Who won NBA Summer League MVP? Full list of Las Vegas award winners

Nick Metallinos

Who won NBA Summer League MVP? Full list of Las Vegas award winners image

The Las Vegas NBA Summer League has been an annual tournament implemented by the NBA since 2006. 

This is the 17th time the tournament is being played, with the lone exception since 2006 being the lost Covid-19 year of 2020.

Summer League allows players who are drafted, undrafted, rookies or unsigned free agents an opportunity to make a name for themselves to prove that they belong on an NBA roster. 

For those players who were drafted, it's an opportunity to learn your new team's systems and get some much-needed reps in before the NBA season.

Of the 16 MVPs handed out at Summer League since 2006, seven recipients were players drafted outside the lottery that same year or the previous one. The trend has grown stronger in recent years with six of the last eight MVPs being picked outside the Lottery in the Draft with Lonzo Ball (2017) and Davion Mitchell (co-MVP in 2021) as the exceptions.

MORE: NBA Summer League results

Blake Griffin and John Wall, back in 2009 and 2010 respectively, are the only No. 1 picks ever to be crowned MVPs in the Summer League. 

Here's a look at all the Summer League MVP winners since 2006:

List of every Las Vegas Summer League MVP
Year Player NBA Team Draft pick Nationality
2021 Davion Mitchell Sacramento Kings 2021 Rd. 1 Pick 9 USA
2021 Cameron Thomas Brooklyn Nets 2021 Rd. 1 Pick 27 USA
2020 -- -- -- --
2019 Brandon Clarke Memphis Grizzlies 2019 Rd. 1 Pick 21 Canada
2018 Josh Hart Los Angeles Lakers 2017 Rd. 1 Pick 30 USA
2017 Lonzo Ball Los Angeles Lakers 2017 Rd. 1 Pick 2 USA
2016 Tyus Jones Minnesota Timberwolves 2015 Rnd 1 Pick 24 USA
2015 Kyle Anderson San Antonio Spurs 2014 Rnd 1 Pick 30 USA
2014 Glen Rice Jr. Washington Wizards 2013 Rnd 2 Pick 5 USA
2013 Jonas Valanciunas Toronto Raptors 2011 Rnd 1 Pick 5 Lithuania
2012 Damian Lillard Portland Trail Blazers 2012 Rnd 1 Pick 6 USA
2012 Josh Selby Memphis Grizzlies 2011 Rnd 2 Pick 19 USA
2010 John Wall Washington Wizards 2010 Rnd 1 Pick 1 USA
2009 Blake Griffin LA Clippers 2009 Rnd 1 Pick 1 USA
2008 Jerryd Bayless Portland Trail Blazers 2008 Rnd 1 Pick 11 USA
2007 Nate Robinson New York Knicks 2005 Rnd 1 Pick 21 USA
2006 Randy Foye Minnesota Timberwolves 2006 Rnd 1 Pick 7 USA

In 2012, co-MVPs were handed out to Damian Lillard and Josh Selby, for the first time in NBA Summer League history.

It happened for the second time in Summer League history in 2021 when Davion Mitchell and Cameron Thomas were named co-MVPs.

The Summer League also has a championship game MVP winner as well. 

 

Nick Metallinos

Nick Metallinos Photo

Nick has been working exclusively within the NBA world for over a decade. He hosted 46 episodes of Ball or Nothin' - a show screened on ESPN highlighting the social media aspects of the NBA. Nick has covered 3 NBA Finals, 5 NBA All-Star weekends, 8 NBA drafts, 5 Jordan Brand Classics plus dozens of playoff games and hundreds of regular season games. 
Nick spends his spare time trying to decide which sneakers best match his outfit.