The Nuggets’ 2026 Summer League tipped off against the Houston Rockets in Las Vegas on Friday.

Getting introduced in Denver unis for the first time were top draft picks Trevon Brazile and Bryce Hopkins—both of whom showed the upside and athleticism that could make them meaningful contributors for a team in desperate need of cheap bench depth.

Also in attendance were Nuggets assistant coach J.J. Barea, who asked to be the head coach for the Summer League squad this year, as well as Julian Strawther, recent free agent signing Marvin Bagley III, DaRon Holmes II, and Tyus Jones (the First?). Cam Johnson turned up, too—as the admin for Nuggets Twitter.

1st Quarter

Neither squad lit up the net through the first five minutes. Bryce Hopkins’ aggression stood out for the Nuggets, though, as he used his impressive size and athleticism on the wing to attack the rim every chance he got, grinding out four early points. Trevon Brazile’s catch-and-shoot three from the top of the key cut Houston’s lead to 15-13 and showed the potential versatility of the 6’10 forward, who also displayed some ballhandling ability early.

With :20 left in the quarter, Jahmi’us Ramsey, a shooting guard drafted in 2020 by the Kings, hit a corner three followed by a Osayi Osifo free throw to tie the game at 20.

2nd Quarter

The offensive slog continued into the second. After flashing some respectable on-ball defense, Mark Sears hit a jumper to give the NuggsSL a one-point lead. Former Blue Devil Mark Mitchell flew around off the bench, snatching an offensive board and converting the and-one. Three straight makes for the Rockets were finally answered by Eric Stephenson’s second mid-range jumper. Hopkins scored again on a hard drive—just the second field goal for Denver with 2:00 remaining. Brazile and Hopkins each made 1/2 from the line, but Trevon was called pushing off in transition after a Rockets miss, leading to a quick bucket and a 45-37 Houston lead. The half ended on another highlight for Hopkins who blocked a 10′ fadeaway jumper.

3rd Quarter

Bryce picked up where he left off—attacking the rim on back-to-back possessions, converting the second on a monster dunk in transition. K.J. Simpson then showed some playmaking ability on a crossover drive and layup through traffic for an and-one. But Hopkins continued to be the source of gravity, drawing another foul and giving the Nuggets a 50-49 lead. After scoring again on a turnaround jumper through contact, Bryce picked up a second block to go along with four boards and two steals. Osifo added his 8th point off the bench with a strong move in the paint (Simpson’s 7th assist).

Former Grizzly DeJon Jarreau made himself felt as soon as he checked in with two quick fouls, a block at the rim, driving layup, and free throw during just the final two minutes of the quarter. The fourth-year guard topped off the flurry by hitting a three with :02 seconds left and a streaking steal and jumper at the buzzer (missed), getting the Baby Nuggs to within a point.

4th Quarter

The Rockets pulled away in the fourth, though. By the time the Nuggets made their first basket with 7:07 remaining—an alley-oop-and-one from Simpson to Mitchell—the lead had grown to 7. Hopkins cut it to 74-72. but a Bruce Thornton free throw and three followed by an assist to Nix for a layup restored the Rockets’ lead. After a Simpson free throw, Houston’s Isaiah Crawford tipped in a rebound followed by a bunny in the lane for Newton, ballooning the lead to 85-74.

Jarreau continued his frenetic play, first with an and-one and then a bad pass, leading to more free throws for Thornton. After Simpson drove and finished for his 15th point, DeJon grabbed a board and found Hopkins for a dunk in transition.

The run was too little, too late, though, as the Rockets continued to convert from the line during a foul-infested two minutes, securing them a 97-86 win.

FINAL SCORE: Houston Rockets 97, Denver Nuggets 86

GAME NOTES:

  • Bryce Hopkins was the all-around standout, finishing with 24/4 on 9-13 FG and 5 stocks
  • Trevon Brazile was quiet on offense, scoring just 5 points (2-8 FG), but he did grab 11 rebounds (including 5 offensive—something Jon Wallace noted during the game)
  • Bruce Thornton led all scorers with 27 in 35(?) minutes
  • Despite having an off-shooting night, K.J. Simpson had a productive 17/9/2 but had the worst +/- in the game (-20)