It was a short yet eventful Summer League excursion for the three former Colorado Buffaloes trying to make their mark in the NBA.
On Tuesday, McKinley Wright IV (Minnesota) and George King (Portland) completed their respective Summer League schedules, as did Tyler Bey one day earlier with the Chicago Bulls.
Wright, CU’s all-time assists leader, didn’t hear his name called during the July 29 NBA draft but quickly secured a two-way contract with his hometown Minnesota Timberwolves. Bey didn’t have his two-way contract renewed after one season with Dallas and landed a summer opportunity with the Bulls. And King, who told BuffZone last winter “I still want to get back” to the NBA, saw his summer schedule interrupted by tragedy as his mother, veteran Air Force officer Tresse King, died in Kuwait.
Here is a look at how the trio, all 1,000-point scorers at CU, fared over the past couple weeks.
Tyler Bey
Bey, who averaged 3.9 minutes in 18 games off the bench for the Mavericks last season, got off to a slow start with Chicago, playing just nine minutes in the Bulls’ summer opener. But Bey gained a little traction from there, going 10-for-15 from the field over the next four games while cracking the starting lineup for the final two contests. Bey saved his best for last, going 5-for-6 from the floor and 3-for-3 at the free throw line with 13 points, 10 rebounds, and two steals in the summer finale against Charlotte.
George King
His family tragedy limited King to just three summer games with the Trailblazers, a franchise now under the on-court direction of former CU star Chauncey Billups (Portland assistant Roy Rogers led the summer squad).
Yet King turned in what likely was one of the more memorable and emotional performances of his career in his summer opener. Just days after getting word of his mother’s death, King erupted with a 6-for-8 mark against Charlotte, going 5-for-6 on 3-pointers before finishing with 17 points and four rebounds. It was somewhat more of a struggle for King in his other two appearances, as he went a combined 4-for-18 overall and 2-for-10 on 3-pointers. King did post a nine-rebound game in a win against the Clippers, and he finished the summer slate averaging 11.0 points and 5.0 rebounds with a 6-for-6 mark at the free throw line.
McKinley Wright IV
The former Buffs point guard clearly is at least getting an opportunity with Minnesota, given he started all five of the Timberwolves’ Summer League games. His first pro contest was a memorable one, as Wright went 4-for-4 with eight points, three rebounds, two assists, five steals, and only one turnover in 24 minutes during a win against the Spurs. Minnesota won its next three games as well, with Wright going a combined 9-for-17 (only 1-for-2 on 3s) while collecting 17 rebounds, 12 assists, and five steals with six turnovers. Wright and the T-Wolves struggled during a loss to New Orleans in the finale, as he went 3-for-15 with eight points, six rebounds, two assists, and two turnovers.
Overall, and despite the rough finish, Wright still shot .444 from the field (16-for-36, 3-for-9 on 3-pointers) while averaging 7.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 2.0 steals.
