LOCALS NBA IN THE
“ I feel like I’ve been able to completely round out my game mentally and physically.”
Julian Strawther Denver Nuggets forward
MILE-HIGH EXPECTATIONS
By Theo Lawson THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
LAS VEGAS – Julian Strawther couldn’t necessarily point to a single “welcome to the NBA” moment that defined his rookie season with the Denver Nuggets.
He’d rather point to four individual moments that made up one memorable sequence about a month into his professional basketball career.
On Nov. 27, the second night of a back-to-back, Denver traveled to play the Los Angeles Clippers at Crypto.com Arena without its usual cast of characters. Nikola Jokic took the night off with lower back pain. Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon stayed home in Denver as well, each dealing with minor injuries.
In the fourth quarter, Denver’s shorthanded roster made an unexpected surge. Looking to stop the bleeding, Los Angeles’ trio of All-Star veterans took account of the five Nuggets on the floor to identify potential mismatches. Strawther, a 21-year-old rookie known more for his knockdown shooting than his lockdown defense, was an easy target.
“We’re getting down to the fourth quarter and four straight possessions, Russell Westbrook, Paul George and Kawhi (Leonard) called me up for the iso,” Strawther told The Spokesman-Review in July. “That’s a tough island to be on with those guys, but I was able to get a few stops.”
Strawther spent his rookie season learning from Denver’s veteran players, adjusting to the speed of play and settling in to the NBA lifestyle without the expectations and pressure of contributing as a rotation member to a team with title aspirations. That won’t be the case in Year 2 with a Nuggets team expected to lean heavily on its young core – especially at the wing position – after reshuffling its roster this offseason.
Strawther entered training camp as one of two candidates to replace veteran shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, a key role player on Denver’s title-winning team in 2023. The former Gonzaga standout ceded the starting role to third-year wing and former Kansas star Christian Braun in all three preseason games, but Strawther continues to build a solid case for himself, averaging 16.3 points off the bench in the preseason compared to Braun’s 8.0 points per game.
“I feel like I’ve been able to completely round out my game mentally and physically,” Strawther said. “When you come out of college and you see the NBA, everyone’s so talented, so you’ve got to
find a way to find an edge on guys. So something our vets have taught me is just to think the game and understand guys’ tendencies. It’s things you have to find an advantage. Everybody’s so talented here, your talent isn’t going to be an advantage anymore.”
Braun’s strengths as a defender, particularly in a starting lineup that features three of gifted offensive players in Jokic, Murray and Porter, could give him an upper hand in the competition with Strawther. If so, the former Zag would likely become a go-to offensive option as part of a second unit led by Westbrook, the 35-year-old point guard and nine-time All-Star who joined the Nuggets in free agency.
“One of the things I want to do is push the ball and get Julian open looks from 3,” Westbrook said, according to The Athletic.
Strawther’s impressive preseason numbers – he’s made 6 of 13 shots from the 3-point line – come on the heels of an even better showing at NBA Summer League, where the
LOcaLS In tHe
PHENOM FRIENDLY
By Theo Lawson THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
LAS VEGAS – During his sixth NBA season, Zach Collins dealt with an ankle injury that sidelined him for games in December and January, then suffered a torn right labrum in the third quarter of a regular-season finale against the Detroit Pistons, roughly 20 minutes before the San Antonio Spurs were scheduled to begin their offseason.
Still, in the context of Collins’ career, the 2023-24 campaign may have been one of the cleanest.
“I felt great,” the former Gonzaga standout told The Spokesman-Review in July while taking in San Antonio’s NBA Summer League game against Atlanta with parents Michael and Heather. “I had a bad little sprained ankle, but besides that I felt great. Just want to build on that.”
The injury setbacks have been much worse and the time away from the court much longer for Collins, who played in 69 games – the second-most of his career – and made a career-high 29 starts while averaging 22.1 minutes per game for San Antonio.
Collins’ ankle injury amounted to a small blip in the grand scheme of things and the late-season labrum injury came at the best possible time, considering the 22win Spurs weren’t in the playoff chase and the forward would be able to undergo off-
season surgery without missing any time.
It wasn’t a perfect year by any stretch, but Collins, who averaged double figures (11.2 points per game) for only the second time in his career, is more inclined to focus on the highlights from last season, as well as the ones that could lie ahead for a San Antonio team that’s shifted its goals in 2024-25.
