NBA Cancels Vegas Summer League, Summer Internship Program And Pre Season Games In Europe

The NBA has announced it’s canceled its Vegas Summer League. Traditionally held in early July, summer league is where new draft picks, D-League players, overseas guys and ones looking to get on have a chance to show their stuff to NBA scouts and team officials.

For the rookies it gives them a chance to get their feet wet before training camp and for the rest, a possible training camp invite in the fall. In addition to the announcement that summer league is canceled, the NBA’s summer internship program has been shuttered along with the the preseason planning to send teams to Europe during training camp.

The latter item is what is pretty scary to me. A lockout is all but certain however, the idea that Stern has canceled one his pet projects in pre season (the possible expansion to the NBA is Europe has been floating around for years and Commissioner Stern loves the yearly treks to Europe, Asia and Mexico) could possibly signal that the actual 2011-2021 season could truly be impacted.

In my mind, this process drags out through the summer and is resolved just in time for training camp in October. This announcement doesn’t seem to fall in line with that line of thinking but I have hope.