The Gonzaga pipeline to the NBA is still flowing strong as the 2026-27 season opens, with a dozen former Bulldogs spread across league rosters. A few names have moved around in recent weeks, one Zag is set for his first NBA action, and the group as a whole gives Mark Few’s program another visible footprint at the sport’s highest level.
Graham Ike is the newcomer to watch. After going undrafted following his All-American senior year, he landed with Golden State on a two-way deal and quickly earned a longer look. In five preseason games, the 6'9 big man averaged 7.0 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.4 assists, while flashing the kind of utility that can stick: screening, finishing, and even some range, going 2-6 from three and 11-13 from the free throw line.
Drew Timme is also back in the mix, just in a different place again. He spent last season in LA, split between the South Bay and the Los Angeles Lakers, was released at the end of the year, then showed up in Minnesota for preseason before recently landing a two-way deal with Phoenix. With the Suns, he’s entering a frontcourt that includes Oso Ighodaro, Khaman Maluach, and Arizona rookie Koa Peat.
Ryan Nembhard’s offseason took him on a winding trip too. He was first traded from Dallas to Atlanta, then to Charlotte, where he was cut before ultimately signing a two-way contract with Denver. The 6'0 guard turned in a solid preseason for the Nuggets, averaging 3.8 points, 3.3 assists, and 0.8 turnovers in 14.7 minutes over four games, and he’ll be fighting for point guard minutes behind Jamal Murray and Tyus Jones.
Another Nembhard is in a steadier spot. At Indiana, he took on a much bigger load last year while Tyrese Haliburton recovered from a torn ACL, and with Haliburton back, he’s expected to slide more off the ball while still keeping a significant role. He averaged 8.3 points in three preseason games and hit 42.9% of his threes, going 3-7.
Elsewhere, Chet Holmgren is heading into his fourth NBA season with Oklahoma City without preseason action after the team held him out because of a quad contusion. He’s coming off a first All-Star nod and Third Team All-NBA honors, and now enters his age 24 season looking to build on that.
Orlando’s Jalen Suggs is starting his sixth season with health still the big question after playing only 92 games over the past two years. When he’s on the floor, he has been a dependable defensive-minded starting guard, and he looked strong in two preseason games.
On the wing, Corey Kispert is settling into his first full season with Atlanta after arriving in a midseason trade from Washington. The 6'7 forward averaged 8.6 points and shot 33.3% from deep in five preseason games, and he projects as wing depth in a crowded rotation.
Kelly Olynyk is no longer in the league. After spending last year with the San Antonio Spurs, he signed with BC Roma in Italy.
Brandon Clarke is also out of the NBA. Clarke tragically passed away this summer.
The veteran presence remains in a few familiar spots. Zach Collins is entering his 10th NBA season and third with Chicago after averaging 9.7 points and 5.6 rebounds in just 10 games last year before injury ended his season. He missed preseason with the Bulls, but coach Tiago Splitter said he was a full participant at practice on Monday, so he should be ready when Chicago opens Wednesday at Toronto.
Domantas Sabonis is set to rebound from a tough year in Sacramento. He played only 19 games last season because of injuries, but he heads into 2026-27 healthy and coming off two preseason outings in which he posted 18 points, 13 rebounds, and four assists. The three-time All-Star remains the centerpiece in Sacramento and a strong pairing with rookie point guard Darius Acuff.
Rui Hachimura changed teams without changing cities, signing with the LA Clippers after four years with the Lakers. In three preseason games, the 6'8 forward led the Clippers in scoring at 17.0 points per game while playing 19.4 minutes a night, and he could be on pace for the best numbers of his career on an LA roster that also features young guards Darius Garland and Keaton Wagler.
Julian Strawther had been positioned for a bigger bench role in Denver before a left knee sprain interrupted the plan. He’ll be re-evaluated in six weeks and could miss more time beyond that. Before the injury, he averaged 13.3 points and shot 43.5% from three in four preseason games.
Malachi Smith made the Raptors roster push a year ago with Brooklyn, and now he’s on a two-way deal with Toronto after another strong preseason. He averaged 9.2 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 2.2 assists in 17.3 minutes across five games while shooting 41.2% from three, and he should factor as emergency shooting guard depth.
That leaves the full Gonzaga contingent scattered across the NBA landscape to open the season, with one more name, Ike, ready to make his debut, and several others positioned for meaningful roles right away.
In Other News...
Drew Timme Just Got Another NBA Chance To Finally Stick
Drew Timmes path to sticking in the NBA took another turn just before the 2026-27 regular season, when the Minnesota Timberwolves waived him after he had appeared in four preseason games. For Gonzaga fans, it is familiar territory for one of the programs most decorated former stars, a player whose pro career has kept circling back to the same basic question: can his game carve out a real role at the highest level?
Now he gets another shot with Phoenix, which moved quickly to claim him off waivers and add him to its final two-way contract spot. The fit gives Timme a fresh opportunity to impress a new staff while likely spending time between the Suns and their G League affiliate, the Valley Suns, and it sets up the next test in a career that has stayed alive by persistence as much as pedigree. [Read more 🡒]
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 🡒]
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 🡒]