Analyzing the situation for every former Gonzaga and Washington State player entering the 2025-26 NBA season
Twelve total former Gonzaga players saw the floor during an NBA season that culminated with a riveting Finals matchup between former college teammates Andrew Nembhard and Chet Holmgren.
That number should grow to 13 this season, with former Gonzaga point guard Ryan Nembhard joining the Dallas Mavericks on an undrafted two-way deal in July. Additionally, there will be five former Washington State players on NBA rosters – up one from a year ago – after the Memphis Grizzlies used the 11th overall pick on wing Cedric Coward.
From recent NBA champions to perennial All-Stars to players merely competing for two-way spots, we analyze the situation for every former Gonzaga and WSU player entering the 2025-26 NBA season.
Gonzaga
Ryan Nembhard, Dallas Mavericks
Experience: Rookie (Signed undrafted two-way contract with Dallas Mavericks in July)
2024-25 numbers: N/A
The situation: When the NBA Draft ended last June, Nembhard was hovering near the top of ESPN’s list of best prospects still available, making him a priority undrafted free agent target for a handful of NBA teams seeking valuable two-way additions. Multiple teams picking in the middle and later stages of the second round expressed interest in Nembhard, but the point guard and his camp warned against using a draft pick on the Gonzaga standout, who’d already been in contact with the Mavericks about an undrafted two-way contract. Dallas, which didn’t have a second-round pick, didn’t wait long to sign Nembhard and deployed him in a high-usage role at NBA Summer League, where college basketball’s assists leader thrived playing alongside No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg. Even with Kyrie Irving sidelined for an extended period, Nembhard’s path to rotation minutes in the NBA isn’t clear, but head coach Jason Kidd did indicate the rookie could be in line for early rotation minutes.
Anton Watson, free agent
Experience: Second season (Drafted No. 54 overall by Boston Celtics in 2024)
2024-25 numbers: 0.9 ppg, 0.3 rpg in 9 games
The situation: Watson spent all of six months with the Boston Celtics franchise before relocating in the Eastern Conference. The former Gonzaga and Gonzaga Prep standout didn’t see the court for the Celtics before being waived in January and signed by the New York Knicks on a two-way contract. Watson got a taste of the NBA, playing sparingly in nine games, and joined the team at Summer League, where he averaged 9.0 ppg and 3.4 rpg in 16.3 mpg. The Knicks elected not to retain Watson, who signed an Exhibit-10 training camp deal with the Los Angeles Lakers days before the team opened training camp. Watson’s time with the Lakers was even shorter. The forward was one of four players waived by the team on Saturday, along with former Saint Mary’s star and two-time West Coast Conference Player of the Year Augustas Marciulionis. Watson doesn’t have an NBA home on the first day of the regular season, but could still earn a two-way deal or sign a G League contract in the coming days or weeks.
Drew Timme, free agent
Experience: Third season (Went undrafted in 2023)
2024-25 numbers: 12.1 ppg, 7.2 rpg in 9 games
The situation: Despite monster numbers last season in the G League, solid scoring and rebounding production in nine games with Brooklyn and a stellar showing at Summer League, Timme was in jeopardy of not making the Nets’ young roster and was waived eight days before the regular season. Nonetheless, Gonzaga’s career scoring leader has something he can build on. Timme broke through after two frustrating seasons in the G League with the Wisconsin Herd (Milwaukee Bucks) and Stockton Kings (Sacramento Kings), averaging better than 23 points with the Long Island Nets, delivering three double-doubles for Brooklyn and averaging 25 points in three games at Summer League. A team building around Cam Thomas, Michael Porter Jr. and five recent draft picks, Brooklyn didn’t have room for Timme in its own frontcourt, but the forward’s probably done enough to latch on with another organization, even if it is on a two-way deal.
Julian Strawther, Denver Nuggets
Experience: Third season (Drafted No. 29 overall by Denver in 2023)
2024-25 numbers: 9.0 ppg, 2.2 rpg in 65 games
The situation: The regular season came with highs and lows for Strawther, who primarily came off Denver’s bench after losing out on a position battle with fellow wing Christian Braun. Strawther had a season-high 23 points in a 144-109 win over Philadelphia but tore his MCL in March, sidelining him for more than a month. The postseason followed a similar script. Strawther logged just 16 total minutes in a first-round series against the Clippers, but secured a rotation role during the Western Conference Semifinals against Oklahoma City, averaging 12.2 minutes off the bench and delivering the best performance of his young career in Game 6, when the second-year player scored 15 points off the bench to help Denver stave off elimination. Strawther’s widely expected to take on a similar bench role for the Nikola Jokic-led Nuggets in year three, but could see an uptick in minutes if he continues to elevate his 3-point percentage, and shoot more consistently on a nightly basis.
Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City Thunder
Experience: Third season (Drafted No. 2 overall by Oklahoma City in 2022)
2024-25 numbers: 15.0 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 2.2 bpg in 32 games
The situation: Holmgren’s second pro season opened with another major injury scare but culminated with an NBA championship parade in Oklahoma City after the former Gonzaga center helped the Thunder narrowly beat college teammate Andrew Nembhard and the Indiana Pacers in seven games. Holmgren closed with 18 points, eight rebounds and five blocks in Game 7, playing a key role for Oklahoma City throughout the postseason after missing 50 regular-season contests with a pelvic fracture.“The experience is invaluable, his instincts to drive winning are unique. Extremely unique,” Thunder General Manager Sam Presti said. “And he’s extremely ambitious, but his ambition never crosses over into agenda.” Oklahoma City rewarded Holmgren with a five-year maximum rookie extension not long after the Finals, and he’ll continue to play an integral two-way role for a Thunder team that enters the 2025-26 season as significant betting favorites to repeat as NBA champions.
Andrew Nembhard, Indiana Pacers
Experience: Fourth season (Drafted No. 31 overall by Indiana in 2022)
2024-25 numbers: 10.0 ppg, 5.0 apg in 65 games
The situation: The former GU point guard made another significant leap in his third season. Nembhard’s name didn’t appear on ESPN’s list of the Top 100 NBA players one year ago, but the fourth-year player came in at No. 81 when the publication released its updated rankings in September. Nembhard was clutch for Indiana throughout the postseason, recording a 13-point, 13-assist double-double in the opening round against Cleveland, posting 14 points, eight assists and six steals in a series clincher against New York and scoring 15 points to go with six assists and five rebounds in a Game 7 loss against Oklahoma City. After playing primarily off the ball the last two seasons, Nembhard’s returning to more of a traditional point guard role with All-Star Tyrese Haliburton sidelined for the entire season with a torn Achilles. “So now, he’ll be starting, he’ll be the primary playmaker and probably still have the responsibility of guarding the best player from the defensive side of it,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle recently said on the Zach Lowe Podcast. “And so much will be on him. So we’ve got to alleviate pressure from him.”
Jalen Suggs, Orlando Magic
Experience: Fifth season (Drafted No. 5 overall by Orlando Magic in 2021)
2024-25 numbers: 16.2 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 3.7 apg in 35 games
The situation: A season-ending knee injury dampened what otherwise was a solid fourth season for Suggs, who posted career-high scoring, rebounding and steal averages, albeit while appearing in just 35 games. Suggs has been a key piece for Orlando when healthy, starting in 174 of his 211 career appearances, but the former lottery pick has dealt with significant injuries in three of his four seasons, playing in just 211 of a possible 328 games. Orlando made the postseason for the second straight year and could be a factor in the Eastern Conference, especially in a year where the likes of Boston and Indiana are dealing with key injuries. Suggs’ health could be a factor in how far the Magic advance and the guard will also need to address his shooting percentages after making just 31.7% from the 3-point line one season after reaching a career-high clip of 39.7%. “I’m feeling really good,” Suggs recently said in an interview on the Sixth Man Show. “The knee has been a process. I’ve loved the growth, I’ve loved all that this summer has had in store for me. This is definitely the hardest summer that I’ve had so far.”
Corey Kispert, Washington Wizards
Experience: Fifth season (Drafted No. 15 overall by Washington Wizards in 2021)
2024-25 numbers: 11.6 ppg, 3.0 rpg in 61 games
The situation: In only his fifth season and at just 26 years old, Kispert is already the longest-tenured player on Washington’s young roster and will be entrusted with a key leadership role on a team featuring 10 players between the ages of 19 and 22. Kispert may have to do that while also accepting a bench role for a Wizards team that is trending toward missing the postseason for a fifth straight year. “Corey, someone who has been through different coaches, has been through different regimes, (is) starting to figure out (coach Brian Keefe’s) style,” Wizards GM Will Dawkins said during a preseason news conference. “He’s definitely more comfortable now, the way he can finish, the way he can stretch the floor, but also the defensive gains he made. He’s going to have a huge impact on the team this year.”
Rui Hachimura, Los Angeles Lakers
Experience: Seventh season (Drafted No. 9 overall by Washington Wizards in 2021)
2024-25 numbers: 13.1 ppg, 5.0 rpg in 59 games
The situation: Hachimura’s numbers have been steady each of the last two seasons as a primary starter for the Lakers. The now veteran forward has shot better than 41% from the 3-point line in consecutive years after only doing that once his first four seasons and nearly doubled his production in the playoffs, averaging 14.8 ppg in 36.4 minutes while connecting on 48% of his shots from the 3-point line. Hachimura enters his fourth season in Los Angeles on an expiring contract and Lakers GM Rob Pelinka declined to address potential extensions for the forward when asked during media day. The Japan native still projects as a vital rotation piece for the Lakers, even if he shifts to a bench role for a team that recently added center Deandre Ayton and guard Marcus Smart to pair with Luka Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reaves.
