raptors .
