Every day, we’ll take a closer look at another member of the 2026-27 Phoenix Suns, examining what they bring to the roster and what their role could mean for the season ahead as we count down to training camp and the preseason.

---

Collin Gillespie

Point Guard, 6’1”, 195 pounds, 27 years old, 4th season

Collin Gillespie has been a diamond in the rough for the Phoenix Suns, as they have found someone who went from a two-way player to a record-setter in just two years. He has transformed his NBA image through sheer tenacity and determination never to give up. This upcoming year, he looks to build on that image as a potential starting guard alongside Devin Booker.

After a big offseason payday, Gillespie needs to keep stamping his name in the franchise record books like he did last year. That is when he set the franchise record for most threes in a season with 232, and this season looks like a chance to build on it. With two of the better three-point scorers gone, Grayson Allen and Royce O’Neale, it is likely that Gillespie can continue the hot streak from last year.

Last Season

GP	MIN	PPG	RPG	APG	STL	FG%	3PT%	FT%	OFFRTG	DEFRTG	+/- (TOTAL)
80	28.5	12.7	4.1	4.6	1.2	41.8%	40.1%	87.4%	113.7	110.0	+200

Last year, Gillespie set out to make an imprint on the Suns’ rotation early, and he did. After an impressive second half on his two-way contract, he earned a full deal and returned for a prove-it season. Last season was key, and he stayed healthy for most of it, playing in 80 games. He did start on the bench; however, playing alongside big men Oso Ighodaro and Mark Williams, he showed off his playmaking skills and true knack for setting up teammates. The bench unit’s simple pick-and-roll plays, with him at the helm, brought early success to this underdog unit.

As he continued to show he could be a solid bench point guard, the Suns realized they should get him in the starting lineup. With Jalen Green dealing with his hamstring injuries, Gillespie then saw himself inserted to replace him. Alongside Booker, he looked solid and had some big moments in his newfound role. One I remember was in December against the Wolves: with no Devin Booker, he and Dillon Brooks went out on the road and pulled off a sneaky win, to the fans’ dismay.

Gillespie, who had 19 points in this one, came up huge as the lead guard with no Booker or Green, and it showed he can truly live up to his potential. Not only that, but he got the nickname “Villain Jr.” given to him by Dillon Brooks, who was the new culture setter in the post-KD Suns world. His connection with Brooks ultimately brought out that true competitor in Gillespie, something he’s had since his Villanova days. At the end of the season, he did slow down offensively, but for a guy who went from a two-way deal to starter in two seasons, he paved his own path to success in the Valley.

Contract and Roster Context

Collin Gillespie just inked a new deal with the Suns after spending the past summer as a free agent. He signed a whopping four-year, $48 million deal that was definitely well worth the investment. With early-bird rights, the team could offer Gillespie more money than rival teams in free agency, and he was the first free agent to re-sign with the team this offseason.

What He Brings

I think the question is: what does Gillespie not bring to the team? Honestly, though, he is solid on both ends, and his hustle is unmatched. He has always been the underdog, and coming to Phoenix was the same scenario as in high school or after the draft. He had to fight for his spot and show he could be the game changer, and he has. Yes, he may be a little undersized at the guard position, so he may get picked on defense, but with his heart and hustle, he forces turnovers when opponents least expect it.

On the offensive end, he’s also a solid playmaker who can set up his teammates whether it’s a three-point attempt with an extra pass, a lob throw for an impressive dunk, or even a simple pass for two points in a pick-and-roll situation. He is also lights out from three-point range and set the franchise record for most threes in a game. With Ott prioritizing that style of offense as well in run-and-gun threes, it fits the skill set he succeeds in most. Not to mention, he can score at the basket and attack bigger defenders; he’s not afraid of any opposition.

What Needs to Improve

I think he needs to be in better shape than last season to improve. Coming off a solid two-way stint, he expected a bigger role, but with Allen as a solid three-point scorer and Green coming in via trade, he probably didn’t expect a starting spot, especially so early. That leaves him being forced to play more minutes and take up more shots per game, which is good but can take a toll on the body. After going from very low playing time to now almost 30 minutes a night, also for 80 out of the 82 nights, it is not easy.

