The NBA’s Las Vegas Summer League is drawing historic attention ahead of Thursday’s opening-night clash between the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks, a primetime event powered by the professional debut of 2025 No. 1 NBA Draft pick Cooper Flagg and the return of Bronny James.
According to resale platform TickPick, the average purchase price for Day 1 has reached $201, setting a new all-time record for the event. General-admission entry starts at $83, with lower-bowl seats approaching $650 and courtside listings exceeding $2,500 — a staggering premium for an exhibition slate that, on paper, doesn’t feature any All-Stars.
But fans aren’t buying tickets to see established veterans. They’re paying to witness the next generation arrive.
While Thursday’s matchup won’t include stars like Luka Dončić, LeBron James, Kyrie Irving or Anthony Davis, the shadow of their February trade looms large. The blockbuster deal that sent Dončić to the Lakers and Davis to the Mavericks reshaped both rosters and added intrigue to future meetings between the teams, including this one, where two prominent young players now take center stage.
Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. Eastern at the Thomas & Mack Center. One general-admission ticket allows entry to all seven games played across both Summer League venues that day, though the Lakers-Mavericks matchup is the undisputed headliner.
Cooper Flagg’s Summer League Debut Could Be Brief — But Monumental
Flagg’s arrival comes with unmatched expectations. The 18-year-old forward was the top overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft and enters the league following a dominant freshman campaign at Duke, where he averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks per game. He led the Blue Devils in every major statistical category while shooting 48.1% from the field.
Flagg turned heads with multiple standout performances during the college season, including a 42-point game against Notre Dame, a 26-point, 11-rebound effort versus Kentucky, and a 30-point, 7-assist showing in the NCAA Tournament against Arizona. His ability to impact the game on both ends made him a consensus National Player of the Year and one of the most coveted prospects in recent memory.
While the Mavericks have not confirmed any formal limit on games played, it’s common for No. 1 picks to play no more than two Summer League games. That makes Thursday’s game potentially one of the few chances for fans to see Flagg in action in Las Vegas. Dallas has constructed its Summer League roster around him, with rookies Miles Kelly and Ryan Nembhard expected to play key supporting roles.
Bronny James Returns to Spotlight With Momentum
James enters his second Summer League appearance with momentum from an encouraging finish to his rookie season. The 20-year-old guard appeared in 27 games for the Lakers during the 2024–25 campaign, averaging just 6.7 minutes, 2.3 points, 0.7 rebounds and 0.8 assists while shooting 31.3 percent from the field and 28.1 percent from beyond the arc.
His standout NBA performance came on March 20, when he scored a career-high 17 points. But it was in the G League where James showed significant development. In 10 regular-season games with the South Bay Lakers, he averaged 22.4 points per game, including a 39-point explosion on March 24, when he also tallied four assists, four steals and a block over 38 minutes.
James opened Summer League play this week with 10 points in 11 minutes, including an emphatic transition dunk that went viral and drew praise from his father, LeBron James, on social media. He’ll be joined in Las Vegas by 2024 first-round pick Dalton Knecht and a group of second-year Lakers prospects looking to prove themselves ahead of training camp.
Historic Ticket Demand Surpasses Victor Wembanyama’s Debut
The last Summer League event to generate this level of attention came in 2023, when No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama made his debut before a sellout crowd of 17,500. According to TickPick, the average purchase price for that day was $161, now the third highest on record behind Thursday’s $201 mark.
The only other Summer League debut that reached a similar level came in 2017, when Lonzo Ball suited up for the Lakers. That game resulted in the first official sellout in the history of the event, with resale tickets reaching $250, though TickPick’s tracking data does not extend that far back.
For additional perspective, according to Ballislife, in 2003 when LeBron James made his unofficial Summer League debut in Orlando, tickets were initially sold for just $5 to benefit a Magic charity. Scalpers, however, reportedly flipped those tickets for as much as $80 — underscoring how far the market has come for a glimpse at the league’s next stars.
How to Watch Cooper Flagg at Summer League
Thursday’s game will air live on ESPN, with streaming available through ESPN+, Disney+ and the NBA’s digital platforms. While fans can still find tickets on major resale sites, prices are expected to remain high until tipoff.
For those lucky enough to be in the building, this won’t be just another summer exhibition. With Flagg’s Summer League workload possibly limited and James continuing to carve his path into the NBA, it’s a rare night where hype, market value and basketball’s future intersect on one court in Las Vegas.
