The NBA Summer League returns to the court this July, with the Las Vegas Summer League beginning on July 7, 2023.
As an off-season competition like no other, the Summer League showcases basketball’s rising stars—including recent NBA Draft picks. And you can watch every game across NBA TV and ESPN channels.
Keep scrolling for the best ways to catch this year’s Summer League on TV. After all, there’s no better way to scope out your favorite teams ahead of next season.
What channel is the NBA Summer League on?
You can watch the 2023 NBA Summer League on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNews, ESPNU, and NBA TV. ESPN Deportes also carries occasional Summer League games if you prefer commentary en Español.
Pro tip: NBA League Pass subscribers can stream every Summer League game that airs on NBA TV, but blackouts exist for the ESPN matchups.
2023 NBA Summer League schedules
This year, the California Classic and Salt Lake City Summer League start the first week of July. Teams then head to Las Vegas for the main tournament, which runs from July 7 to 17.
| Game | Day | Time (ET) | Channels |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miami Heat vs. Los Angeles Lakers | Monday, July 3 | 6 p.m. | ESPN |
| San Antonio Spurs vs. Charlotte Hornets | Monday, July 3 | 8 p.m. | ESPN |
| Golden State Warriors vs. Sacramento Kings | Monday, July 3 | 10 p.m. | ESPN |
| Golden State Warriors vs. Charlotte Hornets | Wednesday, July 5 | 6 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| San Antonio Spurs vs. Los Angeles Lakers | Wednesday, July 5 | 8 p.m. | ESPN |
| Miami Heat vs. Sacramento Kings | Wednesday, July 5 | 10 p.m. | ESPN |
All games played in San Francisco.
| Game | Day | Time (ET) | Channels |
|---|---|---|---|
| Memphis Grizzlies vs. Philadelphia 76ers | Monday, July 3 | 7 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Utah Jazz | Monday, July 3 | 9 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Memphis Grizzlies vs. Oklahoma City Thunder | Wednesday, July 5 | 7 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Philadelphia 76ers vs. Utah Jazz | Wednesday, July 5 | 9 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Philadelphia 76ers | Thursday, July 6 | 7 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Memphis Grizzlies vs. Utah Jazz | Thursday, July 6 | 9 p.m. | NBA TV |
All games played in Salt Lake City.
| Game | Day | Time (ET) | Channels |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans Pelicans vs. Minnesota Timberwolves | Friday, July 7 | 4:30 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Denver Nuggets vs. Milwaukee Bucks | Friday, July 7 | 5 p.m. | ESPNU |
| Chicago Bulls vs. Toronto Raptors | Friday, July 7 | 6:30 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Portland Trail Blazers vs. Houston Rockets | Friday, July 7 | 7 p.m. | ESPN |
| Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Brooklyn Nets | Friday, July 7 | 8:30 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Charlotte Hornets vs. San Antonio Spurs | Friday, July 7 | 9 p.m. | ESPN |
| Sacramento Kings vs. Atlanta Hawks | Friday, July 7 | 10:30 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Golden State Warriors vs. Los Angeles Lakers | Friday, July 7 | 11 p.m. | ESPN |
| Miami Heat vs. Boston Celtics | Saturday, July 8 | 3 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Dallas Mavericks vs. Oklahoma City Thunder | Saturday, July 8 | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| New York Knicks vs. Philadelphia 76ers | Saturday, July 8 | 5 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Detroit Pistons vs. Orlando Magic | Saturday, July 8 | 5:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Memphis Grizzlies vs. Chicago Bulls | Saturday, July 8 | 7 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Indiana Pacers vs. Washington Wizards | Saturday, July 8 | 8 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Milwaukee Bucks vs. Phoenix Suns | Saturday, July 8 | 9 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Los Angeles Clippers vs. Utah Jazz | Saturday, July 8 | 10 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Toronto Raptors vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | Sunday, July 9 | 3:30 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Los Angeles Lakers vs. Charlotte Hornets | Sunday, July 9 | 4 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| New York Knicks vs. Brooklyn Nets | Sunday, July 9 | 5:30 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Detroit Pistons vs. Houston Rockets | Sunday, July 9 | 6 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Boston Celtics vs. Washington Wizards | Sunday, July 9 | 7:30 p.m. | NBA TV |
| San Antonio Spurs vs. Portland Trail Blazers | Sunday, July 9 | 8 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Atlanta Hawks vs. Denver Nuggets | Sunday, July 9 | 9:30 p.m. | NBA TV |
| New Orleans Pelicans vs. Golden State Warriors | Sunday, July 9 | 10 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Memphis Grizzlies vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | Monday, July 10 | 6 p.m. | ESPNews |
