Shannon Evans II will play for the Houston Rockets summer league team this summer.

The 2018 NBA Draft came and went, Evans went undrafted. Evans, a former Nansemond River High School standout, entered the draft after finishing up his last season at Arizona State University. But because he went undrafted, Evans had his choice of teams for which to play summer league and decided on the Rockets.

Summer league starts July 6 and will last until July 17 in Las Vegas. Evans will get a chance to showcase his skills on the NBA level among other fellow rookies and second- and third-year players. Unsigned free agents are often signed to summer league deals, providing a chance to show their skills and possibly be signed to a contract during the regular season. Any team can sign the free agent after the league is over, not just the one he played for in summer league.

For example, if Evans plays well in the summer league, he doesn’t have to sign with the Rockets. He can sign with any team for a training camp deal. Sometimes, veteran players of teams come and check out the younger players and different competition in summer league.

Evans could possibly see a friend in Vegas in Rockets superstar James Harden. Harden, who is the 2018 NBA MVP, is an alumnus of Arizona State and has attended ASU games throughout the time Evans has spent there. If Evans were able to sign with the Rockets beyond summer league, he’d have a familiar face there. Harden’s support could be a boost of confidence for Evans this summer with the Rockets as he tries to earn his keep.

The Suffolk native finished his last season at ASU surpassing 1,000 points there and helped ASU earn another NCAA tournament berth. At one point during his last season, ASU was ranked as high as the top five in the country. During the draft process, he returned home to Hampton Roads to compete in the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament in front of NBA and overseas scouts. From there, he worked out for various NBA teams before going undrafted.

A lot will unfold over the next month or so for Evans. Playing professional basketball overseas could be an option for him if he so chooses. Regardless, it seems as if the Suffolk native has a professional basketball career in his future.

The first Rockets summer league game will be at noon July 6 against the Indiana Pacers. All games will be on either ESPN or NBATV.