NBA Vegas Summer League moves back schedule

The Las Vegas NBA Summer League, which begins a little later this year, will take place July 10-20 at the Thomas & Mack Center and Cox Pavilion.

The event, which includes all 30 teams, usually begins shortly after July 4.

Vegas Summer League co-founder and executive director Warren LeGarie said Team USA is expected to play July 8, though no official announcement has been made on that game, which forced the delay.

But he also said he has wanted to get further away from the national holiday and give teams a chance to be more settled with the free-agent signings that take place around that time. LeGarie said the competing players also benefit from having more time to prepare after the NBA draft on June 25.

“That’s been an issue the last couple of years,” LeGarie said. “Most of the drafted rookies don’t really work out (because of) potential injuries and that.”

LeGarie said he didn’t know if there would be any teams competing other than the NBA clubs. Teams from China and Croatia also competed last year.

A schedule won’t be released until late June or early July.

“Everything that we’re doing to me makes more sense,” LeGarie said. “So, hopefully, this is something that we’re going to be able to continue in the future.”

Last year’s event drew a record average crowd of 12,199, buoyed by sellouts the first two days because of interest in New Orleans Pelicans rookie Zion Williamson.

Contact reporter Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com. Follow @markanderson65 on Twitter.