| Phoenix Suns vs. Miami Heat | Monday, July 10 | 6:30 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Philadelphia 76ers vs. Dallas Mavericks | Monday, July 10 | 8 p.m. | ESPNU |
| Indiana Pacers vs. Orlando Magic | Monday, July 10 | 8:30 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Utah Jazz | Monday, July 10 | 10 p.m. | ESPNU |
| Sacramento Kings vs. Los Angeles Clippers | Monday, July 10 | 10:30 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Brooklyn Nets vs. Milwaukee Bucks | Tuesday, July 11 | 6 p.m. | ESPNU |
| Houston Rockets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder | Tuesday, July 11 | 6:30 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Phoenix Suns vs. New Orleans Pelicans | Tuesday, July 11 | 8 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Portland Trail Blazers vs. Charlotte Hornets | Tuesday, July 11 | 8:30 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Chicago Bulls vs. Sacramento Kings | Tuesday, July 11 | 10 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Washington Wizards vs. San Antonio Spurs | Tuesday, July 11 | 10:30 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Los Angeles Clippers vs. Memphis Grizzlies | Wednesday, July 12 | 3:30 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Atlanta Hawks | Wednesday, July 12 | 4 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Golden State Warriors vs. Dallas Mavericks | Wednesday, July 12 | 5:30 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Toronto Raptors vs. Detroit Pistons | Wednesday, July 12 | 6 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Indiana Pacers | Wednesday, July 12 | 7:30 p.m. | NBA TV |
| New York Knicks vs. Orlando Magic | Wednesday, July 12 | 8 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Denver Nuggets vs. Utah Jazz | Wednesday, July 12 | 9:30 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Los Angeles Lakers vs. Boston Celtics | Wednesday, July 12 | 10 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Chicago Bulls | Thursday, July 13 | 3 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Philadelphia 76ers vs. Atlanta Hawks | Thursday, July 13 | 3:30 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Brooklyn Nets vs. Toronto Raptors | Thursday, July 13 | 5 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Miami Heat vs. Milwaukee Bucks | Thursday, July 13 | 5:30 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Houston Rockets vs. Golden State Warriors | Thursday, July 13 | 7 p.m. | ESPN |
| Charlotte Hornets vs. New Orleans Pelicans | Thursday, July 13 | 7:30 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Portland Trail Blazers vs. Orlando Magic | Thursday, July 13 | 9 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Sacramento Kings | Thursday, July 13 | 9:30 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Los Angeles Clippers vs. Philadelphia 76ers | Friday, July 14 | 4:30 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Washington Wizards | Friday, July 14 | 5 p.m. | ESPNU |
| Dallas Mavericks vs. Indiana Pacers | Friday, July 14 | 6:30 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Boston Celtics vs. New York Knicks | Friday, July 14 | 7 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| San Antonio Spurs vs. Detroit Pistons | Friday, July 14 | 8:30 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Miami Heat vs. Denver Nuggets | Friday, July 14 | 9 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Memphis Grizzlies vs. Los Angeles Lakers | Friday, July 14 | 10:30 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Utah Jazz vs. Phoenix Suns | Friday, July 14 | 11 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Charlotte Hornets vs. Minnesota Timberwolves | Saturday, July 15 | 2:30 p.m. | NBA TV, ESPN+ |
| Golden State Warriors vs. Toronto Raptors | Saturday, July 15 | 3 p.m. | ESPN |
| Milwaukee Bucks vs. Sacramento Kings | Saturday, July 15 | 4:30 p.m. | NBA TV, ESPN+ |
| Washington Wizards vs. Chicago Bulls | Saturday, July 15 | 5 p.m. | ESPN |
| Boston Celtics vs. Orlando Magic | Saturday, July 15 | 6:30 p.m. | NBA TV, ESPN+ |
| Denver Nuggets vs. New York Knicks | Saturday, July 15 | 8:30 p.m. | NBA TV, ESPN+ |
| Memphis Grizzlies vs. Phoenix Suns | Saturday, July 15 | 10:30 p.m. | NBA TV, ESPN+ |
| Philadelphia 76ers vs. New Orleans Pelicans | Sunday, July 16 | 3:30 p.m. | NBA TV, ESPN+ |
| Semifinals: Brooklyn Nets vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | Sunday, July 16 | 4 p.m. | ESPN |
| Detroit Pistons vs. Indiana Pacers | Sunday, July 16 | 5:30 p.m. | NBA TV, ESPN+ |
| Semifinals: Utah Jazz vs. Houston Rockets | Sunday, July 16 | 6 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Oklahoma City Thunder vs. San Antonio Spurs | Sunday, July 16 | 7:30 p.m. | NBA TV, ESPN+ |
| Miami Heat vs. Portland Trail Blazers | Sunday, July 16 | 8 p.m. | ESPN2, ESPN+ |
| Atlanta Hawks vs. Dallas Mavericks | Sunday, July 16 | 9:30 p.m. | NBA TV, ESPN+ |
| Los Angeles Lakers vs. Los Angeles Clippers | Sunday, July 16 | 10 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Championship: Houston Rockets vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | Monday, July 17 | 9 p.m. | ESPN |
All games played in Las Vegas.