As I said earlier, as the season went on, the three-point percentage started to dip. He went into a bit of a slump, and I ultimately think it was just fatigue at that point. So for Gillespie to get this contract now shows he’s expected to play a larger role in Phoenix, and he should make sure his body is ready so he can keep getting more opportunities in the rotation.

Prediction

I think Gillespie will have a season to remember here in the Valley. With Green and Booker ready to go, he will be more of a bench contributor this season, but that also brings the spotlight as one of the NBA’s best bench guards. His numbers continue to soar, and he will be in the early Six Man of the Year conversations.

Stat Prediction: 78 Games, 15.3 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 6.0 APG, 43/38/88 shooting splits

Final Word

Gillespie’s most important goal is to prove this payday was not a mistake. They found him as a talent and brought him into the spotlight, and now he must show he can build on it. I have no fear that he can be someone to be a staple of this bench core for now and the future, but the question remains whether he can find his way to leap into that starting role by the end of the season, as that truly will have not just Suns fans but NBA fans knowing how impactful he can be.

The New York Knicks have yet to sign rookie Tyler Nickel, but the expectation around the league is that the two sides will ultimately reach an agreement.

Nickel joined the Knicks organization after New York used the No. 47 overall pick on the former Vanderbilt standout, but there were questions about whether or not the sharpshooter would eventually join the NBA roster.

On Wednesday, The Athletic’s James L. Edwards III reported that while Nickel’s status remains unresolved ahead of training camp, it’s likely he ends up sitting on the Knicks’ bench and getting minutes this season after eventually inking a deal in the next few days or weeks.

“From everything I’ve heard from talking to people throughout the league, Nickel and the Knicks are expected to reach some kind of contract agreement,” Edwards wrote.

New York Knicks training camp starts this time next week.

Here is my preseason preview with storylines I’m watching, roster thoughts and more:https://t.co/7OvHa95Eh2

— James L. Edwards III (@JLEdwardsIII) September 23, 2026

What kind of contract Nickel receives, however, is less certain. Edwards noted that Nickel could make more through NIL by returning to college than on a two-way contract with New York, with early-summer reports of a possible $1-to-$1.4 million NIL deal waiting for him if he returns. A federal court ruling granted Nickel and a few other young men a fifth year of eligibility, so that door is wide open.

The situation could potentially explain New York’s roster construction to date, with open spots and a bunch of players in tryout deals heading into preseason. All we know is that New York is expected to add one more player on a standard contract before the season while surely avoiding the second apron.

“Could the Knicks be trying to make a trade to open up a roster spot to give Nickel a standard deal?” Edwards wrote. “The way this situation has played out, it sort of feels that way.”

Edwards identified Pacôme Dadiet and Miles McBride as logical trade possibilities if New York chooses that route, although he is skeptical McBride would be moved before the season.

While Nickel remains unsigned, Edwards’ reporting makes it very clear the expectation is that the Knicks and their second-round pick eventually reach an agreement. For now, we wait.

Brian Lewis takes a stab at who on the Brooklyn Nets roster — and in the front office — has the most to prove as 2026-27 approaches. As you’d imagine with a team so young and so inexperienced, the list is long.

Things will get going soon. Sean Marks & co. have until October 31 to make decisions on the future of the Flatbush 5. The Nets must decide by then whether to extend all of them for a third year on their four-year deals, the first two years being guaranteed. Egor Demin is a n0-brainer. He had a solid rookie year and looked even better in Summer League. The four others taken at Nos. 19, 22, 26 and 27 are highly likely to get another year, but as Lewis points out, it is the NBA and nothing is truly guaranteed.

[Nolan] Traoré was the next-highest drafted of the lot behind Dëmin, but missed this year’s summer league due to injury. He has bulked up, but must stay healthy and learn to finish. [Drake] Powell struggled mightily in both Sacramento and Las Vegas, shooting horribly. [Ben] Saraf and [Danny] Wolf also need to space the floor better.

