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The 2026-27 NBA season is officially upon us, and once again Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs will be well represented at the game's highest level.
12 former Zags are on NBA rosters as the season gets underway, with recent shuffling for Drew Timme (now with Phoenix) and Ryan Nembhard (now with Denver).
Graham Ike is the lone Zag expected to make his NBA debut this season, after signing a two-way deal with the Golden State Warriors. Meanwhile, two former Zags, Brandon Clarke and Kelly Olynyk, are no longer in the league. Clarke tragically passed away this summer, and Olynyk signed with a new club in Italy, BC Roma, after spending last year with the San Antonio Spurs.
Below is a look at every Zag in the NBA with the regular season tipping off on Tuesday afternoon:
Collins is entering his 10th NBA season and third with the Chicago Bulls, coming off a year where he averaged 9.7 points and 5.6 rebounds in just 10 games before succumbing to injury.
The 6'9 big man missed preseason with Chicago, but coach Tiago Splitter indicated he was a full participant at practice on Monday, so he should be good to go when the Bulls get their season underway Wednesday at Toronto.
Hachimura didn't have to move far for his new team, signing with the LA Clippers this offseason after four years in LA with the Lakers.
The 6'8 forward led the Clippers in scoring with 17.0 points in 19.4 minutes across three preseason games, and could be in line to put up the best numbers of his career on an LA team featuring young guards Darius Garland and Keaton Wagler.
Holmgren enters his fourth NBA season without having played in the preseason, held out by Oklahoma City due to a quad contusion - and an abundance of caution for the young star.
Holmgren was a first time All-Star and Third Team All-NBA last year, and will look to improve on those numbers entering his age 24 campaign.
Ike went undrafted following his All-American senior year at Gonzaga, but he quickly latched on with Steve Kerr and Golden State - eventually playing his way into a two-way contract and a chance to impact the Warriors right away.
The 6'9 big man averaged 7.0 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in five preseason games, showcasing his impact as a screener, play finisher, and even flashing the outside shot - going 2-6 from three and 11-13 from the free throw line.
Kispert enters his first full season with Atlanta, coming over midseason in a trade from Washington.
The 6'7 forward averaged 8.6 points and shot 33.3% (10-30) from three in five exhibition games, and projects to be wing depth in Atlanta's crowded rotation in 2026-27.
Nembhard took on a massive role last year for the Pacers while Tyrese Haliburton recovered from a torn ACL. Now that Hali is back, Nembhard is expected to shift back to playing more off the ball in Indiana - but he'll still have a major role on this squad.
He averaged 8.3 points in three preseason games, shooting 42.9% (3-7) from three.
Nembhard had a stellar rookie season with Dallas, but bounced around a bit this offseason - first getting traded to Atlanta, then to Charlotte, and then cut by Charlotte and eventually signed to a two-way contract by Denver.
Nembhard will battle for minutes at point guard behind Jamal Murray and Tyus Jones, and he had a strong showing in the preseason - averaging 3.8 points, 3.3 assists, and 0.8 turnovers in 14.7 minutes across four games played.
Sabonis played just 19 games last year in a disappointing, injury-riddled campaign, but the three-time All-Star is healthy heading into 2026-27 with Sacramento.
He played two preseason games and scored 18 points with 13 rebounds and four assists, and should put up similar numbers from his All-Star level peak - and makes a great running mate with rookie point guard Darius Acuff.
Malachi Smith fought his way onto an NBA roster last year with the Nets, and now finds himself on a two-way contract with the Toronto Raptors.
Smith was excellent in the preseason, averaging 9.2 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 2.2 assists in 17.3 minutes across five games, while shooting 41.2% (7-17) from three. He should carve out a role as emergency shooting guard depth up north.
Strawther looked primed to take on a bigger role as part of Denver's bench, but he suffered a left knee sprain in the preseason and will be re-evaluated in six weeks - and could miss even more time than that.
Prior to the injury, the 6'5 wing averaged 13.3 points and shot 43.5% (10-23) from three in 18.4 minutes across four preseason games.
Suggs enters his sixth NBA season with Orlando, hoping to stay healthy after playing just 92 games the past two years. He's been a very solid, defensive-minded starting guard when on the floor, and looked very good in two preseason games.
Drew Timme spent last season in LA, split between the South Bay and the Los Angeles Lakers. He was released at the end of the year, spent preseason with the Minnesota Timberwolves - where he averaged 6.0 points and 1.5 rebounds in 10.8 minutes - and recently inked a two-way deal with the Phoenix Suns.
He should compete for minutes in a frontcourt featuring unproven NBA bigs in Oso Ighodaro and Khaman Maluach, as well as Arizona rookie Koa Peat.
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