What happened: The NBA will test a connected basketball at its upcoming summer leagues. The ball carries an embedded sensor that detects contact with its surface, and the league says the sensor does not materially affect the ball's weight, feel or playability. Data collected during play will feed a supporting program tied to the initiative.

Why it matters: Summer League has long served as the NBA's proving ground for rule tweaks and officiating experiments, making it a natural venue to trial in-ball technology before any wider rollout. A sensor that logs contact could reshape how the league captures officiating, analytics and player-tracking data if the test holds up under game conditions.

What to watch: Watch how the ball performs across Summer League sessions and whether the league signals interest in expanding the test toward regular-season use.