Mycampusplug
Breaking: Phoenix Suns Steal Star Point Guard from Rival Denver Nuggets
Former Denver Nuggets guard Collin Gillespie agreed to a two-way contract with the Phoenix Suns on Monday, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
That follows up on the team’s plans to add a young true point guard, which they didn’t get in last week’s NBA draft as widely anticipated.
Gillespie is one of the Suns’ new two-way players alongside 6-foot-9 rookie forward Jalen Bridges from Baylor. Bridges agreed to a two-way contract on Thursday, after being an undrafted free agent. They likely will see some time playing for Phoenix’s new G-League team Valley Suns, which officially announced their launch in May.
Gillespie, 25, posted “new beginnings” with a praying emoji in reaction to the news on X.
The 6-foot-1, 195-pound Gillespie averaged 3.6 points, 1.1 assists, 0.5 steals in 9.4 minutes per game, technically as a rookie last season. Gillespie was on Denver’s 2022-23 championship team, but was out all of that season from a leg fracture that he suffered when he played on the Nuggets 2022 Summer League team.
He saw some minutes early in this past regular season after Jamal Murray had a hamstring injury and missed extended time in November, backing up Murray’s starting point guard replacement Reggie Jackson before Gillespie was assigned to Denver’s G-League team Grand Rapids Gold in December.
He thrived with Grand Rapids, producing nearly a triple-double at 20.4 points, 9.3 rebounds, 10.8 assists, 2.0 steals, shooting splits of .448/.397/.909 through eight games, and earned G League Player of the Month in December.
Gillespie’s best performance for the Nuggets was on Feb. 23 when he scored 18 points, shot 7-of-9 including all four of his 3-point attempts made, and dished four assists in 24 minutes in their win at Portland.
Gillespie is on his third two-way deal in the league after Denver originally signed him as an undrafted free agent and fifth-year senior out of Villanova in 2022. He won a national title as a member of the Wildcats’ 2018 team, and finished his last two college years as a repeat Big East Player of the Year.
Teams can sign up to three two-way players for their 15-man standard roster for the regular season. The Suns’ three two-way players this past season were point guard Saben Lee, center Udoka Azubuike, and veteran Isaiah Thomas who signed with the Suns for their final six games before the playoffs.