Brandon Clarke, Memphis Grizzlies
Experience: Seventh season (Drafted No. 21 overall by Memphis Grizzlies in 2019)
2024-25 numbers: 8.3 ppg, 5.1 rpg in 64 games
The situation: The Grizzlies enter a new season dealing with a variety of injuries to their frontcourt. One of those involves Clarke, who sustained knee synovitis during offseason training and is expected to miss at least a handful of Memphis’ games at the start of the season. Clarke played just six games in 2023-24 due to a left Achilles tendon tear but had a relatively clean season in 2024-25, appearing in 64 games before missing the final month with a posterior cruciate ligament sprain, which has since healed. Despite making a career-high 18 starts for the Grizzlies in his sixth season, Clarke failed to average double figures in the scoring column for the first time in his career and also saw his rebounding and block numbers dip while averaging 18.9 minutes per game – the lowest total of his career.
Zach Collins, Chicago Bulls
Experience: Eighth season (Drafted No. 10 overall in 2017 by Portland Trail Blazers)
2024-25 numbers: 6.4 ppg, 4.5 rpg in 64 games (36 games with San Antonio Spurs)
The situation: The 27-year-old center was sent to Chicago in February as part of the Zach LaVine trade featuring Collins’ old team, the San Antonio Spurs, as well as the Sacramento Kings. Entering his ninth year in the NBA, and eighth season playing, Collins is hoping to solidify his role as Chicago’s backup center behind two-time All-Star Nikola Vucevic. Collins, who brings more of a defensive skillset to the position than Jalen Smith, averaged 19.7 minutes in 28 games with the Bulls after being traded and averaged 8.6 points and 6.7 rebounds in the Windy City, virtually doubling the production he had in San Antonio. After hovering anywhere between 31% and 37% from the 3-point line during his first six NBA seasons, Collins’ percentage dipped to 30% last season, but his rim protection and general defensive presence should make him the top choice to back up Vucevic during the early stages of the season.
Domantas Sabonis, Sacramento Kings
Experience: 10th season (Drafted No. 11 overall in 2016 by Oklahoma City Thunder)
2024-25 numbers: 19.1 ppg, 13.9 rpg in 70 games
The situation: Statistically speaking, one could argue Sabonis is coming off the best individual season of his career. The veteran center averaged better than 19 ppg for the third consecutive season, registered the top rebounding average in the NBA and in his career (13.9) and made 41.7% of his attempts from the 3-point line – the highest percentage Sabonis has posted when attempting at least one 3 per game. It was a turbulent season for Sabonis and Sacramento in other ways, however. The former Zag missed out on a fourth NBA All-Star nod and the Kings finished just 40-42 – their lowest win total since Sabonis arrived midway through the 2021-22 campaign. Sabonis, who came in at No. 34 on ESPN’s Top 100 list, should continue to be a key offensive hub for a Sacramento team that could benefit from having a full offseason to build around the backcourt pairing of LaVine and DeMar DeRozan. “It definitely was tough,” Sabonis said of 2024-25. “I feel like a lot of us, especially personally, went through a lot of new experiences for the first time throughout the season and learning how to deal with it, moving forward.”
Kelly Olynyk, San Antonio Spurs
Experience: 12th season (Drafted No. 13 overall by Boston Celtics in 2013)
2024-25 numbers: 8.7 ppg, 4.7 rpg in 44 games (24 with Toronto Raptors, 20 with New Orleans Pelicans)
The situation: When we were compiling this story last October, Olynyk was entering his first full season with the Toronto Raptors. That was before a midseason trade to the New Orleans Pelicans, who started Olynyk in 20 games to close the regular season before moving on from the journeyman forward just months later. Olynyk was sent to Washington in a trade involving guards CJ McCollum and Jordan Poole, but the forward was on the move again just three days later, sent to the San Antonio Spurs in exchange for Malaki Branham, Blake Wesley and a second-round draft pick. “I think the variety and versatility of their skillsets is something that complements our group,” first-year Spurs coach said of Olynyk and fellow offseason addition Luke Kornet. “I think they’ve been a part of winning programs in their careers. I think they are people that have embraced their role and really been able to help teams and impact winning that doesn’t always add up on the stat sheet or show up on a box score.”