“I know a goal of our team this year is to start winning more games,” Collins said. “I think the guys we brought in are going to help us a lot. Seems to be a little bit of rejuvenation and energy.”
San Antonio’s offseason moves speak measures to the team’s ambitions, especially coming off a season that saw the Spurs finish just 22-60, just one game back of the last-place Portland Trail Blazers.
To complement former No. 1 pick and reigning NBA Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama, the Spurs made two additions in particular that should help the team push for a playoff berth, potentially giving Collins a chance to return to the postseason for the first time since his Trail Blazers were swept by the Golden State Warriors in the 2019 Western Conference Finals.
Chris Paul, the 39-year-old future Hall of Fame point guard, joined the Spurs in free agency, as did veteran forward Harrison Barnes, who’s averaged 16 points per game the last nine seasons with the Dallas Mavericks and Sacramento Kings.
Forecasting what he expects it’ll be like to play alongside a premier set-up man like Paul, Collins said, “I’ll tell you what, it’s kind of hard to explain literally but it’s just kind of a feeling when you’re out there as a team.”
He added: “When things are going bad, when things are going good he’s a floor general that calms everybody down and keep everybody here. So that along with his passing ability – I know how smart he is, he’s going to learn where everybody likes to be super fast. So that’s going to help us get easier shots.”
San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich experimented with a Collins-Wembanyama frontcourt early in the season, but abandoned it midway through the year and mostly brought the former GU player off the bench during the final four months.
“I wish we could’ve played more,” Collins said. “We started off the season neither of us shooting well, so we had to change that up. Then toward the end of the year there was little pockets where got to be on the court together again. I felt way more comfortable and he did in those small pockets and we had those conversations about where you should be. He’s a fun guy to play with, he’s a team player, so I hope we get more time on the court again.”
The friendship he forged with his new frontcourt mate put Collins in a tricky position ahead of the Summer Olympics,
Las Vegas native was essentially given the keys to Denver’s offense and encouraged to create shots for himself and attack the rim, as well as spot up from the perimeter in the role to which he’s more accustomed.
Before the Nuggets shut him down in Vegas, Strawther was leading all summer league scorers with 28.5 points through two games while shooting 40% from the 3-point line and attempting 10 free throws per game.
“I feel like for me it’s just seizing the opportunity,” Strawther said.
“There’s things that have been in my game that I’m comfortable with, but I’ve never been one to step outside my role and here that is my role. So I’m going to go out there and attack it. Obviously, during summer league
anticipating a potential matchup between his Wembanyama’s France team and his former Gonzaga coach, Mark Few, an assistant for the United States.
“I hope Victor dominates everybody except the USA team,” said Collins, who got his wish in the gold-medal game, where the U.S. absorbed a 26-point outing from Wembanyama to defeat the Olympic hosts. Prior to the Olympics, Collins said he would’ve helped Few out with the Wembanyama assignment were his college to ask.
“If he asks, I got him,” Collins said. “Victor’s so good it won’t matter.” Collins still checks in with Few, talks frequently with lead assistant Brian Michaelson, keeps up with other members of GU’s 2016-17 national runner-up team and is usually able to attend the NBA Zag dinner held in his hometown of Vegas every year during Summer League.
“I’m from Vegas so I have the benefit of just being here,” he said. “So any time they tell me the dinner’s happening, I can make it. It’s awesome, man. I owe so much to the program for my success and just getting to the NBA, being a lottery pick. My development as a person and player. So, for them to hit me up every summer because they want me to come back and hang out with everybody, it means a lot.”
Theo Lawson can be reached at (509) 4595584 or theol@spokesman.com.
it’s my opportunity to try new things without penalizing your squad and I think I’ve been able to find some good success.”
Strawther averaged 4.5 points and 1.2 rebounds in his limited opportunities as a rookie, and claims he learned almost as much in his time away from the court – a monthlong stretch spent recovering from a back injury – as he did on it.
“It was kind of my first major injury,” Strawther said. “I had been pretty clean before that, so it was obviously a mental hurdle just not being able to be out there and having to sit back and do my rehab and lock in on that.
“But like I said, I was able to think the game and watch NBA basketball up close and watch what players are thinking and coaches are thinking. So it’s kind of a different lens, it’s kind of the coolest version of viewership, kind of being a fan of the game is being courtside, watching guys
and being in the huddle.”
