In the opener of the 2023 NBA 2K24 Summer League for both teams, the Houston Rockets will face the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. The game will be televised to a national audience on ESPN.
Assuming health, it should represent a battle of two top-five overall picks from the first round of the recently completed 2023 NBA draft. Scoot Henderson (No. 3) leads Portland’s summer squad, while Amen Thompson (No. 4) will direct the summer Rockets.
Because both Henderson and Thompson project as point guards, they should spend considerable time in head-to-head matchups. For both prospects, Friday’s showdown will be their first time wearing the jersey of their new NBA team in a game setting.
Then again, Henderson and Thompson won’t be the only big names on the court. The Rockets also have Cam Whitmore (No. 20 overall pick in 2022), Jabari Smith Jr. (No. 3 in 2022), and Tari Eason (No. 17 in 2022) on their summer roster, while Portland will feature Kris Murray (No. 23 in 2023) and Shaedon Sharpe (No. 7 in 2022).
Here’s our look at broadcast details and potential lineups.