It seems unlikely that any of that quartet — even Powell — wouldn’t get their options picked up. But it should be pointed out that two years ago, the Nets exercised their third-year option on 2023 first-round pick Dariq Whitehead, but after a poor season, he was waived the next October…

To paraphrase a great Yankee, it gets late early in the NBA.

The player taken before Whitehead in the 2023 NBA Draft also has a deadline. The Nets have until October 19 to decide on whether to give Noah Clowney a multi-year extension which at this point seems unlikely meaning the 22-year-old will become a restricted free agent next July. Clowney didn’t have bad season last year, averaging 12.3 points on 40/33/80 shooting to go along with 4.1 rebounds in 66 games, 60 of them starts. Clowney has down flashes of his potential, recording games of seven 3-pointers and seven blocks in the past two seasons and getting to the line more often too, but the team would like to have seen more progress. Now, he’ll have competition.

With the arrival of [Julius] Randle, Clowney is almost certainly going to lose his starting power forward job. But he stands to lose far more — a chance at a big restricted free-agent payday — if he doesn’t show growth as a rebounder, shooter or shot-blocker, three areas where the Nets in dire need.

It’s entirely possible that with improved 3-point shooting and rim protection, he could get opportunities at all three front court positions. On the other hand, if he doesn’t, he’ll not only have competition for minutes from Randle who is an ironman, having played 79 games last season, but also Josh Minott who’s similarly versatile and only 16 months older.

Michael Porter Jr. and Randle are, of course, not among the 10 players under 25 on the roster. MPJ is 28 and in his eighth year, Randle nearly 32 and in his 13th. They also have a list of NBA accomplishments. As Lewis notes,

The Nets’ best players — veterans Michael Porter Jr. and Julius Randle — have one championship ring, three All-Stars berths, two All-NBA selections and about $350 million in career earnings between them. They’re both essentially guaranteed of being on huge contracts next season — but just how huge? And where?

Both are likely playing for the future whether with Brooklyn or elsewhere. Porter Jr. of course is on a $40.8 million expiring deal and is looking for an extension. Randle is making $35.8 million and has a player option for 2027-28 which likely means he’ll be looking for an extension himself come next July. Both seem happy to be in New York and both have predicted big things from their young teammates, MPJ suggesting 50 wins, Randle saying the team could “shock the world.” However, do they fit the Nets time-line, particularly Randle?

A hot start will be both expected and needed in Brooklyn. It remains to be seen whether the Nets will look to flip him at the trade deadline. If so, Randle would benefit by changing the narrative of his exit from Minnesota and exhibiting leadership to go along with his scoring and bullyball game.

Indeed, they have all the motivation in the world to have big years … something that seems lost on most pundits predicting doom-and-gloom.

Could Marks flip one or even both? They may carry baggage, but both are bucket-getters and contending teams could use one or the other after the February deadline. Moreover, if the Nets don’t see them as long-term pieces on bit deals, they’d better get something for them before they hit the open market at the end of this season. What might the Nets want? More picks? They already lead the league in total picks, first rounders and second rounders over the next seven years. Younger players?

Lewis also includes the man who will make the decision on both in his assessments: GM Sean Marks.

How the youngsters — Dëmin, rookie lottery pick Mikel Brown Jr. and even newly promoted starter Day’Ron Sharpe — develop will be key.

But preserving assets for the next star that becomes available — along with the patience that Nets owner Joe Tsai has shown in him — means Marks will be under the microscope.

At Media Day, Marks will have a chance to lay out what the team will be looking for this season, How much will he and Jordi Fernandez expect? Joe Tsai doesn’t make an appearance at Media Day but he’s been resolute in pursuing the team’s long-term plan. He recently told author Michael Rubenstein that while the Nets need to “win championships”, he also said he believes in a “multi-year rebuilding process” and “build through the draft.” So, Tsai too knows he needs to prove something.

• The Nets with the most on the line this season — and the potential fallout ($) – Brian Lewis – New York Post

Per The Athletic’s Joe Vardon, the NBA’s investigation into a potential cap-circumvention violation by the Bucks and Gary Trent Jr.—who signed a four-year, $64m deal this offseason—remains ongoing. Per Vardon, the league hired national investigations law firm Hecker Fink to conduct the probe.