Strawther still had time to follow Gonzaga and watch his former college teammates navigate a rocky regular season that culminated with a 25th consecutive NCAA Tournament and ninth straight trip to the Sweet 16.
“I was just super proud of how they handled everything because I knew how it felt to be a Zag on that team,” Strawther said. “My junior year we kind of dropped a few games and dropped down to 18 in the rankings or something like that, and fans had gave up on us a little bit.
“So I’m just happy they were resilient and being able to be mentally strong and lock in and know that you don’t get trophies for winning games in November and the best basketball needs to be played in March.”
Theo Lawson can be reached at 509-459-5584 or theol@ spokesman.com.
TYLER TJOMSLAND/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
Former Gonzaga standout Zach Collins, now a forward with the San Antonio Spurs, watches his team during an NBA Summer League on July 14 in Las Vegas.
GETTY IMAGES Zach Collins, right, sits with NBA Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama during a game on Dec. 23 in Dallas.
GETTY IMAGES
Julian Strawther guards Russell Westbrook last season. The two will be Nuggets teammates this year, after Westbrook was traded to Utah, bought out of his deal and signed with Denver.
A GRIZZLY PAIR
Just two years removed from Division II ball, former Washington State standout Jaylen Wells has the confidence and skills to make a name for himself in the NBA.
MEMPHIS ROOKIE JAYLEN WELLS
HAS WHAT IT TAKES TO BE THE NEXT WSU STAR TO STICK
By Stephen Hunt THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
DALLAS – Jaylen Wells is new to the topsy-turvy world of professional basketball, but the former Washington State sharpshooter – who was a second-round pick (39th overall) for Memphis in the 2024 NBA draft – is adjusting well to his new surroundings.
“It’s been a great experience. Loving Memphis, the staff, the city,” Wells, 21, said prior to an Oct. 7 preseason game in Dallas. “It’s cool to know you have the ‘Cougs’ on your back and they’re supporting you everywhere you go.”
For Wells, starting his NBA preseason in Dallas was exciting – former Cougars guard Klay Thompson signed with the Mavericks in the offseason after winning four titles with the Golden State Warriors.
“It’s cool (to be part of such a group), especially for a place like Pullman, such a passionate community. Being able to know they have people to root for outside of just college, it’s pretty cool to show that Washington State produces pros – NFL, NBA,” Wells said. “In the NBA and NFL, you see a lot of Cougs throughout the teams. It’s one of those places you sleep on because Pullman is such a small place, but that small place produces good products.”
Wells, who averaged 12.6 points. 4.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game for WSU a season ago, hopes to follow Thompson’s lead as he joins a growing fraternity of ex-Cougars in the professional ranks that includes Mouhamed Gueye in Atlanta, fellow rookie Isaac Jones in Sacramento and
Malachi Flynn – who played his first three seasons at WSU before transferring in Detroit.
His first taste of life in the NBA came in July when he played in the Vegas Summer League. In six games, he turned heads, averaging 13.2 points, 2.3 rebounds, and one assist while logging around 29 minutes per game.
“It was a great experience, a lot of ups and downs. Just happy to be able to go through those ups and downs, just to be able to know what it’s like to have a short memory,” Wells said.
“There’s going to be so many games this season and you can’t get down on yourself for one bad performance. I had some bad performances and some really good performances. Also just getting used to the pace. I would say the pace (is the biggest difference in the NBA). Especially being with Memphis, we play really fast. When you’ve got a guy like Ja (Morant running the offense), you’re going to push it.”
Wells has only been with the Grizzlies for a few months, but his new head coach, Taylor Jenkins, Memphis’ coach since 2019, already sees plenty to like with the former Cougars standout.
“I love what I’m seeing out of him. He carries himself like he’s been in the league already for a couple of years,” Jenkins said.
“(He’s) already established a great routine for himself as a rookie, everything from the off-court stuff to his diet, how he’s taking care of his body, the late-night work he’s doing, coming in and working on his shot. He knows what his strengths are, the success he had in college.”
By Stephen Hunt THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
DALLAS – Three hundred, 87 days.
That’s how long Brandon Clarke went between NBA games after sustaining a torn Achilles tendon in a March 3, 2023, game in Denver. When he returned more than a year later, Clark – the former Gonzaga standout – played six games to close out the season and showed flashes of the athleticism and toughness that have been his trademark since he entered the league in 2019 as the No. 19 pick.
