Five former Gonzaga players are set to begin the 2026-27 season on NBA G League rosters, with several more ex-Bulldogs positioned for the kind of call-up that can change a season in a hurry.
The group includes two players from last year’s Gonzaga team, Jalen Warley and Tyon Grant-Foster, plus Anton Watson, Nolan Hickman and David Stockton.
Warley landed with the Noblesville Boom, the Indiana Pacers’ G League affiliate, after agreeing to join the Eastern Conference franchise at NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. He drew attention there for his defense and versatility, enough to earn the next step in his pro path.
Grant-Foster’s route took a different turn. He did not remain with the San Antonio Spurs after his Summer League stint, but he still found a landing spot by signing with the Sioux Falls Skyforce, the Miami Heat’s G League team, after being drafted No. 15 overall during Saturday’s G League Draft.
Watson, now entering his third professional season since leaving GU, is heading back to the Los Angeles Lakers’ G League affiliate. The wrinkle this time is that the team has moved its home from South Bay in El Segundo to Coachella Valley in Palm Desert.
Last season, Watson was one of South Bay’s most productive pieces, putting up 11.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.3 steals across 36 games and 24 starts.
Hickman is also back with familiar territory, returning to the Capital City Go-Go, the Washington Wizards’ affiliate, for a second season after going undrafted in 2025. He started 17 of 33 games last year and finished with averages of 10.8 points and 3.6 assists while shooting 43% from the field and 39.5% from 3-point range.
Stockton, meanwhile, has agreed to a deal with the Valley Suns, the Phoenix Suns’ G League team, and is set for his sixth stint in the league after spending a year with Piratas de Quebradillas of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional in Puerto Rico. The former Gonzaga point guard and son of Gonzaga legend John Stockton played for the Valley Suns in 2024-25 and could be on the floor this season with Drew Timme, who is on a two-way deal with Phoenix.
Timme is one of four former Zags on two-way contracts this season. Graham Ike is with the Golden State Warriors, Ryan Nembhard is with the Denver Nuggets and Malachi Smith is with the Toronto Raptors.
Two more former Gonzaga players also remain in the mix. Hunter Sallis, who spent two seasons at Gonzaga before transferring to Wake Forest, is back with the San Diego Clippers, the Los Angeles Clippers’ G League affiliate. Michael Ajayi, who played one season in Spokane between stops at Pepperdine and Butler, is on a two-way deal with the Charlotte Hornets after going undrafted in June.
In Other News...
Lauren Whittaker Is Giving Gonzaga One More Reason To Feel Dangerous
Lisa Fortier enters the 2026-27 season with plenty of familiar pieces back in place, and Lauren Whittaker is a big reason Gonzaga looks like more than just the league favorite. The Bulldogs return 10 players from last years group, including Whittaker, the reigning WCC Player of the Year, along with Allie Turner, Jaiden Haile and Ines Bettencourt, giving a veteran roster a chance to keep building on what it already established.
Whittakers recognition this preseason only adds to the sense that Gonzaga has a team opponents will have to plan around from the start. She landed on the Becky Hammon Player of the Year Award Watch List, which tracks the top player outside the Power Five, a reminder that her profile now stretches well beyond Spokane. For a program already expected to win the Pac-12, having a player like Whittaker back in the fold makes the Bulldogs look even more dangerous. [Read more 🡒]
Davis Fogle Is Giving Gonzaga Fans A Bigger Debate Entering The Season
Davis Fogles rise is already giving Gonzaga fans something to chew on before the season even gets rolling. The Bulldogs forward landed on the 20-player watch list for the 2027 Julius Erving Award, the annual honor from the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame that recognizes the top small forwards in Division I mens basketball, and it puts his name in the mix at a national level after being selected by a committee of college basketball personnel.
For Gonzaga, it is another reminder that the conversation around Fogle is only going to grow as the calendar turns. Fan voting opens on Oct. 30, and the award picture will keep tightening in the months ahead before the winner is chosen in late March 2027, so his name should stay in the spotlight for a while as the Bulldogs move into the new season. [Read more 🡒]