An NBA spokesman said the league’s investigation into Trent’s contract is ongoing and declined to answer further questions. The Bucks and Klutch Sports Group—Trent’s representing agency—have declined comment, but two sources with direct knowledge of the interviews taking place as part of the investigation said both the Bucks and Klutch are cooperating.

Most of you know the circumstances behind why the deal is fishy by now, but for those who don’t, Trent inked consecutive (basically) minimum deals with the Bucks over the last two offseasons—even though he presumably would have had the chance to earn more elsewhere—which allowed him to accrue early Bird rights and be eligible for a massive payday this offseason. He then cashed in a four-year deal worth $64m, which raised eyebrows, given that GT had just come off what was probably the worst season of his career.

The NBA needs to learn if the Bucks and Trent purposefully agreed to enter into smaller, cheaper contracts with a plan to reward Trent in a future deal–which is a violation of the league’s salary rules.

Now, when comparing this situation to the recent Kawhi Leonard saga or even the infamous Joe Smith deal 27 years ago—where, almost identical to Trent and the Bucks (allegedly), Minnesota player Joe Smith and the Wolves front office agreed that Smith would sign consecutive minimum deals to obtain Bird rights and then ink a massive contract down the line—the key difference is that incriminating documentary evidence was found in both of those cases. At least so far, no such evidence appears to exist in the Trent case, and reportedly, the Bucks have not deviated from their story that they acted properly and within the rules.

The Bucks, meanwhile, have maintained to their rivals that they believed Trent’s market value to be the contract they ultimately awarded him, and those same rival executives said Milwaukee maintained projections of likely free-agent contracts that prove it always believed Trent would be a $15 million-per-year player on the open market.

As I mentioned in Trent’s Ranking the Roster piece, the league doesn’t actually need “documentary evidence” that the Bucks and Trent agreed to an illegal deal to issue a punishment. All they need is to deduce that no other reasonable explanation exists for the Bucks signing Trent to the contract besides agreeing to an illegal deal.

We shall see how far the word “reasonable” can be stretched by Horst and Co.

Having a good feel for each player’s value on the trade market is an exercise NBA front offices would routinely perform. For this week’s Reacts, we wanted to see where the Brew Hoop community landed on who leads the team in trade value. In this article, I expanded on that exercise by ranking the entire team and even separating the players into tiers. Tiers mean you can make a reasonable case for any player within a tier to be ranked above or below another player within that same tier.

Crucially, these rankings are completely subjective and—unlike Rick Berry’s DOPE Index—I wasn’t working off some quantitative formula. However, I did find myself considering four main factors when constructing these rankings, and they were:

• Raw ability
• Age
• Contract size (how much money do they make annually?)
• Contract status (what is the length of their contract, and where are they in that contract?)

Remember, this is all relative to each player. For example, just because a player doesn’t have the potential to yield a first-round pick, that doesn’t mean that guy must be ranked below another player who does. Also, none of this means that the Bucks will or should trade any player; it’s merely a thought exercise. Anyway, without further ado, here’s how I ranked the squad.

---

Tier 1

1. Ryan Rollins

At first, I thought the top spot was close between Rollins and Burries, but after thinking it through, Rollins clearly takes that spot. The 24-year-old has blossomed into a legit two-way lead guard—who helps you win basketball games in so many ways—on a $4m (!) contract. You rarely find guys that impactful to winning while making that little money. If the Bucks put Rollins on the trade block right now, they would undoubtedly get a good first-round pick, and maybe even two “bad” first-round picks. Now, I feel quite confident that if the Bucks pay up to retain Rollins next summer, he will be displaced from the top spot (almost regardless of how he plays). For now, though, this is a no-brainer selection at one.

2. Brayden Burries

That leaves Brayden Burries at two, an easy choice. Right this second, coming off an All-Summer League First Team performance, Brayden Burries’ value is through the roof. Now, no team would entertain trading their lottery pick—having not yet registered a single NBA minute—regardless of how they played in Summer League, but yes, for this exercise, Burries has the second-most trade value on the Bucks.

