All eyes will be on Las Vegas this Thursday, July 10, as the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks clash in what’s shaping up to be a marquee NBA Summer League showdown. Headlining the highly anticipated matchup are Bronny James and Cooper Flagg—two of the league’s most-watched young prospects—and the game is already making history off the court.
According to TickPick, the Lakers vs. Mavericks game is officially the most expensive NBA Summer League ticket on record, with an average resale price of $201. Lower bowl seats are going for as much as $650, while courtside prices have soared to $2,500, according the report.
James and Flagg are expected to draw massive attention, with Bronny making his second Summer League appearance and Flagg stepping onto the court as the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s NBA Draft. Fans are eager to get their first look at the Mavericks’ potential future cornerstone.
The rookie impressed during his lone season at Duke, averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.4 blocks across 37 games. Flagg is widely projected to be a franchise player in Dallas for years to come.
Cooper Flagg #2 of the Duke Blue Devils reacts during the first half in the Final Four game of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament against the Houston Cougars. (Alex Slitz/Getty Images)
Flagg’s role with the Mavericks could differ significantly from what he handled at Duke—especially with veteran Kyrie Irving still recovering from injury. There’s growing speculation that Flagg could take on more ball-handling duties in the Summer League, playing as a point guard.
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Cooper Flagg reacts to potential role with the Dallas Mavericks amid Kyrie Irving’s absence
“I’m looking forward to it,” Flagg told reporters after the Mavericks’ practice, via ClutchPoints. “I think coach (Jon) Scheyer (Duke head coach) trusted me a lot last year and I handled it a lot. You know, I didn’t bring it up a ton but in the half-court I handled it a lot, you know, set up a lot of different actions. I think it’s something I can do at a high level so I’m excited to just experiment and do some new things”.
On the other side, Bronny James returns to Summer League action after a debut last year where he averaged 8.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.0 assist in four games, shooting 35% from the field.
This year, James could be in line for an expanded role with the Lakers’ squad. The 2024–25 season saw him appear in 27 NBA games, averaging 2.3 points in just 6.7 minutes per game. While his minutes at the NBA level were limited, James shined in the G League with the South Bay Lakers, posting 21.9 points, 5.4 assists, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.9 steals per game on 44% shooting from the field and 38% from beyond the arc across 11 appearances.
