Suns' Las Vegas Summer League roster filled with international diversity

(Editor's note: The story has been updated to reflect that former GCU standout and Denmark native Asbjørn Midtgaard won't play for the Phoenix Suns in Las Vegas, according to his post on Twitter.)

The Suns are heading to Las Vegas on Wednesday for the NBA Summer League from July 7-17.

They held their third practice Tuesday before playing their first of five games this Friday against the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Suns have been working through multiple two-a-days, practicing and scrimmaging in mornings and evenings, including Tuesday. They have an 18-player roster of thirteen rookies, and includes 15 who've either been born abroad or played professionally overseas.

Steve Scalzi will step up from his normal role as one of Monty Williams' assistants to oversee the summer league team. Scalzi said the Suns' summer league roster’s maturity and experience playing around the globe are among their greatest assets.

“The energy’s been great. They have a mature group that they put together. Guys with a lot of experience overseas, G League, seasoned pros. So they have great maturity about them which has been awesome.”

Their 6-foot-7 wing Louis King has two years of experience playing in the summer league, G League, and NBA during the season, the most on the team. He was undrafted out of Oregon in 2019, and got two-way deals with the Detroit Pistons that year and then the Sacramento Kings in 2021. King spent this past season on the New York Knicks' G League team Westchester Knicks.

“I feel like everyone has a journey and a path where they take to get to where they deserve. I just feel like mine hasn’t come yet," King said. "The grind, hard work is gonna pay off.”

King added that he believes the Suns have a strong chance to win the Summer League title.

One player who has Valley connections is McKinley Wright IV.  Another, 7-foot rookie center Asbjørn Midtgaard from GCU, was working out with the team but announced he will not be joining the Suns in Las Vegas.

The former Colorado standout Wright IV, who was a rookie guard for the Minnesota Timberwolves this past season, lived four years in the Valley as a child and has several relatives residing in the Phoenix area.

“It’s cool. They were just in the locker room talking about playing in China, Germany, Russia, you know, we got players from all over," Wright said to reporters on Tuesday.

"So it’s so crazy to have so many different views of the basketball game and basketball world and how they play.”

One of the Suns' most recent international players Gabriel "Iffe" Lundberg isn't on the summer league team as expected.

The first Danish player in NBA history was signed in March to this past season's roster after he left playing professionally in Russia in March. But Lundberg said on Sunday he made a family decision to not take the risk playing without a contract and no guaranteed return to the Suns next season.

“I have always said that I would not play in the Summer League if I was not guaranteed a contract," Lundberg said. "I feel it's too big a risk to take, especially with a view to my family's future. I stand by that."

Scalzi said they aren’t necessarily looking for particular positions to fill next season’s roster. He added that he’ll rely on his and the coaching staff’s player development background to manage and evaluate the growth of their players to see if they can possibly make the roster.

Players are split in groups among the coaches not by position but based on the right fit and personalities, Scalzi said.

“Last season, whether it was two-ways or camp invites, we had a range of positions. And then of course, the player who made it through the gauntlet, Ish Wainright, he’s more or less positionless, which is exciting. Another one of those we can for as well.”

Wainwright is the only player this past season’s team playing for Phoenix in the summer league.

Scalzi praised Wainright’s resilience and unique case signed to a two-way contract as a rookie when the season began last October, and had his deal converted in April to stay for the rest of the season. Wainright made it to the Suns' regular-season roster without them having a G League team last year.

Wainright is also playing for his native Uganda on their national team this summer in addition to the Suns' summer team, and Scalzi expects him to be their leader.

“That’s exciting, and I told this group to expect that,'' Scalzi said. "Having someone who represented the roster’s awesome. That he wanted to play for his national team, which is also awesome. We encourage that he wants to do summer league and to get this type of game experience is great.”

As for leading the team as head coach, Scalzi will lean heavily on his staff, challenging them and the players.

“My head’s not spinning as a head coach,” Scalzi said. “You always start behind your job. Whatever the new opportunity is, you gotta learn everything on the way. I’ll find out how I did at the end of the week, I guess.”

Note

Suns officially re-signed center Bismack Biyombo, signed free agents Damion Lee and wing Josh Okogie to one-year deals on Tuesday.

Have tips for us? Reach the reporter at dana.scott@azcentral.com or at 480-486-4721. Follow his Twitter @iam_DanaScott.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Suns' Las Vegas Summer League roster filled with international diversity