Now he’s ready to do it for an entire season.
“Yeah, I feel great. Glad to be back here playing basketball with my teammates, definitely missed it,” Clarke said at the start of preseason. “It was hard last year having to watch most of this. I’ve put in a lot of work to be able to play again, so really grateful for it.”
One silver lining from being off the floor for over a year was that he got to watch plenty of his fellow Zags play, including much of Chet Holmgren’s impressive
rookie campaign with the Oklahoma City Thunder. “Yeah, watching Chet was always fun. He was always a very, very fun guy to watch in college,” Clarke said. “That whole team was so fun to watch. Watching Chet and Jalen (Suggs) blossom in the NBA has been fun.”
As happy as Clarke is to be back on the floor, his coach, Taylor Jenkins, may be even more ecstatic. Clarke – the affable Canadian known as BC to teammates – brings a grittiness to the Grizzlies, a team that suffered to a 27-55 record a year ago as it dealt with a rash of injuries and a long suspension to franchise player Ja Morant.
“It’s just that pop and that bounce in his step (that we’ve really missed). You see it in his game for sure, but he’s got this way to connect the other four guys (on the floor) with his unselfish play,” Jenkins said. “Having him back fully healthy after a great summer and a great end to last season, which I think was a big momentum builder for him, I think that’s going to propel him to hopefully a really good start for this season.”
The 6-foot-8 Clarke, 28, made
IN THE NBA
The young rookie has a healthy appreciation for how Jenkins does things and for how well he relates to all his players.
“He’s passionate. He’s all about basketball,” Wells said of Jenkins. “You can tell he has your back. I feel like he’s a players’ coach. (It’s) great being able to play for a coach that you feel has your back and wants the best for you.”
Preseason performances have given Jenkins hope that the WSU product will be able to contribute during his rookie season. He said he’s has bought into the Grizzlies’ culture of grinding, but also into their new offensive system.
“He’s really adopting our philosophy of play. He’s got a great knack for the ball with his rebounding on both sides of the floor and he’s shown himself to be a pretty good team defender,” Jenkins said. “I’m challenging him to be even more vocal, more physical on the ball because I think he’s got a lot of physical tools and a care factor on that side. Offensively, he’s just kind of letting the game come to himself. He’s playing with a lot of confidence. His teammates are finding him, he’s letting it fly without hesitation, but he’s also making the right reads when it’s not a scoring opportunity for him.”
And like many rookies, he is doing his best impression of a sponge and absorbing every bit of knowledge he can from his veteran teammates – including John Konchar, who recently pranked him at a Memphis grocery store, pretending to be a fan asking Wells to take a picture with him. Wells didn’t realize it was one of his new teammates asking for a picture.
“That was hilarious,” Wells
a big impact in his one season at Gonzaga, earning West Coast Conference Newcomer of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year honors and being named All-WCC first-team. His numbers as a Zag were solid: 14.5 points, 7.7 rebounds, a WCC-leading 3.2 blocks, 1.9 assists and 1.2 steals per game. He also led NCAA Division I with a .687 field goal percentage.
His lone season in Spokane still brings a smile to his face.
“I look back at it in a very, very positive way. I’m just so, so grateful for that team and that school,” Clarke said of his time at GU. “There’s really no words I can put into it. It was so fun, just all the games that we played, everything was just so fun playing with them. I think that (Coach Few) just gave me confidence to turn me into who I am today, turn me into a player that I could be in the NBA, gave me the confidence really to go out there and have a really good college year. He just put me in a really good position to be able to be here.”
Now, Clarke is healthy and back in the mix with the Grizzlies, where he figures to either be a
said of the Konchar prank. “They (the veterans) have all been helpful, helping me get acclimated to the city. There’s things you don’t really know once you move to another city, but they’ll help you out and that’s pretty cool. Just getting knowledge, Marcus (Smart) is the oldest player (on the team). He’s been helping me out on defense, of course, because he’s a great defender.”
Another vet he’s been learning from is Brandon Clarke, a Gonzaga product who returned from a yearlong absence late last season after suffering a torn Achilles tendon in 2023.
