The NBA 2K23 Summer League is a great place for young guys along with NBA hopefuls to prove their worth to the league. This summer we saw not just one, but two former Rhode Island players make their mark on the summer league as they try to secure roster spots this upcoming fall.
Jeff Dowtin has been putting on a show for the Toronto Raptors summer league team, averaging 16.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 3.8 assists through four games of play at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Dowtin played at the University of Rhode Island from 2016-2020 under Coach Dan Hurley and David Cox. He also went undrafted in the 2020 NBA Draft but is still hopeful of landing on a roster after a solid summer league performance.
Dowtin has bounced around the league, most recently playing with the Orlando Magic back in March.
Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse gone on to say that Dowtin will have “a lot of eyeballs on him in the summer league,” according to All Raptors FN, Sports Illustrated.
Dowtin may not secure a roster spot with the Raptors due to their logjam in the backcourt. He may end up with the Raptor’s G-League team, Raptors 905. Should Fred VanVleet or another guard sustain an injury, it could be Dowtin’s chance to shine.
Dowtin is not binded to the Toronto Raptors in any way currently, as he has the freedom to sign with any team that is interested in him. If the Raptors don’t make a move anytime soon, Dowtin could be headed elsewhere.
In addition to Dowtin, we’ve seen another former Ram shine at the NBA 2K23 Summer League in Tyrese Martin.
He played his first two seasons in Kingston before transferring to UConn for his final two seasons.
Martin was selected 51st overall in the 2022 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors, who traded Martin over to the Atlanta Hawks.
Through 4 games in Las Vegas, Martin is averaging 12.0 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 24.2 minutes, shooting 47% from the field.
His best game came against the Miami Heat, where he scored 21 points in a 95-88 victory.
Atlanta has been very impressed with his play in the summer league, and signed Martin to a multi-year contract.
