The Iowa Wolves have churned out their fair share of NBA talent over the years, and for most of them, Summer League is where they truly shined. Jordan McLaughlin, Naz Reid, and even Zyon Pullin from last year’s team all gained experience and showcased their talent in the G League before developing enough to warrant a call-up to the main roster.
This summer is really no different. There are four members of the G League, two from Iowa and two from outside the organization, looking to show the Wolves why they warrant a longer look and potentially could be another great story of development for the Wolves.
Dajuan Harris (Kansas/Iowa Wolves)
Harris finished last season in Iowa as a backup guard, appearing in 27 games and playing 16.6 minutes per contest. He finished the season averaging 2.6 points, 2.9 assists, and only 1 turnover per game.
In college, Harris was a six-year player for Kansas and started 144 games as the lead guard, averaging 9.2 points in his final season. Over 173 games, he averaged 5.0 assists and just 1.9 turnovers per game. Harris is a throwback point guard. Although he’s 26 years old, his experience makes him valuable to a Summer League roster looking to develop young players.
Nate Santos (Dayton/Iowa Wolves)
Santos may not be a household name, but for people who watched Iowa last season, he was one of the league’s best pure shooters.
The 6’7” forward shot only 35.1% on 5.6 attempts per game. However, over Santos’ two seasons at Dayton, he shot 41.8% on 292 attempts across 67 games. Santos is another one of the more seasoned players in Summer League at age 26. Still, with that seasoning, like others on the team, he learned how to accept and thrive in a specific role. Eventually, Santos became a devastating knockdown shooter.
However, Santos’ goal will be to prove that last season in Iowa was more of an exception to the rule, and that he can bring his 41.8% college shooting to a professional team.
Jaylin Williams (Auburn/Stockton Kings)
Yes, there is another Jaylin Williams. For Auburn fans, he is the Jaylin Williams, given he played five seasons for the program and started 93 games over his college career.
The 6’8” forward is known primarily as a slasher and cutter who can hit open threes. However, Williams does most of his work getting a pass on a cut. Williams averaged a career-best 13.7 points per game in the G League for the Stockton Kings while pulling down 6.9 rebounds and dishing out 3.0 assists.
Williams joins the team as yet another player with a clear understanding of their role. At age 23, he has extensive basketball experience: 4 seasons in college and 2 seasons in the G League.
Chris Mantis (Maine/Capital City GoGo)
Mantis enters Summer League as somewhat of an enigma. He played his first three college seasons at App State before finishing his career at Maine.
Despite playing four seasons, he started just 12 games and appeared in 123 total. He never averaged more than 20 minutes per game in college. However, his shooting ability is elite. He hit 43.6% of his threes in his senior season at Maine in 4.9 attempts per game while playing only 19.9 minutes.
Mantis’ shooting transferred seamlessly to the G League, where he suited up for 35 games for the Capital City GoGo and started 13. He averaged 22.1 minutes per game and hit on 42.8% of his 5.2 threes per game. The 6’7” forward needs to prove he can defend and rebound this summer. Still, his shooting is already NBA-ready.
Among the G League players coming to Las Vegas to suit up for the Wolves, there is a clear type the Wolves had in mind: experienced veterans. While it is admittedly odd to call players with no NBA experience veterans, the players the Wolves brought in have played a ton of basketball in college and in the G-League.
Each of them has NBA skills, some shooting, some slashing, and they all understand their role on a team. It gives them all a chance to be the next success story of a player climbing through the Wolves ranks to become another bench folk hero.