“Really, really grateful to have him on the team, having fun watching him get better, watching him work every day,” Clarke said of Wells. “Just a real cool kid, a young guy. I think he’ll fit in well with us when he plays for us.” Wells is also open to enduring whatever sorts of rookie rites of passage – among them lugging around the dreaded pink backpack to announce his rookie status to the world – that his veteran teammates have in store for him this season.
“I don’t know everything yet, but the one duty is (the rookies have) to go to South Main Sushi and get a bunch of fried rice before we get on the plane (for road games),” he said. “I didn’t have to do it this time, it was Cam (Spencer’s turn). Since there’s three rookies, we rotate. It won’t be that bad. We just got to go pick it up (it’s already been ordered). It’s not terrible. They (the vets) have been here before. They paved the way for you, so got to pay your dues.” Stephen Hunt is a freelance writer
He’s a spark off the bench, constant energy in all kinds of situations. I think even defensively, he’s taken steps to get better.
“We’re going to challenge him more to be an even better rim protector, a rotation player on the perimeter guarding one-on-one.
That’s something that we want him to take a huge step in.”
Thriving as a “connector” on
both ends is one way Clarke helps make those around him better, and he credits Jenkins for putting him in the best position to be successful.
“Yeah, I think that’s been a part of what I do on the team, just being somebody that can help raise us offensively, defensively,” Clarke said. “That’s just what my job is. He (Jenkins) is a coach you just want to play hard for, who you would run through a wall for. He’s just a guy that brings the energy, brings the fight, makes the long season not feel so long because every day he’s coming
with that positive energy. He just makes it easier to come out here and play hard for him every day.”
in
Brandon Clarke should provide the Grizzlies a big boost off the bench.
GETTY IMAGES
WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
By Theo Lawson THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
With the 2024-25 NBA campaign approaching, we take a look at the 11 former Gonzaga players and four former Washington State players currently on NBA rosters, breaking down who’s playing where and what the situation looks like for each former Zag and Coug entering the season.
GONZAGA BULLDOGS
Anton Watson, Boston Celtics
Experience: Rookie (drafted No. 54 overall by Boston Celtics in 2024)
2023-24 numbers: N/A
The situation: Watson landed a two-way contract with the Celtics – not a surprise when taking into account where he was selected in the 2024 NBA draft and considering the top-end talent and overall depth of the team that spent a late second-round pick on the forward. Watson will spend many of his nights with the G-League’s Maine Celtics, but the Gonzaga product should also get a handful of chances – up to 50 per the terms of his two-way deal – to play in front of the home crowd at TD Garden. How often he gets those opportunities could depend on a variety of circumstances, including the health and availability of Boston players who share his position. Watson’s ability to play multiple positions in the frontcourt, and guard four to five on the defensive end, should nonetheless improve his case to make a greater impact for the G-League club in Maine and spend more nights with the reigning champs in Boston.
Julian Strawther, Denver Nuggets
Experience: Second season (drafted No. 29 overall by Denver in 2023)
2023-24 numbers: 4.5 ppg, 1.2 rpg in 50 games
The situation: It’s possible nobody on this list will see their role change more drastically from one season to the next than Strawther. The Nuggets’ first-round pick one year ago, Strawther appeared in just over half of the team’s games as a rookie and averaged roughly 11 minutes per game. Fast-forward one year, and Strawther is one of two candidates – along with third-year pro Christian Braun – to take over the starting shooting guard position vacated by Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who left in free agency to join the Orlando Magic. Strawther led all NBA Summer League participants in scoring (28.5 points per game) and played so well the Nuggets opted to shut him down after two games. Braun got the starting nod in both of Denver’s preseason games against Boston in Abu Dhabi, and Strawther started alongside him in one of those, but the former Gonzaga wing outscored his teammate by a wide margin in all three preseason games. Whether he’s in the starting lineup or coming off the bench, Strawther should still contribute in a much bigger way this season for a Denver team that’s targeting a return to the NBA Finals. Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City Thunder Experience: Second season (drafted No. 2 overall by Oklahoma City in 2022)
2023-24 numbers: 16.5 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 2.8 bpg in 82 games
The situation: Coming off a Lisfranc injury that sidelined him in 2022-23, it was fair to ask how Holmgren would hold up during his rookie season, how he’d adapt to the physicality of the NBA game and how durable he’d be over the course of an 82-game season. Holmgren answered those questions and then some, finishing second behind San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama in Rookie of the Year voting while setting a series of league and franchise records. In addition to becoming the first rookie to make at least 100 3-pointers and record at least 150 blocked shots in one season, he was the first rookie in NBA Playoff history to put up at least 25 points and register a plus/minus of plus-25 in a single game. The Thunder, and Holmgren to some extent, were a surprise story in the Western Conference last season, but
that won’t be the case in 2024-25 after OKC took the Dallas Mavericks to six games in the Western Conference Semifinals. The 22-yearold Holmgren is expected to make another jump in Year 2, and how he’s able to mesh with the team’s newest frontcourt addition, Isaiah Hartenstein, should go a long way toward determining how far the Thunder can go in the postseason.
