Collin Gillespie has turned into the NBA’s biggest steal this season. When Phoenix signed him for just $2.3 million last summer, nobody blinked an eye. Now? That deal looks like highway robbery.
A quarter into the season, Gillespie’s gritty play and never-quit attitude perfectly match what owner Mat Ishbia has been trying to build in Phoenix. The Suns are feeling his impact every time he steps on the court.
He’s putting up career numbers across the board – 12.7 points, 5 assists, and nearly 4 rebounds per game.
His shooting has been lights out too. He’s hitting almost 43% from three-point range while playing solid minutes (26.4 per game).
Gillespie has become the Suns’ go-to scorer off the bench and one of their most reliable players during a season where they’ve had to adjust to major roster changes. With Phoenix sitting at 12-9, his steady hand has helped keep things on track.
From Heartbreak to Breakthrough
His path to NBA success wasn’t exactly smooth sailing. After going undrafted in 2022, Gillespie signed a two-way deal with Denver, only to fracture his leg during a summer workout.
That injury wiped out his entire rookie season.
He watched from the sidelines as his Nuggets teammates celebrated their championship – talk about bittersweet.
When he finally got healthy, Gillespie tore it up in the G League, but Denver still decided to let him walk. Their loss became Phoenix’s gain.
Now he’s blossomed into exactly the kind of guard people should stop doubting – especially those Villanova guys who just seem to know how to play winning basketball.
Perfect Timing for Phoenix
The Suns desperately needed someone who could create offense off the bench after reshuffling their roster over the summer. Gillespie has delivered that and then some.
With each impressive performance, his value keeps climbing – though his current contract remains one of the biggest bargains in the entire league.
He’ll be an unrestricted free agent next summer, and you can bet the Suns are already thinking about how to keep him around longer.
If the season ended today, Phoenix would host Golden State in the play-in tournament. Not many experts predicted the Suns would be sitting seventh in the brutal Western Conference right now.
While Devin Booker is still the engine that drives this team, Gillespie’s unexpected production has been huge for their success.
Head coach Jordan Ott clearly values what he brings. His teammates trust him in big moments. And Suns fans? They’ve already taken him in as one of their own.
If he keeps this up, his Phoenix chapter might just be the beginning of a much longer NBA story.
