Drew Timme’s latest NBA stop came together fast.
After finishing the preseason with the Minnesota Timberwolves on an Exhibit 10 training camp contract, the forward/center was waived before the start of the 2026-27 regular season. Phoenix didn’t let him linger on the market for long, scooping up the former Gonzaga standout off waivers and giving him the Suns’ third and final two-way contract spot.
The move was first reported by The NBA Consensus. To make room, Phoenix cut guard Koby Brea and added another body to the frontcourt for second-year coach Jordan Ott’s roster.
Timme, listed at 6-10 and 235 pounds, will split time between the Suns and their G League team, the Valley Suns. He’ll also have a familiar face down there in former Gonzaga guard David Stockton. Valley Suns general manager Brendan Sabean also has a Gonzaga connection, having worked as a student manager under coach Mark Few from 2010-14.
For Timme, this is the sixth NBA organization he’s been tied to since going undrafted in 2023. It’s also his second stint on a two-way deal, after spending time with the Los Angeles Lakers and the then South Bay Lakers in the G League during the 2025-26 season.
In four preseason games with Minnesota, Timme averaged 6.0 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 10.8 minutes per game. He shot 60.0% from the field, 40.0% from three, and 57.1% from the free throw line. Across two NBA seasons with the Brooklyn Nets and Lakers, he has averaged 5.6 points and 2.7 rebounds in 36 games.
Timme’s spot on Phoenix’s opening night roster also pushes the number of active former Zags in the NBA to 12.
That group includes Chicago Bulls forward/center Zach Collins, Los Angeles Clippers forward Rui Hachimura, Sacramento Kings forward/center Domantas Sabonis, Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs, Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren, Atlanta Hawks wing Corey Kispert, Denver Nuggets wing Julian Strawther, Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard, Denver Nuggets guard Ryan Nembhard on a two-way deal, and Golden State Warriors forward/center Graham Ike on a two-way deal.
The 2026-27 NBA season begins Tuesday, Oct. 20, with Holmgren and the Thunder visiting the San Antonio Spurs at 6:30 p.m. PT on NBC.
In Other News...
Gonzagas Backcourt Just Got A Huge Twist Before The Season
A key preseason eligibility fight just shifted in Gonzagas favor, with guard Xaivian Lee and Ines Bettencourt among the players allowed to keep moving forward under the NCAAs 5-in-5 model. The ruling came from Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Beth McGowen and gives a group of more than 70 players the chance to compete while the broader Glancey vs. NCAA case continues to work its way through the legal system.
For Gonzaga, the immediate effect is simple enough: Lee and Bettencourt can take part in preseason exhibition games while the larger battle over extended eligibility plays out. The NCAA still plans to appeal, so the situation is hardly settled, but for now the Bulldogs can prepare with two backcourt pieces available as the season approaches and the next round of legal wrangling looms. [Read more 🡒]
How Gonzagas NBA Pipeline Just Took An Unexpected Turn
The Gonzaga pipeline into the NBA is still very much alive this season, with 12 former Bulldogs on league rosters as the 2026-27 campaign gets underway. Recent movement has helped keep that footprint visible, too, as Drew Timme landed in Phoenix and Ryan Nembhard signed a two-way contract with Denver, giving the program another pair of familiar names to track at the next level.
Graham Ike is also poised to enter that mix, expected to make his NBA debut with the Golden State Warriors on a two-way deal. At the same time, the Gonzaga alumni list looks a little different than it did a year ago, with Brandon Clarke's death over the summer and Kelly Olynyk taking his game overseas to BC Roma after his final NBA stint with the San Antonio Spurs. [Read more 🡒]
Gonzagas National Standing Is Clear As Another Big Season Nears
Another preseason ranking has Gonzaga positioned where it has become accustomed to living, among the sports national contenders. The Bulldogs came in at No. 12 in the USA TODAY Sports/Coaches poll, a reminder that even after all these years of success, the program still enters October with the same familiar expectations that have followed it into every new season.
For Gonzaga, the more striking part may be the continuity behind the number. This is the 14th straight year the Zags have opened in the preseason top 20 and the 17th consecutive season they have shown up in the Coaches poll, a stretch that underscores just how durable the programs standing has become. Florida was picked No. 1, with Duke and Illinois right behind, but Gonzaga remains firmly in the national mix before a game has even been played. [Read more 🡒]