Before Rob Dillingham and Antonio Reeves faced off in the opening game of the Las Vegas Summer League on Thursday afternoon, their old Kentucky teammate, Reed Sheppard, joined ESPN’s pregame set for an interview. Sheppard, who was at the Thomas & Mack Center to support his fellow Wildcats, made his first nationally televised appearance since his Houston Rockets were a part of the NBA’s trade of the summer, adding Kevin Durant to next season’s roster and championship aspirations.
On Thursday, Sheppard was asked if he was still considered Houston’s best shooter now that Durant is a Rocket. Sheppard surrendered the title to the future Hall of Famer, saying, “No, I gotta prove it a little bit first. He’s proved it for a while.”
He added, “It’ll be fun to have some shooting competition with him, though.”
“Untouchable”
There were reports around the Durant trade that Sheppard was untouchable in the deal with Phoenix. Houston is all in on Sheppard in its backcourt, so he was off-limits in any trade negotiations this summer.
Sheppard told Shams Charania that he never had that conversation with the Rockets about being untouchable. Still, he admitted he’s aware of his situation going into his second season. “Hearing some of that stuff is it’s pretty cool. It gives me a lot of confidence.”
Defense has been a priority this summer as Sheppard trains to take on a new role. He said he had a two- or three-week stretch of working out without a basketball, focusing only on defense. He also prioritized his strength and physicality.
On Friday, Sheppard’s second run in the summer league begins on the second night in Las Vegas, where he was the star as a rookie last summer. Catch him on NBATV Friday night at 10 p.m., among the many other games with former Wildcats.
Las Vegas Summer League Schedule
Thursday, July 10
| TIME (ET) | HOME | AWAY | TV/STREAMING |
| 3:30 PM | New Orleans Pelicans (Antonio Reeves, Keion Brooks) | Minnesota Timberwolves (Rob Dillingham) | ESPN2, ESPN+ |
| 5:00 PM | Cleveland Cavaliers (Jaxson Robinson) | Indiana Pacers | NBATV, ESPN+ |
| 9:30 PM | Denver Nuggets | Milwaukee Bucks (Chris Livingston) | NBATV, ESPN+ |
| 10:00 PM | San Antonio Spurs | Philadelphia 76ers (Justin Edwards) | ESPN, ESPN+ |
Friday, July 11
| TIME (ET) | HOME | AWAY | TV/STREAMING |
| 4:00 PM | Memphis Grizzlies | Boston Celtics (Amari Williams) | NBATV, ESPN+ |
| 4:30 PM | Atlanta Hawks (Lamont Butler, Jacob Toppin) | Miami Heat | ESPN2, ESPN+ |
| 6:00 PM | Detroit Pistons | New York Knicks (Lance Ware) | NBA TV, ESPN+ |
| 9:00 PM | Washington Wizards | Phoenix Suns (Koby Brea) | ESPN, ESPN+ |
| 10:00 PM | LA Clippers | Houston Rockets (Reed Sheppard) | NBATV, ESPN+ |
| 11:00 PM | Portland Trail Blazers (Andrew Carr) | Golden State Warriors | ESPN2, ESPN+ |
Saturday, July 12
| TIME (ET) | HOME | AWAY | TV/STREAMING |
| 3:30 PM | Cleveland Cavaliers (Jaxson Robinson) | Milwaukee Bucks (Chris Livingston) | NBATV, ESPN+ |
| 6:30 PM | Charlotte Hornets | Philadelphia 76ers (Justin Edwards) | ESPN2, ESPN+ |