Andrew Nembhard, Indiana Pacers
Experience: Third season (drafted No. 31 overall by Indiana in 2022)
2023-24 numbers: 9.3 ppg, 4.3 apg, 2.4 rpg in 68 games
The situation: Many expected the third-year pro to explore free agency before signing his next contract, but Nembhard chose not to wait and inked a long-term extension with the Pacers early in the summer, then gave Indiana a ringing endorsement during the team’s recent media day. “I love being in Indy, I love being with this team,” Nembhard said. “It wasn’t really a hard decision at all.” It wasn’t a difficult decision for Indiana’s front office to offer a three-year extension, especially after Nembhard’s late-game heroics – and general production – during the 2023-24 playoffs. Nembhard’s impressive postseason numbers came with starting point guard Tyrese Haliburton sidelined, and it’s still unknown how the Pacers will use the former Gonzaga standout this season – either as an off-guard playing alongside Haliburton in the starting lineup, or as a backup point guard who can spell the All-Star off the bench and head the second unit. Regardless, Nembhard should be brimming with confidence after starring for the Pacers in the playoffs, landing an extension and making his debut for Canada on the Olympic stage this summer in Paris.
Jalen Suggs, Orlando Magic Experience: Fourth season (drafted No. 5 overall by Orlando Magic in 2021)
2023-24 numbers: 12.6 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 2.7 apg in 75 games The situation: Suggs’ career was at a crossroads after two shaky seasons largely defined by injuries and inconsistent offensive production. The former lottery pick responded by posting career-high shooting percentages, earning an NBA All-Defense nod and helping steer Orlando to the playoffs, where the Magic lost in seven games to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Suggs spent a portion of his offseason with the USA Select squad in Las Vegas, helping the Olympic team prepare for the Summer Games in Paris, and is expected to see a “significant” increase in offensive responsibility during his fourth NBA season, according to Orlando coach Jamahl Mosley. Rather than add a traditional point guard to the roster, Orlando elected to sign a veteran shooting guard in Caldwell-Pope, presumably making Suggs the team’s primary playmaker in 2024-25. The former Zag guard is also seeking a contract extension – something most expected will get done by the team’s regular-season opener on Oct. 21.
Corey Kispert, Washington Wizards Experience: Fourth season (drafted No. 15 overall by Washington Wizards in 2021)
2023-24 numbers: 13.4
ppg, 2.8 rpg, 2.0 apg in 80 games
The situation: The former Gonzaga shooting guard posted career-high scoring and assist numbers last season, albeit while coming off the bench for a Wizards team that won 15 games
and finished with the league’s second-worst record. Kispert’s name has been floated in trade rumors and will become a restricted free agent if the Wizards don’t sign their former firstround pick to a contract extension before the Oct. 21 deadline. After making just 22 starts in 2023-24, Kispert sat on the bench in the team’s preseason opener with Washington electing to start Bilal Coulibaly, a first-round draft pick in 2023. The sharpshooting forward could sign a team-friendly contract and still wind up on the trading block, potentially giving Kispert the opportunity to resume his career with a title contender or playoff team, as opposed to a young Washington team expected to finish near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings.
Rui Hachimura, Los Angeles Lakers
Experience: Sixth season (drafted No. 9 overall by Washington Wizards in 2021)
2023-24 numbers: 13.6 ppg, 4.3 rpg in 68 games
The situation: After a calf injury forced him to leave the Japanese national team this summer at the Olympics, Hachimura returned to the Lakers without any lingering health issues and is expected to be a key piece for the team with first-year coach JJ Redick. Redick has already confirmed the team will open the season with the same five-man unit that posted a 23-10 record last season: Hachimura, LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Austin Reaves and D’Angelo Russell. Hachimura was especially effective with that group during a season in which he posted a career-high shooting percentage from the field (53.7%) and shot better than 40% from the 3-point line for just the second time in his career and first time since 2021-22. Hachimura has been vocally supportive of the Lakers’ coaching hire, recently telling reporters “he was just in the league, he knows exactly what’s happening in the league right now. For us, it’s easy to understand … whatever he says just makes sense.”
