Utah had their second summer league game on Tuesday.
The Wisconsin Badgers had their first draft pick in three years, as guard John Tonje was selected by the Utah Jazz with the No. 53 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft last month.
Tonje, a six-year college player, starred for the Badgers after transferring from Missouri in 2024-25, averaging 19.6 points and 5.3 rebounds, while shooting 46.3 percent from the field and 38.8 percent from deep on the season.
He was one of several former Badgers to earn an NBA contract, joining point guard Chucky Hepburn, who signed a two-way deal with the Toronto Raptors, and center Steven Crowl, who also went to the Jazz, but on an Exhibit-10 deal.
The Jazz got some early action in the NBA Summer League, playing in the Salt Lake City Summer League, facing off against the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday.
However, neither Tonje nor Crowl played in the 93-89 win for the Jazz. The former dealt with a right ankle sprain, while the latter was a coach’s decision.
Utah had their second game on Tuesday, facing off against the Memphis Grizzlies in a 112-111 thriller win. They had strong performances by a number of younger players, with 2023 first-round pick Brice Sensabaugh going for 37 points on 9/14 from the field.
But, once again, Tonje and Crowl were both DNPs as Utah employed only an eight-man lineup. The injury kept the former out once again, as Tonje didn’t even dress, while Crowl was one of several coach’s decisions on the night.
Utah has gone with an interesting approach, playing a smaller rotation in the summer league as they evaluate their top young players. Teams like the San Antonio Spurs and Golden State Warriors have played 15 and 13 guys, respectively, with the Lakers rotating 13 as well.
Even the smaller-rotation teams like the Philadelphia 76ers and Miami Heat have played 10 players. We’ll see if that changes for the Jazz going forward. Otherwise, it may be hard for Crowl to earn playing time this summer.
Tonje, on the other hand, will have the chance to make his debut on Friday against the Charlotte Hornets when Utah makes its Las Vegas debut.