LAS VEGAS — An opportunity at the NBA level is always one a player should relish and take full advantage of. Not every talented basketball player is going to be able to have a chance at the highest level of the game. It’s just the way it goes, unfortunately.
For former Patriot League tournament MVP Matt Rogers, it seemed even less likely after he tore his ACL in American University’s First Four game against Mount Saint Mary’s in 2025. After a hugely productive season in which he averaged 16.7 points and 5.5 rebounds while shooting 40.3% from deep, Rogers went through a tough time trying to rehab from the injury.
Now with the Philadelphia 76ers in the summer league, Rogers is relishing his opportunity.
“I’m just blessed to be out here,” Rogers gushed after a summer league win over the Indiana Pacers on Saturday. “This is my first time really playing in 16 months. I’m coming back from an ACL tear. So, I’m just happy to be out here and showcase my skills again because I was out for over a year. Even if I don’t get an NBA opportunity, overseas opportunities, whatever it may be. So, I’m just happy to be out here and showcase my skills again.”
Rogers did all of that in the win over the Pacers as he scored 17 points off the bench and drilled a huge 3-pointer late in the fourth quarter to give the Sixers a big boost. He may not get an opportunity in Philadelphia, but if he keeps this up after returning from such a serious injury, it will be a big win for him.
“It’s a big mental grind,” Rogers said of the rehab from the injury. “Those first five to six months are really hard because you’re doing the same thing repeatedly over and over and over again. It’s really just staying down, staying humble, and really finding that inner self, that inner voice to really push you through everything. It’s not gonna last forever. There’s gonna be times where you’re at really lows, but there’s also gonna be times where you’re at really highs. You’re like, ‘Oh, I’m back out of there again!’ So it was just really staying humble, staying hungry. I’m just excited to be out here.”
Rogers showed off his shooting as well as his high basketball IQ in order to get the buckets he was able to get. There were plenty of easy buckets he got just because he cut well and moved well without the basketball. That can go a long way to help a player find his niche and role in this league.
“I just like to read the defense,” Rogers finished. “A lot of guys like to stand around. Coach preaches keeping offside ball movement and cutting at the right time. We have a lot of ball screens on the sideline. So, just being able to read that, cut through, watching the defender’s head. So, I love doing that. I love being able to move without the ball. I don’t get it all the time, but when I do, I’m gonna be ready for it.”
Rogers will continue his NBA audition in the summer league on Tuesday against the Houston Rockets.
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Big man Matt Rogers opens up on summer league opportunity with Sixers
