Phoenix Suns to Wrap Up NBA Summer League Against the Portland Trail Blazers
PHOENIX – The Phoenix Suns are set to play their final game of the 2025 NBA Summer League, closing out their run against the Portland Trail Blazers on July 19. The matchup was determined based on the Summer League’s format, which schedules each team’s fifth game according to their record in the initial four contests. The Suns, who opened the tournament on a high note with a win over the Washington Wizards, stumbled in the subsequent three matchups. Their 1-3 record ultimately placed them in a position to face a stronger 3-1 Portland team in what will be each team’s final outing of the Summer League.
The game is scheduled to be played at the Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas, Nevada, a venue commonly used alongside the Thomas & Mack Center for Summer League events. Tip-off is set for 6:30 p.m. Pacific Time and will be broadcast live on NBA TV, giving fans one more opportunity to watch the Suns’ young prospects in action before Summer League concludes.
The Summer League serves as a platform for rookies, G-League players, and undrafted talent to make an impression on coaches and front-office personnel. For Phoenix, it’s also a chance to evaluate depth players and assess who might earn an invite to training camp in the fall. The early spark the Suns showed with a win over the Wizards quickly faded as they dropped their next three games, struggling with consistency, ball movement, and defensive lapses.
Despite the losses, the Summer League has offered a valuable developmental environment for the Suns’ roster. Several young players have had the opportunity to display flashes of potential. The team has experimented with various lineups and strategies, trying to get a sense of what each player brings to the table. While the team’s record isn’t impressive, the lessons learned during this short stint could carry forward into preseason training and future player development.
Phoenix’s most notable performances came during their opening game, where energy, shooting accuracy, and defensive pressure helped them cruise past Washington. However, as the tournament progressed, the competition stiffened, and the Suns began facing more cohesive teams with deeper talent pools. Their second matchup revealed cracks in their defensive schemes, and by the third and fourth games, issues like turnovers, poor shooting, and lack of rebounding began to surface more regularly.
The Portland Trail Blazers, on the other hand, have had a much more successful run in the Summer League. At 3-1, they’ve shown both consistency and promise with a blend of returning young players and fresh prospects who have capitalized on the opportunity to shine. Their success puts them near the top of the standings, though they fall short of qualifying for the Summer League Championship Game. Nevertheless, a 3-1 record is a solid outcome, and they will look to finish strong by adding a fourth win to their resume against Phoenix.
For the Suns, the final game is less about the scoreboard and more about progress and evaluation. Coaches will be looking closely at how players respond to adversity. Can they clean up execution? Will there be growth in defensive discipline or offensive chemistry? These are the key metrics staff and analysts will be focusing on.
Among the key names to watch for the Suns in this game will be their most promising prospects and any undrafted free agents who’ve managed to turn heads. Summer League can often be a launchpad for relatively unknown players to grab attention. With the final game on national television, it’s a prime opportunity for someone to make a name for themselves, especially as NBA rosters begin to finalize ahead of the preseason.
Additionally, this final game offers an opportunity to evaluate the coaching staff. Summer League is not just a proving ground for players—it’s also a chance for assistant coaches or developmental staff to run a team, implement systems, and showcase their readiness for more prominent roles.
Although a 1-3 record is not the outcome Phoenix hoped for, it’s not entirely unexpected given the experimental nature of Summer League play. Roster cohesion is often difficult to achieve in such a short span, and teams must quickly integrate players who have never played together before. The Suns’ coaching staff will take this time to review game footage, analyze player tendencies, and begin to determine which athletes may be worth investing in long-term.
Looking forward, the Suns’ front office will use insights from this summer session to make key decisions as they shape the team’s roster heading into training camp. Summer League outcomes won’t necessarily dictate a player’s NBA future, but they do play a crucial role in giving management enough information to assess work ethic, skill level, decision-making under pressure, and overall fit within the organizational culture.
For the Trail Blazers, the final game provides a chance to reinforce what they’ve done well throughout the tournament. Portland has executed with relative consistency, and several of their players have performed at a high level. They’ll enter this game looking to maintain that momentum and cap off their Summer League experience on a high note.
Overall, while the final score of this fifth and final Summer League game may not hold significant weight in the grand scheme of the NBA season, it’s a valuable conclusion to a developmental chapter for both teams. For Phoenix, it marks the end of a learning-focused stretch and the beginning of more serious roster evaluations heading into the fall.
Fans watching from home will have one more glimpse at some of the Suns’ young talents before the regular season grind begins. With the game broadcast on NBA TV, it’s also an opportunity for these players to gain broader exposure—not just to coaches and GMs, but to a national audience of fans and scouts alike.
The matchup between the 1-3 Suns and 3-1 Trail Blazers promises to offer competitive energy, if not postseason stakes. The Suns will try to finish on a positive note and end their Summer League on a high, while the Trail Blazers will aim to continue their winning ways.
In the end, both teams will walk away with a clearer picture of what lies ahead. Whether it’s roster decisions, training camp invites, or simply identifying areas for player growth, the Summer League continues to serve its purpose—as a proving ground for the next generation of basketball talent. And for the Suns, that next chance comes Friday night at 6:30 p.m. on NBA TV.