Washington State
Cedric Coward, Memphis Grizzlies
Experience: Rookie (Drafted 11th overall by Memphis Grizzlies in 2025)
2024-25 numbers: N/A
The situation: For the second straight year, the Grizzlies used a draft pick on a WSU wing, choosing Coward with their first-round selection. The former Division II star who spent two seasons at Eastern Washington played just six games at WSU before going down with a season-ending shoulder injury that also prevented him from playing for the Grizzlies at Summer League. Coward was cleared before the team opened training camp and teammates praised the rookie’s toughness and defensive length during interviews at media day. “For me it’s not going to be like an ‘Oh wow’ moment, because I think I deserve to be here,” Coward said of his impending NBA debut. “I’m here for a reason, I’ve been blessed and put in a position to where I can play in front of a great crowd in Memphis and the other 29 cities. Ultimately for me, it’s just basketball at the end of the day and I have a job to do.”
Jaylen Wells, Memphis Grizzlies
Experience: Second season (Drafted No. 39 overall by Memphis Grizzlies in 2024)
2024-25 numbers: 10.4 ppg, 3.4 rpg in 79 games
The situation: It didn’t take the former WSU wing long to carve out a starting role in Memphis last season, averaging double figures on the offensive end while frequently guarding the opponent’s best perimeter player. Wells was a frontrunner for the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award at times last season before finishing third in voting and landing a spot on the All-Rookie First Team. A broken right wrist prevented Wells from appearing in the postseason, but the 22-year-old was cleared in time to return for NBA Summer League and figures to be one of Memphis’ most important players in year No. 2, particularly as the Grizzlies deal with numerous injuries to their rotation. “A lot of has been going into the season knowing I’ll have a slightly different role,” Wells said at media day. “Having the ball in my hands a little bit more, being a runner in the actions a lot more. So just a lot more decision-making.”
Isaac Jones, Sacramento Kings
Experience: Second season (signed undrafted free agent deal with the Sacramento Kings in 2024)
2024-25 numbers: 3.4 ppg, 1.4 rpg in 40 games
The situation: Jones signed an undrafted two-way contract with Sacramento last season and appeared in roughly half of the Kings’ 82 games, spending the rest of his rookie year with the G League champion Stockton Kings. In March, Sacramento converted Jones’ two-way deal to a standard, two-year contract, giving him a stronger chance to make an impact for a Kings team looking to shake off last year’s 40-42 record. “It’s huge,” Jones said at media day. “A lot of people don’t get a shot here, so every time I’m on there, I’ve got to go show out and make sure I stand out.” Jones didn’t waste another opportunity at NBA Summer League, scoring 36 points in a semifinal game against the Toronto Raptors while averaging 18.3 ppg and 6.7 rpg over six games in Las Vegas. Jones, who spent a bulk of the offseason fine-tuning his perimeter shot, could be one of three options to spell Keegan Murray at power forward and will likely compete for backup minutes with veteran Dario Saric and rookie Maxime Raynaud.
Mouhamed Gueye, Atlanta Hawks
Experience: Third season (Drafted No. 39 overall by Charlotte Hornets in 2023)
2024-25 numbers: 6.0 ppg, 4.2 rpg in 33 games
The situation: Gueye suited up for the Hawks just two times in November and December before becoming a key fixture in the team’s rotation and starting lineup the final four months of the season, playing in place of the injured Jalen Johnson. The third-year player was a reliable distance shooter while starting in 28 of 33 games for Atlanta, making 42% of his attempts from behind the arc while shooting 2.5 3’s per game. Prior to being called up to Atlanta in January, Gueye averaged 11.9 ppg and 9.0 rpg with the G League College Park Skyhawks, making roughly 40% of his 3-pointers. Gueye could face somewhat of a logjam at the ‘4’ next season, with Johnson returning from injury and veteran sharpshooter Georges Niang expected to grab a majority of the backup minutes at the position. Nonetheless, Gueye’s defensive instincts and length give the Hawks something they don’t have at power forward and could improve his case to see the floor in at least some capacity.
Klay Thompson, Dallas Mavericks
Experience: 15th season (Drafted No. 11 overall by Golden State Warriors in 2011)
2024-25 numbers: 14.0 ppg, 3.4 rpg in 72 games
The situation: Thompson was a rookie the last time he averaged fewer than 15 points per game. Now in the back half of his career, Thompson is expectedly seeing his scoring production decline, but the veteran shooting guard still managed to start in all 72 games he played last season and his 3-point shooting is still an extremely valuable trait for a team that enters the season without All-Star guard Kyrie Irving. That in itself could keep Thompson in the starting unit as the Mavericks look to space the floor around Anthony Davis and recent first overall draft pick Cooper Flagg. Thompson wasn’t able to get back to the 40% 3-point shooting clip he grew accustomed to early in his career, but the guard was still one of the league’s best at 39% on nearly eight attempts per game. “You’re going to see a veteran leader, a shot-maker, a versatile defender and just someone who loves the game,” Thompson said. “I’ve loved the game since I was a child and I’ve been blessed to grow up around it.”
