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The calendar reads July. No problem. The NBA Finals concluded three weeks ago. So what.

As the NBA’s big names continue to trade jerseys and zip codes, many former Bruins are part of a lesser known group of players who are using the dog days of summer to prove their worth to anyone willing to watch.

Entering its 35th season, the Long Beach Summer Pro League, which kicks off July 10, has attracted a healthy mix of NBA hopefuls and aging professionals. Add in a few well-known players trying to work on their game during the summer months and it makes for a pretty competitive environment.

Former Bruins, all hoping to extend their professional careers as long as possible, can be found in each of these categories.

“I think they are playing for their lives because there are no guarantees for anything,” said Chris Roberts, UCLA’s radio play-by-play commentator for basketball games. “They are playing, really, because they still love the game and they want a shot at being in the NBA.”

SFX, a team featuring the clients of the SFX sports agency, boasts some members that helped bring the last banner to Westwood almost ten years ago.

Ed and Charles O’Bannon, two major contributors on the 1995 NCAA championship team, are on the SFX squad. The two brothers each played two years in the NBA, combining for a total of 519 points between them. Both will be looking for a spot on an NBA roster once again after playing in basketball’s minor leagues for the last several years. 

“I’m not surprised to see some of [the Bruin alumni] back, giving it another shot to try to get back to that NBA level,” Roberts admitted. “In fact, it’s pretty exciting, really, I kind of like it.”

Toby Bailey, a freshman on the ’95 team who played 73 games in two years in the NBA, joins his former UCLA teammates on the SFX roster this summer. He, too, has been pining for another look by pro scouts.

Darrick Martin and Tracy Murray, Bruin teammates in the early 1990s, will join Bailey and the O’Bannon brothers on the SFX squad. Martin filled in for the injured Sam Cassell for Minnesota in the playoffs this past year, but now finds himself a free agent yet again. The same goes for Murray, who was released by Portland in November during his twelfth year in the league. 

Meanwhile, Mitchell Butler, who played alongside Murray and Martin while at UCLA, will play on the Slam team, after having gone through his eighth season in the NBA.

Jelani McCoy, who played under the lights of Pauley Pavilion from 1996-98, will also look to get another crack at the NBA, where he averaged 4.9 points and 3.7 rebounds per game over five seasons.

Earl Watson, the Bruins’ point guard from 1998-2001, has decided to play in the league for a different reason.

Having steadily earned more playing time in each of his three seasons in the NBA, he does not need to improve his standing, but rather is looking to further develop his talent.

Former Bruin Trevor Ariza will make his professional debut for the Knicks’ summer pro-league team. After one season wearing the blue and gold, the local product out of Westchester High School decided to climb the ladder and was drafted by the Knicks with the 43rd pick. 

“I think he probably should have developed a little more,” Roberts said of the underclassmen’s decision to make the jump to the NBA.

“There’s a big difference every year in the draft, whether you’re a first-round or a second-round pick ... Sometimes, even when you’re No. 2, there are no guarantees.”

When November arrives, the forward hopes that a summer spent in the gym and weight room will pay dividends on his decision to move from Pauley to the Madison Square Garden.

The Long Beach Summer Pro League, much like its counterparts across the country, afford many the chance, slim as it may be, to play for a spot on an NBA roster. 

Baron Davis, Tracy McGrady and Carmelo Anthony are some recent names to have used the league to hone their skills during a time of year when many high profile players contemplate tee times over game times.

For these 100 to 200 players, this NBA off-season circuit is anything but an off-season.