Getty No. 1 pick Paolo Banchero makes his NBA debut in Summer League action on Thursday.
No. 1 overall pick Paolo Banchero and No. 3 selection Jabari Smith make their NBA debuts on Thursday night when the Houston Rockets and Orlando Magic meet in the opening game of the 2022 Las Vegas Summer League.
The game (10 p.m. ET start time) will be televised on ESPN. But if you don’t have cable, here are some different ways you can watch a live stream of the Rockets vs Magic online, with the first two options offering a free trial:
Note: Heavy may earn an affiliate commission if you sign up via a link on this page
FuboTV
You can watch a live stream of ESPN and 100-plus other live TV channels on FuboTV, which comes with a free seven-day trial:
Once signed up for FuboTV, you can watch Rockets vs Magic live on the FuboTV app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or Series X/S, Samsung TV, LG TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the FuboTV website.
You can also watch live via ESPN.com or the ESPN app. You’ll need to sign in to a cable provider to watch this way, but if you don’t have that, you can use your Fubo credentials to log in and watch.
DirecTV Stream
DirecTV Stream has four different channel packages: “Entertainment,” “Choice,” “Ultimate” and “Premier.” ESPN is in every one, and you can pick any package and any add-on you want with your free five-day trial:
Once signed up for DirecTV Stream, you can watch Rockets vs Magic live on the DirecTV Stream app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Samsung TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the DirecTV Stream website.
You can also watch live via ESPN.com or the ESPN app. You’ll need to sign in to a cable provider to watch this way, but if you don’t have that, you can use your DirecTV Stream credentials to log in and watch.
Sling TV
You can watch a live stream of ESPN and 40-plus other live TV channels via Sling TV’s “Sling Orange” bundle. This option doesn’t include a free trial, but it’s the cheapest long-term streaming service with the ESPN channels, and you can your first month for half off:
Once signed up for Sling TV, you can watch Rockets vs Magic live on the Sling TV app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or Series X/S, Samsung TV, LG TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), airTV Mini, Oculus, Portal, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the Sling TV website.
You can also watch live via ESPN.com or the ESPN app. You’ll need to sign in to a cable provider to watch this way, but if you don’t have that, you can use your Sling credentials to log in and watch.
Hulu With Live TV
You can watch a live stream of ESPN and 65+ other TV channels via Hulu With Live TV, which now also includes access to both ESPN+ and Disney+:
Once signed up for Hulu With Live TV, you can watch Rockets vs Magic live on the Hulu app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or Series X/S, PlayStation 4 or 5, Nintendo Switch, Samsung TV, LG TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the Hulu website.
You can also watch live via ESPN.com or the ESPN app. You’ll need to sign in to a cable provider to watch this way, but if you don’t have that, you can use your Hulu credentials to log in and watch.
Rockets vs Magic Summer League Preview
The Orlando Magic and Houston Rockets tip off an intriguing summer exhibition between last year’s two worst teams in the NBA. Orlando’s record was a dismal 22-60, while the Rockets were somehow sadder, managing a 20-62 campaign.
But don’t let past numbers fool you. Both losing teams have an exciting future, which will be displayed in Vegas. All eyes will be on the top draft picks. Will these talented rookies be able to save two ailing franchises?
The Magic’s help comes from their No. 1 overall draft pick, power forward Paolo Banchero. The NBA Summer League has long been a showcase for talented players with much to prove. Previous competition MVPs have included Blake Griffin and Damian Lillard. Banchero will try to prove he is in this class. The intriguing matchup with the Rockets will be his first opportunity to prove Orlando made the right choice.
Another Orlando player with a lot to prove is R.J. Hampton. The guard has no shortage of talent but seemed to regress from his strong rookie year performances for the Magic. Hampton’s form will be watched closely by coach Jamahl Mosley as he determines the pecking order for the 2021-22 season.
As far as the Rockies are concerned, all eyes will be on Jabari Smith Jr. The power forward was picked 3rd in the 2022 NBA Draft but could easily have gone higher. Asked about his upcoming participation in the Summer League, Smith couldn’t hide his excitement at this opportunity. “I’m looking forward to playing everybody,” he said. But Jabari isn’t treating this as a social event: “At the end of the day, all of this is new to me, so I am not going to put too much pressure on myself going out here (Las Vegas). But I am going with a chip on my shoulder and trying to win.”
The game will also allow us to evaluate Josh Christopher’s progress. After a solid rookie year, Stephen Silas is expected to increase his minutes. As a second-year, we can expect to see quite a bit of the 2020 All-American guard in Vegas.
In short, despite an unimpressive yesterday, the Rockets and Magic hope for a brighter tomorrow. Are these expectations reasonable? The Summer League may not provide answers, but we will get some intriguing clues.