Best TV plans for watching the NBA Summer League
The best TV plan for watching the NBA Summer League depends on your viewing goals. If you want access to every NBA game this summer for the lowest price, Sling TV is the cheapest way to get ESPN with NBA TV.
At $40 per month, the Sling Orange package comes with ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN3. You’ll need the Sports Extra add-on for $11 per month to get ESPNews, ESPNU, and NBA TV. But you can pay that $51-a-month total at the beginning of July and cancel after the Summer League ends with no strings attached.
Sling TV includes a lackluster 50 hours of DVR storage in its base plans and poor local channel coverage. Therefore, if you want a more robust service for watching the NBA year-round, check out our How To Watch NBA Games page. TL;DR: YouTube TV is an excellent service for watching national NBA and WNBA coverage.
Which TV providers carry the NBA Summer League?
Most TV providers feature NBA Summer League coverage. But as the table below shows, only select services carry every required channel. You may also need a higher-tier plan or add-on package to get ESPNews, ESPNU, and NBA TV through some providers.
| Provider | Price | ESPN | ESPN2 | ESPNU | NBA TV | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cox | $61.00–$152.00/mo. | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Read Cox review |
| DIRECTV | $69.99–$159.99/mo. | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
View plans Read DIRECTV review |
| DIRECTV STREAM | $69.99–$159.99/mo. | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
View plans Read DIRECTV STREAM review |
| DISH | $84.99–$114.99/mo. | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
View plans Read DISH review |
| Fubo | $32.99–$99.99/mo. | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
View plans Read Fubo review |
| Hulu + Live TV | $76.99–$89.99/mo. | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | — |
View plans Read Hulu + Live TV review |
| Optimum | $35.00–$125.00/mo. | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
View plans Read Optimum review |
| Philo | $25.00/mo. | — | — | — | — |
View plans Read Philo review |
| Sling TV | $40.00–$55.00/mo. | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
View plans Read Sling TV review |
| Spectrum | $69.99–$74.99/mo. | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
View plans Read Spectrum review |
| Vidgo | $69.99–$99.99/mo. | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | — |
View plans Read Vidgo review |
| Xfinity | $20.00–$80.00/mo. | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
View plans Read Xfinity review |
| YouTube TV | $72.99/mo. | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
View plans Read YouTube TV review |
Data effective as of post date.
How to watch the NBA Summer League for free
Unfortunately, there isn’t a straightforward way to watch the NBA Summer League for free. Every game airs on a subscription-based TV channel like ESPN and NBA TV. Therefore, only free live TV streaming trials can get you Summer League coverage without paying.
Head to our Streaming Services with Free Trials guide for a closer look at which services offer free trials.
Final take
This July, fans can watch every NBA Summer League game on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNews, ESPNU, and NBA TV. Those channels will cover three off-season tournaments in Sacramento, Salt Lake City, and Las Vegas. The Sin City competition will feature all 30 NBA teams.
Sling TV offers the cheapest way to get every Summer League channel through its Sling Orange plan ($40 per month) with the Sports Extra add-on ($11 per month). But YouTube TV ($72.99 per month) is worth checking out if you want a better DVR, more WNBA coverage, and a larger channel lineup. It’ll also set you up nicely for the NBA preseason in October.
How to watch the NBA Summer League FAQ
Can I watch the NBA Summer League on Hulu?
Yes, you can watch NBA Summer League games with a Hulu + Live TV subscription. While the streaming service comes with every ESPN channel, it doesn’t include access to NBA TV. But you can sign up for a standalone NBA TV subscription for $6.99 per month.
How can I watch the NBA Summer League without cable?
You can watch the NBA Summer League without cable via any live TV streaming service that includes ESPN channels and NBA TV. DIRECTV STREAM, Sling TV, and YouTube TV are our favorite services for streaming NBA games.
Can I watch the NBA Summer League on NBA League Pass?
Yes, you can watch select NBA Summer League games on NBA League Pass because the streaming service includes NBA TV coverage. However, blackouts exist for all Summer League games that air on ESPN channels. You must wait until Summer League ends to watch any blacked-out games.
Where can I watch the San Antonio Spurs during Summer League?
The San Antonio Spurs’ 2023 NBA Summer League games will air on ESPN, ESPN2, and NBA TV. All eyes are on the team this summer as the recent No. 1 overall NBA Draft pick Victor Wembanyama makes his debut.
Methodology
Our sports experts researched and tested the best ways to watch the NBA Summer League. After identifying this year’s Summer League schedule, we compared the pricing and channel lineups of 13 popular TV providers. We then determined our provider recommendations based on Summer League coverage and ease of use.
Check out our How We Rank page to learn more about our methods.
