Gonzaga players drafted in the NBA in the last 10 years
Gonzaga’s representation in the NBA is growing by the year.
Remember, the once small Jesuit school in Spokane didn’t produce a single pro in its first 25 years at the Division-I level. John Stockton broke through as the program’s first alum to play in the NBA after he was drafted 16th overall by the Utah Jazz in 1984. The hometown kid went on to have a Hall-of-Fame career as an 11-time All-NBA choice and a 10-time All-Star. Stockton also ended his career as the league’s record holder for most career assists and steals.
After Stockton, there was a considerable gap in time until Dan Dickau became Gonzaga’s second NBA Draft pick in 2002. Then came Ronny Turiaf (37th overall in 2005) and his teammate Adam Morrison (third overall in 2006), followed by Austin Daye (15th overall in 2009) and Robert Sacre (60th overall in 2012) in the years that followed. In total, that’s six NBA players over a 28-year span (worth noting that Mike Champion, Richie Frahm and Jeremy Pargo all played in the NBA after going undrafted in that span as well).
Fast forward over a decade later and the Bulldogs have seen their NBA alumni number nearly double in a fraction of the time. On opening day of the 2023-24 NBA season, the Zags had 11 players on an active roster — tied with Michigan for the fifth most of any school and behind only Kentucky, Duke, UCLA and Kansas for the most. Of those former Zags in the pros, nine were selected in the first round of the draft.
Here’s a look back at the 11 former Gonzaga standouts who have heard their name called in the NBA Draft since 2013.
KELLY OLYNYK - 13TH OVERALL, 2013
The current wave of Gonzaga talent in the NBA starts with Olynyk, whose high basketball IQ and versatility on offense have helped him carve out a 10-year career (and counting). The 6-foot-11 Canadian played the first four seasons of his career with the Boston Celtics — which included a memorable 26-point game in Game 7 of the 2017 Eastern Conference semifinals — before joining the Miami Heat for a run to the NBA Finals in 2020. Currently, Olynyk is on the sixth team of his career after he was traded from the Utah Jazz to the Toronto Raptors this past February.
For his career, Olynyk averages 10.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.4 assists.
DOMANTAS SABONIS - 11TH OVERALL, 2016
The two-time All-NBA power forward is one of the program’s most notable alum in the pros, as Sabonis’ playmaking and ability to read defenses have made him the epitome of the modern NBA big man. While some of his peers feel his skills are a tad overrated, it’s also true that Sabonis tallied 77 double-doubles, the most since Moses Malone in 1978-79, and became one of just six players in league history to record at least 26 triple-doubles in a season. All while averaging 19.4 points, 13.7 rebounds and 8.2 assists — a stat line only Wilt Chamberlain has put together in a season.
ZACH COLLINS - 10TH OVERALL, 2017
Collins was a rare case at Gonzaga as a former five-star recruit who was a one-and-done after coming off the bench in his only season of college basketball. Still, the 6-foot-11 Las Vegas native was a lottery pick by the Portland Trail Blazers shortly after Gonzaga’s run to the title game.
Collins struggled to stay healthy in Portland, where he played three injury-riddled seasons before signing with the San Antonio Spurs in the 2021 offseason. Since then his performances have started to resemble the versatility that made him an intriguing player coming out of college. This past October, Collins signed a two-year, $35 million contract extension.
NIGEL WILLIAMS-GOSS - 55TH OVERALL, 2017
The former Washington point guard was taken late in the second round of the 2017 draft by the Utah Jazz just months after he guided Gonzaga to its first Final Four appearance. Following a short run in the Summer League that summer, Williams-Goss signed a two-year contract with Serbian club Partizan. A year later, he was named the Serbian Cup MVP after he guided his team to win the 2018 Radivoj Korac Cup.
Williams-Goss was crowned a EuroLeague champion with Real Madrid in 2023 and also won the 2022 Liga ACB championship title with the team. He suited up for the Jazz and played 10 games in 2019, though most of his professional career has taken him overseas.
RUI HACHIMURA - 9TH OVERALL, 2019
Hachimura parlayed an All-American campaign as a junior at Gonzaga into being selected with a top 10 pick by the Washington Wizards in the 2019 draft. The 6-foot-8 forward from Japan was named to the All-Rookie second team in 2019-20 and played three seasons in the nation’s capital before being traded to the Los Angeles Lakers during the 2022-23 season. A productive 2023 playoff run — highlighted by a 29-point performance in Game 1 of the first round against the Memphis Grizzlies — secured Hachimura a three-year, $51 million contract extension from LA last summer.
BRANDON CLARKE - 21ST OVERALL, 2019
The high-flying 6-foot-8 forward from Vancouver, British Columbia, finished fourth in the NBA Rookie of the Year voting in 2020. Clarke was consistent until an Achilles injury in March 2023 knocked him out for nearly the entire 2023-24 season. With another offseason to heal, Clarke figures to be an important piece to Memphis’ future after he signed a four-year, $50 million extension in 2022.
JALEN SUGGS - 5TH OVERALL, 2021
It was apparent Suggs was going to be a one-and-done the moment he stepped foot on Gonzaga’s campus. But few could’ve guessed the 23-year-old would become one of the NBA’s best defensive guards in just his third year as a pro, especially after two injury-filled seasons with the Orlando Magic. Suggs helped Orlando reach the playoffs in 2024 and earned NBA All-Defensive second team honors while finishing in the top 10 of votes for the most improved player (eighth) and defensive player of the year (10th) awards.
COREY KISPERT - 15TH OVERALL, 2021
Like Suggs, Kispert is one of the notable 2021 rookies who could get a lucrative contract extension this summer. The 6-foot-7 sharpshooter from Edmonds, Washington, has shot 38.8% from 3-point range (5.1 attempts per game) over his three seasons with the Wizards. This past season, Kispert became a more well-rounded scorer who thrived off timely cuts from the baseline and elbow.
FILIP PETRUSEV - 50TH OVERALL, 2021
Petrusev was taken late in the second round of the 2021 draft after earning ABA League MVP honors with Serbian club Mega Basket. The 6-foot-11 forward returned home after two seasons at Gonzaga (2018-2020), where he earned West Coast Conference Player of the Year honors. Petrusev made his NBA debut this past season with the Philadelphia 76ers, who traded him to the Los Angeles Clippers in November.
Three weeks after the deal, Petrusev joined Williams-Goss with Olympiacos.
CHET HOLMGREN - 2ND OVERALL, 2022
After recovering from a freak foot injury suffered last summer, Holmgren proved his doubters wrong with a historic rookie season in which he became the first player in NBA history to finish a season with at least 200 assists, 190 blocks and 129 3-pointers made. The Oklahoma City Thunder vaulted to the top of the Western Conference standings with Holmgren, along with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams, leading the way.
ANDREW NEMBHARD - 31ST OVERALL, 2022
Nembhard, already the richest second round pick in NBA history, could sign a massive contract extension with the Indiana Pacers this offseason after a stellar playoff run in his second year as a pro. The 24-year-old Canadian figures to play a major role in the franchise’s future with All-NBA guard Tyrese Haliburton and two-time All-Star Pascal Siakam.
JULIAN STRAWTHER - 29TH OVERALL, 2023
Strawther joined the reigning NBA champion Denver Nuggets following three seasons at Gonzaga. The 6-foot-7 wing didn’t see much time on the floor as a rookie, though Strawther put together a strong end to the season following a minor injury in December.
COLE FORSMAN
Cole Forsman is a reporter for Gonzaga Nation, a member of Sports Illustrated’s FanNation network. Cole holds a degree in Journalism and Sports Management from Gonzaga University.