| 8:30 PM | Los Angeles Lakers | New Orleans Pelicans (Antonio Reeves, Keion Brooks) | ESPN2, ESPN+ |
| 10:00 PM | Minnesota Timberwolves (Rob Dillingham) | Denver Nuggets | NBATV, ESPN+ |
| 10:30 PM | Memphis Grizzlies | Portland Trail Blazers (Andrew Carr) | ESPN2, ESPN+ |
Sunday, July 13
| TIME (ET) | HOME | AWAY | TV/STREAMING |
| 3:30 PM | Phoenix Suns (Koby Brea) | Atlanta Hawks (Lamont Butler, Jacob Toppin) | NBATV, ESPN+ |
| 4:00 PM | Detroit Pistons | Houston Rockets (Reed Sheppard) | ESPN2, ESPN+ |
| 5:30 PM | New York Knicks (Lance Ware) | Boston Celtics (Amari Williams) | NBATV, ESPN+ |
| 7:30 PM | Miami Heat | Cleveland Cavaliers (Jaxson Robinson) | NBATV, ESPN+ |
| 9:30 PM | Milwaukee Bucks (Chris Livingston) | LA Clippers | NBATV, ESPN+ |
Monday, July 14
| TIME (ET) | HOME | AWAY | TV/STREAMING |
| 4:30 PM | Atlanta Hawks (Lamont Butler, Jacob Toppin) | Houston Rockets (Reed Sheppard) | NBATV, ESPN+ |
| 8:00 PM | Boston Celtics (Amari Williams) | Miami Heat | ESPNU, ESPN+ |
| 10:00 PM | Phoenix Suns (Koby Brea) | Sacramento Kings | ESPNU, ESPN+ |
Tuesday, July 15
| TIME (ET) | HOME | AWAY | TV/STREAMING |
| 4:30 PM | Minnesota Timberwolves (Rob Dillingham) | Detroit Pistons | ESPN2, ESPN+ |
| 6:00 PM | New York Knicks (Lance Ware) | Brooklyn Nets | ESPN2, ESPN+ |
| 8:30 PM | Philadelphia 76ers (Justin Edwards) | Washington Wizards | NBATV, ESPN+ |
| 10:00 PM | Portland Trail Blazers (Andrew Carr) | Memphis Grizzlies | NBATV, ESPN+ |
Wednesday, July 16
| TIME (ET) | HOME | AWAY | TV/STREAMING |
| 3:30 PM | Sacramento Kings | Cleveland Cavaliers (Jaxson Robinson) | ESPN2, ESPN+ |
| 5:00 PM | Phoenix Suns (Koby Brea) | Minnesota Timberwolves (Rob Dillingham) | NBATV, ESPN+ |
| 5:30 PM | Milwaukee Bucks (Chris Livingston) | Chicago Bulls | ESPN2, ESPN+ |
| 8:00 PM | Dallas Mavericks | Philadelphia 76ers (Justin Edwards) | ESPN, ESPN+ |
| 9:30 PM | New Orleans Pelicans (Antonio Reeves, Keion Brooks) | OKC Thunder | NBATV, ESPN+ |
Thursday, July 17
| TIME (ET) | HOME | AWAY | TV/STREAMING |
| 4:30 PM | Indiana Pacers | New York Knicks (Lance Ware) | ESPN2, ESPN+ |
| 6:00 PM | Atlanta Hawks (Lamont Butler, Jacob Toppin) | Memphis Grizzlies | NBATV, ESPN+ |
| 8:00 PM | Houston Rockets (Reed Sheppard) | Portland Trail Blazers (Andrew Carr) | NBATV, ESPN+ |
| 9:00 PM | Boston Celtics (Amari Williams) | Los Angeles Lakers | ESPN, ESPN+ |
Kentucky players in the 2025 NBA Summer League
| Player | Team | Number |
| Amari Williams | Boston Celtics | 77 |
| Andrew Carr | Portland Trailblazers | 64 |
| Antonio Reeves | New Orleans Pelicans | 12 |
| Chris Livingston | Philadelphia 76ers | 7 |
| Jacob Toppin | Atlanta Hawks | 00 |
| Jaxson Robinson | Cleveland Cavaliers | 14 |
| Justin Edwards | Phildadelphia 76ers | 19 |
| Keion Brooks | New Orleans Pelicans | 11 |
| Koby Brea | Phoenix Suns | 14 |
| Lamont Butler | Atlanta Hawks | 31 |
| Lance Ware | New York Knicks | 45 |
| Reed Sheppard | Houston Rockets | 15 |
| Rob Dillingham | Minnesota Timberwolves | 4 |
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