Collin Gillespie’s rise with the Phoenix Suns was one of last season’s best under-the-radar stories, but that’s not the end of the climb. It’s really the beginning. That’s why he checks in at No. 8 on the Suns’ list of players with the most to prove heading into the coming season.
Phoenix made a clear statement by bringing Gillespie back on a four-year, $48 million deal. With the team’s cap situation moving toward the dreaded second apron we saw when Kevin Durant was in town, that kind of commitment mattered. It was a strong show of faith in a player the Suns believe can stick around as a long-term contributor, and there’s a strong argument that he has more value in Phoenix than anywhere else.
The expectations, though, have changed fast. Gillespie wasn’t just outperforming his role over the last two seasons - now he’s being talked about as a possible sixth man, and some even believe he should push Jalen Green out of the starting group.
That conversation isn’t built on hype alone. Gillespie’s defense, along with the way he fits next to Devin Booker on both ends, gives Phoenix a cleaner look.
Still, that’s a massive leap to ask for. Replacing a former second overall pick who was the centerpiece of the Durant trade and who can score 20 points on any night is no small assignment.
But if the Suns want to move closer to contention, that’s the kind of leap they need from him. Bigger scoring and assist numbers are part of the expectation too, even with tougher competition for minutes than he’s had before.
And Gillespie won’t have the runway to himself. Jordan Goodwin is right there, and the Suns aren’t ruling out an eventual starting role for him.
Phoenix also went looking for another version of Gillespie this offseason when it signed Pat Spencer to a two-way deal. Spencer has already shown he can play with the Golden State Warriors, and like Gillespie before him, he has a chance to blow past the value of his contract.
Jamaree Bouyea is still in The Valley as well, and his body type, like Goodwin’s, gives him a stronger defensive build.
Even with that competition, Gillespie stands out because he brings something the Suns have been missing at point guard. Since trading away Chris Paul, Phoenix has not solved that spot. The Tyus Jones experiment was a disaster, and even with the team’s odd willingness to keep leaning on Booker as the primary playmaker, this roster still needs real creators.
Right now, Gillespie is the best fit to fill that void. If he keeps playing the way he already has, he gives the Suns a real chance to benefit from a contract that looks like a steal.
He also has the kind of deal that can move easily while carrying the upside of a full-time starter. Gillespie may have thought making the roster was the hard part, but the bigger test is just getting started.
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Instead, the Suns went another direction, taking Jalen Smith, who later ended up with the Pacers. Haliburton was picked by Sacramento, eventually landed in Indiana and grew into the kind of cornerstone player a franchise builds around, with multiple All-Star nods, and now hes working his way back after missing the entire 2025-26 season with a torn Achilles. [Read more 🡒]
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Spencer is the name that keeps coming up as the most intriguing of the group because he already has NBA experience with the Warriors and has shown he can hang around the league long enough to matter. For a Suns team that may need help from unexpected places, the appeal is obvious: a player with some proven track record who can be ready if the opening appears, even if the path from two-way status to real rotation work is never a straight line. [Read more 🡒]