---

Tier 2

3. Kel’el Ware

Kel’el Ware being in this spot is interesting because he benefits from what I like to call the “mystery box bump.” Ware is only entering the third year of his rookie deal, and there is still major intrigue as to what his ceiling is. He could develop into a unicorn-like centre who’s a matchup nightmare for opposing bigs, or he could completely peter out into an empty-calories guy with attitudinal problems. Ware is a mystery box, but right at this moment, he would fetch a decent first-round pick if traded. A team would bet on the raw talent, for sure. He may be worth two first-round picks in a year, or he may only be worth some seconds.

---

Tier 3

4. Kasparas Jakucionis

Another player who falls somewhat into the aforementioned mystery box bump group, Kasparas Jakucionis edges out Tyler Herro and Jaime Jaquez by the slimmest of margins because he benefits from being largely untested. He’s coming off a rookie year with the Heat in which he played decently in the opportunities he got, but those were few and far between. So on the one hand, he’s got runs on the board as a 19-year-old rookie in the NBA—which puts him above Nate Ament, for example—but on the other hand, he hasn’t necessarily wowed in those chances. Additionally, Jakucionis is entering the second year of his rookie contract, which naturally gives him high trade value. Granted, KJ’s trade value definitely took a hit following his disappointing Summer League performance, but you can rationalise that by him having played for Lithuania just a week prior, having to deal with the chaos of being traded, etc.

5. Tyler Herro

Next is Tyler Herro. Obviously, Herro is the most accomplished player on this list and would be the most “sure thing” in a trade (maybe except for Rollins). If a team were to trade for Herro, they’d know what they are getting; it’s way less of a stab in the dark than it would be going for Ware or Jakucionis. Herro is a good NBA player. Sure, he’s bad on defence and has some quirks that rub people the wrong way, but this is a career 20-PPG scorer who shoots nearly 40% from three on volume. His contract is palatable right now at about $30m per season, but of course, he’s in the final year of that deal and will want a contract that will probably age poorly, which naturally makes it hard to have him much higher than fifth.

6. Jaime Jaquez Jr.

I was very close to putting Jaime Jaquez Jr. above Tyler Herro, but at the end of the day, he just doesn’t have the runs on the board as Herro does. Coming into the league as an older rookie after spending four years at UCLA, Jaquez has much less mystery box appeal. However, it’s inarguable that he’s reached a level where you’re almost certain that he’ll be a solid NBA player at the very least. I should note that Jaquez is in the last year of his rookie deal, so any team trading for him would need to be prepared to pay him next summer. This feels like the right spot.

7. Nate Ament

Nate Ament is another player who benefits from the mystery box bump. Being a “boom-or-bust prospect,” Ament has an extremely wide range of outcomes. At this point, that puts him right about here on the rankings. Like Ware, we could re-rank this in two years, and Ament could be way down the bottom or way up the top. For now, coming off a so-so Summer League but considering the bigger picture, seventh feels about right. I am confident that even after Vegas, a rival team would give up something of relatively high value to get the Virginia native if the Bucks explored trading him.

---

Tier 4

8. Ousmane Dieng

OK, so relative to the value Dieng held when the Bucks picked him up, his stock has increased significantly. Ous has a lot going for him. First, he’s a former lottery pick and still just 23; teams love taking chances on young guys with pedigree. Second, he just put together a solid season in the first real chance he got to actually play consistently, which, at the very least, is enticing. And finally, his contract is solid at just under $6m per year for three years with a team option for the final season. I reckon a good number of rebuilding teams would happily part with some decent assets to get a longer look at Dieng on that deal. Props, Jon Horst.

9. AJ Green

Green has become a solid NBA role player who will check into the game and do his job: nail three-pointers—both off the catch and on the move—and be passable on defence. There isn’t much more upward mobility other than that, but lots of NBA teams need guys with this skill set. You can see how Green’s dynamism as a shooter separates him from a guy like Taurean Prince, who can really only shoot while stationary. On top of that, Green is on a totally palatable contract with an average annual salary of a tick over $11m.

