By Jason Cruz
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
Welcome to another edition of The Layup Drill. This month, we take a look at summer basketball, the rise of Alexa Eala, and more.
Bucks select Burries
The NBA Draft took place in late June and with the 10th pick in the draft, the Milwaukee Bucks selected shooting guard Brayden Burries. The 20-year-old from the University of Arizona is of Hawaiian and Chinese heritage. His mother’s side of the family is from Hawaii. In an interview, Burres said that every November, the family would go to Hawaii to visit family.
Brayden Burries arrives for the first round of the NBA basketball draft on June 23, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
Burries was a McDonald’s All-American his senior year in high school and a consensus five-star recruit in the 2025 class. He chose to play at Arizona where the 6-foot-4, 215-pound Burries made All-Big 12 First Team and made the Big 12 All-Freshman Team. He averaged 16 points and 5 rebounds as a freshman. He declared for the NBA Draft after his freshman year at Arizona.
Burries received rave reviews in NBA Summer League, showing his scoring ability and impressing the coaching staff each game. He is looking to become a contributor right from the start of his rookie season.
Xavian Lee contemplating basketball career
Xavian Lee had the opportunity to play with the Cleveland Cavaliers summer league team last month. Due to a court ruling, Lee may have a chance to return to college to play one last season of college basketball with Gonzaga as a frontrunner to land him.
Xavian Lee looks on during a timeout in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game on Nov. 21, 2025, in Gainesville, Fla. (AP Photo/Noah Lantor)
Lee, a 22-year-old from Toronto, Canada, started his college career at Princeton where he excelled and helped lead the Tigers to a Sweet 16 appearance in the NCAA Tournament in 2023. After another great season in 2024, he announced his intention to enter the NBA Draft. A month later, he withdrew his name and returned to Princeton for his third season, where he averaged nearly 17 points, 6 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game. Lee announced that he’d play his senior season at Florida. The step up in competition did not hurt the 6-foot-4 point guard as he contributed for the Gators. Lee entered the NBA Draft after the season.
Lee was not drafted in the 2026 NBA Draft, but was able to sign on with the Cleveland Cavaliers summer league team. Lee had the opportunity to play against Chicago Bulls’ guard Yuki Kawamura. Lee averaged 6.4 points in the 5 games he appeared in. However, he did not receive an offer to play with the main roster.
But a federal district court ruling issued just last week granted athletes that started their college eligibility in 2022 an additional year to play. Lee is one of the athletes that has applied to enter the transfer portal with the intention of playing the additional year. The rumor mill has Lee possibly going to Gonzaga for his fifth and final season.
Jihyun Park makes history
South Korea’s Jihyun Park (9) brings the ball up court against Serbia at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Sunday, Aug. 1, 2021, in Saitama, Japan. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
The Los Angeles Sparks signed South Korean forward Jihyn Park at the beginning of the 2026 WNBA season. Park became the first South Korean player to make a WNBA roster. The 6-foot forward from Seongnam-si, South Korea has played professionally since 2018, where she played in the Korean women’s professional league. She also played in Australia and was available in the WNBA draft in 2020. She did not catch on with a WNBA team until this year with the Sparks.
Aces sign Japanese shooting guard
Mai Yamamoto hit seven 3-pointers in an exhibition game this past spring against the Las Vegas Aces while playing for Japan’s national team. Little did she know that she would end up playing for the Aces.
Japan guard Mai Yamamoto (23) dribbles the ball against Phoenix Mercury guard Sami Whitcomb (33) during the first half of an exhibition basketball game, on April 29, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
The 26-year-old, 5-foot-5 point guard has played in Japan’s professional basketball league and for the Japanese national team as part of FIBA’s 3 on 3 basketball tournaments.
She will provide depth at the guard position and outside shooting help for the former three-time champions.
Eala continues ascension up tennis ranks
Filipina professional tennis player Alex Eala is continuing her hot summer of play. She won the crowds over at Wimbledon and as she prepares for the U.S. Open in New York starting later this month, she is picking up major wins along the way.
Alexandra Eala of the Philippines celebrates winning the third round women’s singles match against Iga Swiatek of Poland at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, on July 4, 2026.(AP Photo/Maja Smiejkowska)
Eala beat Naomi Osaka at the Citi Tennis Open in Washington, D.C. to reach the women’s singles final. She then defeated the number 1 player in the world, Jessica Pegula, in three sets to earn the title. Eala lost the first set and came back to win the last two. She became the first Filipina to win a Women’s Tennis Association event.
Eala has one more hardcourt tournament to compete at before she plays in the U.S. Open.
Jason can be reached at newstips@nwasianweekly.com.