As the NBA 2K25 Summer League kicked off on July 12, three former Salukis began their professional basketball careers. 

Though none of them heard their names called during the NBA draft, Lance Jones, Marcus Domask and Xavier Johnson will compete for NBA roster spots during the 10-day, Las Vegas based competition. 

Jones and Johnson signed NBA Summer League contracts with the Indiana Pacers and Dallas Mavericks, respectively, while Domask signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Chicago Bulls. 

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A summer league contract gives players an invitation to a team’s rookie camp and a chance to represent the team in the summer league. While these contracts expire when summer league play ends, players are then eligible to sign NBA G League, NBA two-way, or full-time NBA contracts.

An Exhibit 10 contract signee participates in rookie camp, summer league and their team’s training camp. At the conclusion of training camp, the team is able to convert the contract to a two-way contract or cut the player. Teams are able to have up to three two-way contracts on their NBA roster during the regular season in addition to their normal 15 NBA contracts. 

Both the Pacers and Mavericks made the NBA playoffs last season; the Pacers advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals, and the Mavericks advanced to the NBA Finals. Both lost to the reigning NBA champion Boston Celtics.

These teams are trying to win now, and are less likely to take a shot on an older rookie such as Jones or Johnson, who are both 23, likely due to the thought that they won’t develop much more as players. On the flip side of that coin, they may be more inclined to take a chance on an experienced player, rather than a developmental prospect who wouldn’t get the minutes they need to improve while on a contending team.

The Mavericks currently have 14 players on their NBA roster and one player on a two-way contract, leaving one regular roster spot and two two-way deals open. 

Unfortunately for Johnson, the Mavs are very deep at both guard positions. They already have All-NBA players Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, recently signed former All-Star Klay Thompson, and reliable veterans Dante Exum, Quentin Grimes, and Jaden Hardy under contract.

However, the Mavs are an expensive team. They are only $2.5 million under the first tax apron, meaning they would have to pay an additional $17.5 million to the league if they surpass the $178 million cap apron. 

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Because of how expensive they are, the Mavs would likely be looking for players on minimum contracts to fill out the team, leaving a possible opening for Johnson.

The Pacers have up to five openings on their roster with only 13 players on their roster, no two-way contracts, and only four guards. 

Seven guards, including Jones, are listed on the Pacers’ summer league roster. It would make sense for Indiana to keep at least 3 guards considering how many forwards are already on their NBA roster. 

While it remains to be seen what roles Jones and Johnson will be asked to play by their new teams, both are a bit undersized as guards, likely rendering their defense a little less effective than it had been in college. 

Offense, specifically three-point shooting, could be their ticket. Both had strong seasons from behind the arc in their last collegiate seasons; Johnson shot 35.7% and Jones 36.8%, and each took at least three attempts per game.

Domask has the clearest path to making an NBA roster, as he already has an invitation to training camp with the Bulls. He also benefits from the Bulls almost certainly entering a rebuild, as their best player, Demar DeRozan, recently left the team to join the Sacramento Kings.

The Bulls also have tried to purge their roster of some of their other top-end talent. They have recently attempted to trade former All-Star Zach Lavine, and multiple reports have been published claiming that perpetually injured point guard Lonzo Ball is likely to be released. 

Another factor that likely helps Domask is that if he were to make the roster on a two-way contract, his contract would cost the Bulls a maximum of $560,000, and he would not count towards the salary cap. Two-way contracts do not count towards the NBA salary cap. 

Even if the Bulls signed him to a league-minimum NBA contract, he would still only earn $1.16 million and count that same amount against the salary cap of $140.558 million.

As the Bulls enter a rebuild, they’re more likely to take chances on young, inexpensive players such as Domask.  As of publication, the Bulls have 14 players on their NBA roster and two more on two-way contracts, leaving them with one NBA contract and one two-way contract available. Two more spots are likely to be hotly contested as training camp opens as well, as both players are on league minimum contracts. 

Even if none of the former Salukis make an NBA roster to start the year, they still have a chance to make a G League roster. There are currently 31 G League teams, and each team has 10 roster spots for only G League players, with an additional two spots for two-way players. 

Sports reporter Ryan Grieser can be reached at [email protected]. To stay up to date on all your southern Illinois news, be sure to follow The Daily Egyptian on Facebook and on X @dailyegyptian.

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