Former Hawaii basketball forward Kamaka Hepa will play for the New Orleans Pelicans in the upcoming NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, per a source with direct knowledge of the situation.
The 6-foot-10 Hepa, of Utquigvik, Alaska, completed his college eligibility with UH in 2022-23. He averaged 11.5 points, 6.6 rebounds and nearly a block per game his senior season. Valued for his ability to stretch defenses, Hepa led the team with 67 3-pointers on .387 long-range shooting. He was an All-Big West honorable mention.
Hepa went undrafted last week but got pre-draft workouts with the Golden State Warriors and Toronto Raptors.
The Vegas Summer League runs July 7 to 17. The Pelicans open against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Cox Pavilion in a game on NBA TV on July 7.
He is the first ex-UH player to make an NBA Summer League roster since Noah Allen in 2019.
Stefan Jankovic made the Miami Heat’s 2016 summer roster and remained through the 2016-17 NBA preseason before being waived.
In 2017, Allen and Jankovic made the summer squads of the Golden State Warriors and Orlando Magic.
Brian McInnis covers the state's sports scene for Spectrum News Hawaii. He can be reached at brian.mcinnis@charter.com.