Tennessee basketball has eight VFLs set to play in the NBA Summer League this year, all from Rick Barnes' tenure at Tennessee.
From Dalton Knecht, looking to become a more well-rounded player to gain more minutes, to Tyreke Key and Josiah-Jordan James, looking to earn a roster spot, there are several Vols to watch out for this summer.
Knecht is the highest-profile former Vol in the NBA Summer League this year. He returns to the Summer League with the Lakers and is expected to play all eight games. Knecht said that he wants to use this opportunity to round out skills beyond shooting.
Knecht will be one of three former Tennessee players competing this weekend. The Lakers' Summer League slate will begin Saturday with a 6:30 PM ET matchup against the Golden State Warriors. All of the Lakers' games will be on ESPN and/or ESPN+ this summer.
The other VFLs taking the court this weekend are Jahmai Mashack with the Memphis Grizzlies and Jaden Springer with the Utah Jazz.
Mashack was drafted by the Houston Rockets with the No. 59 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, but his draft rights belonged to the Grizzlies, sending him to Bluff City. Mashack and the Grizzlies will start its Summer League slate with a Saturday night matchup against the Thunder at 7:00 PM ET in Utah.
Springer will also be in Utah to begin the Summer League with the Utah Jazz. He and the Jazz will face the Philadelphia 76ers in a 9:00 PM ET tip-off on ESPN.
Other VFLs playing in the Summer League include Chaz Lanier with the Detroit Pistons, which selected Lanier with the No. 39 overall draft pick, joined by former Tennessee teammate Zakai Zeigler. The duo will spend the summer in Las Vegas playing for the Pistons as they both hope to secure a roster spot.
The Pistons' first game of the summer will take place on July 11 against the New York Knicks at 6:00 PM ET. That game will be available on ESPN+ and NBA TV.
Finally, you have Jordan Gainey with the Phoenix Suns, Josiah-Jordan James with the Indiana Pacers, and Tyreke Key. Those three players will participate in a four-game Summer League slate in Las Vegas.
There will be plenty of opportunities for Tennessee basketball fans to check out their favorite VFLs perform at the next level. You can view the full Summer League schedule here.