10. Myles Turner

Here we get to Myles Turner. Look, this contract didn’t look great after last season—and it still doesn’t look all that good—but considering what some centres got paid in free agency this summer, ~$27m AAV doesn’t look as bad as it once did. Still, ESPN’s Ben Golliver recently reported that the Bucks have been trying to shop Turner this summer but haven’t found a suitor willing to take on his contract, validating his spot at 10 (for now). Crucially, I want to make clear that if MT performs at the level he is capable of in a new system, I could see him yielding a late first-round pick at the deadline. I don’t see AJ or Ous having that potential, but I also don’t consider either of their contracts to have negative value like I do Turner’s right now—still three years left to run.

---

Tier 5

11. Jericho Sims

It might come as a shock that I have Jericho Sims this high—and I realise that I’m probably an outlier—but I reckon that if Sims starts the season well, he’ll have positive trade value at the deadline. In contrast, the two blokes below, in my mind, would have even or negative value. This means I think a team might trade a second-round pick in the, say, 35-45 range for Sims in exchange for half a season with him making the minimum. Crucially, Sims on the minimum makes trading for him much easier than trading for Kuzma or LeVert, increasing his value. Our friends over at the Silver Screen and Roll wrote about reports of the LA Lakers’ potential interest in the 27-year-old.

---

Tier 6

12. Caris LeVert

The case for LeVert over Kuzma in this spot is simple: they’re both wings on expiring contracts and not in the Bucks’ plans, but LeVert makes about $5m less ($14.5m compared to $19.4m). There’s not a whole lot more you need to say, really. Neither player will be highly coveted by the team trading for them, but LeVert is easier to deal.

13. Kyle Kuzma

Read above, LOL. No, well, you could make the case that Kuzma has more trade value than LeVert because if the Bucks need to get up to a certain number to make a trade legal, Kuz’s contract is obviously more useful. In general, though, a ~$15m contract is more tradeable.

14. Kevin Porter Jr.

Eh, while Porter can certainly help the Bucks win games—if that is all they care about this season—he’s probably not in their long-term plans, considering the slew of guards acquired over the offseason. Other teams will know this and hold leverage over the Bucks, which will lower his trade value. Of course, something else that will lower that value is KPJ’s off-court history, like it or not. Look, Porter might fetch you a second-round pick if an experienced team needs a guy who can come in and immediately offer them some juice, but I wouldn’t bet on it.

---

Tier 7

15. Bogoljub Markovic

Maybe you can convince yourself Bogi has some trade value if you rely on priors, since many draft analysts ranked him higher than where he ended up being taken—including our very own Finn Kuehl. Ultimately, though, he’s proven nothing of substance yet at the NBA level (and obviously it’s very early). If anything, Bogi’s stock has decreased since he was drafted. Now, I’m not saying the Bucks would even be interested in trading Markovic at just 21 years old, but if they were, they wouldn’t get much at this moment in time.

16. Pete Nance

Look, Pete Nance is a good player—and he happens to possess a skill set that has been sorely needed on this Bucks team—but at the end of the day, he’s a 26-year-old journeyman. I don’t doubt Nance is an NBA player, and teams would jump at the chance to sign him if the Bucks cut ties, but no franchise is going to give up assets for Nance. But hey, maybe that changes a year from now if he can really cement himself in Milwaukee’s rotation. I personally don’t see where the minutes are, but it’s not implausible.

---

Tier 8

17. Gary Trent Jr.

Self-explanatory. This contract became one of the league’s worst the moment the ink dried, and absolutely everyone—including Jon Horst—knew it would be. We all understand what happened here; there’s no point belabouring it. Anyway, the Bucks might need to attach Brayden Burries and one of those Heat picks to incentivise another team to take this contract (I’m kidding… I think). Gary, get used to those Milwaukee winters, brother; you’ll be here a while… if your contract isn’t voided, that is.

---

Alright, now that I’ve done my rankings, give me yours. Or just let me know where you agree or disagree. The players I was most unsure of were Jericho Sims, Kevin Porter Jr., Ousmane Dieng, and Myles Turner. I might make this an annual thing—we’ll see.

---