Badger basketball is woefully under-represented at the 2k27 summer league

With the NBA season wrapped up and the NBA Draft completed, the next big basketball event looming around the corner is the NBA Summer League. Each year, the Summer League gives overlooked young players and vets looking to bounce back into the league a chance to prove themselves and potentially sneak their way onto an NBA roster.

Throughout its history, the Wisconsin Badgers have had a fair amount of players cycle through Summer League, and this year will be no different. However, the sheer number of Badgers getting a chance to play is thinner than in recent years, with some notable guys still absent from Summer League rosters.

Obviously, there is still time for guys to sneak their way onto teams, as the Las Vegas Summer League is still over a week away. However, despite having a fair amount of representation in years past, Wisconsin doesn't have the same firepower this year that it has had in the past.

Lack of Representation

In the 2025 Summer League, the Utah Jazz alone had three Badgers on their roster, with Steven Crowl, Max Klesmit and John Tonje each holding down a spot. However, at least to this point, none of Crowl, Klesmit or Tonje has landed a Summer League deal of any kind.

For Klesmit, this is less surprising, as it was never really expected for him to stick around in the NBA. His shooting ability and overall tenacity were enough for him to get a cup of coffee in the league, but his lack of nuance on both sides of the basketball was always going to hold him back from having a true tenure in the NBA.

Crowl and Tonje, however, are a bit surprising, as both of them possess skill sets that NBA teams covet. Crowl is the prototypical modern big who can space the floor, pass out of the post and defend the rim. Obviously, his lack of elite athleticism and truly standout traits made his NBA journey an uphill battle from the start, but to see him out of NBA conversations by Year 2 is a bit of a surprise.

Tonje being without a job is a complete shock, as just a year ago he was a somewhat sought-after commodity. His age was, of course, always going to be a holdup with him being considered a true NBA prospect, but nonetheless, his shot creation ability and overall feel for the game seemingly were enough to have him stick around. However, after just a year of bouncing around in the G League and on two-way contracts, Tonje finds himself without an NBA job, an utter surprise considering his positive performances when given a chance.

Another former Wisconsin standout who hasn't gotten a Summer League offer yet is Johnny Davis. The NBA hasn't been kind to Davis, as right off the bat he was set up for failure. The first thing the Washington Wizards did after drafting him was instantly tweak his jump shot, a move that hindered every aspect of his development. After that short-lived experience, Davis has yet to find another NBA shot, even on a Summer League team, despite some of his peers in his class still getting chances.

Overall, the Wisconsin representation in the 2027 Summer League is thin. Chucky Hepburn and Nick Boyd are both still expected to play, but outside of them, there isn't much to talk about. Overall, it could be a disappointing couple of weeks for Badger fans looking to find some familiar faces in Vegas.

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