Brandon Clarke, Memphis Grizzlies Experience: Sixth season (drafted No. 21 overall by Memphis Grizzlies in 2019) 2023-24 numbers: 11.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 1.0 bpg in 6 games
The situation: Clarke returned from an Achilles injury in time to play six games for the Grizzlies near the end of last season, averaging 11.5 points and 5.3 rebounds in those contests. After making just 62 appearances over the last two years, Clarke is bracing for his first full season since 2021-22, and Memphis is expected to make noise in the Western Conference with Ja Morant back in the fold after the All-Star guard underwent season-ending shoulder surgery last year. Clarke’s started in just 30 of 243 career games and is projected to play a role off the bench for Memphis, which returns standout forward Jaren Jackson Jr. and brings in two-time national college player of the year Zach Edey, who’s currently the odds-on favorite to win Rookie of the Year honors. Jackson Jr., Edey and Clarke should form one of the NBA’s top defensive frontcourts, and the former Gonzaga big man hasn’t missed a beat since returning the floor, leading the Grizzlies with 17 points during a preseason opener against Dallas. Zach Collins, San Antonio Spurs
Experience: Seventh season (drafted No. 10 overall in 2017 by Portland Trail Blazers)
2023-24 numbers: 11.2 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 2.8 apg in 29 games
The situation: Not unexpectedly, Collins and the Spurs went through growing pains in 2023-24, settling for a 22-60 record during the first season with top overall pick Victor Wembanyama. Colling underwent surgery for an injury to his right shoulder – sustained in the third quarter of the team’s regular-season finale – and was cleared to participate in 5-on-5 work during the team’s training camp. Collins started in a career-high 29 games last season, but his name has been omitted from most lineup projections, meaning the 26-year-old will most likely spell Wembanyama at the center position or back up Harrison Barnes, Julian Champagnie or Jeremy Sochan at one of the forward spots. Getting back on the court will be Collins’ primary focus as the season approaches, but the veteran will also look to straighten out his perimeter shooting after watching his 3-percentage drop from 37% to 32% last season. Domantas Sabonis, Sacramento Kings
Experience: Ninth season (drafted No. 11 overall in 2016 by Oklahoma City Thunder)
2023-24 numbers: 19.4 ppg, 13.7 rpg, 8.2 apg in 82 games
The situation: The eighth season of Sabonis’ NBA career didn’t include a fourth All-Star appearance, even if many felt it should have warranted that after the big man posted his top scoring average since 2020-21, led the league in rebounding for the second consecutive season and earned All-NBA Third Team honors for the second time in as many years. The Lithuanian has plenty to look forward to in season No. 9. Sabonis is one of five subjects of the new Netflix docuseries “Starting 5,” along with LeBron James, Jayson Tatum, Jimmy Butler and Anthony Edwards. On the floor, he returns to a Sacramento team that should have high expectations in the Western Conference after signing perennial All-Star guard DeMar DeRozan. Kings coach Mike Brown has encouraged Sabonis to take more 3-point attempts this season after the forward made 37.9% on 1.1 3’s attempted per game in 2023-24 – the second-highest clip of his career. “If he’s going to shoot it at the same clip, or at least close to the same clip, now it’s just going to create more space for everybody,” Brown told local reporters. “... I’ve talked to him about it and he’s been working on it, but I’m not going to continue pressing him.” Kelly Olynyk, Toronto Raptors Experience: 12th season (drafted No. 13 overall by Boston Celtics in 2013) 2023-24 numbers: 9.8 ppg, 5.3 rpg in 78 games (50 with Utah Jazz) The situation: A midseason trade sent the veteran forward back to his hometown of Toronto, where Olynyk started in 19 of 28 games and averaged 12.7 points. Olynyk had a few months to settle into his new NBA home before linking up with fellow former Zag Nembhard and the Canadian national team to prepare for the Summer Olympics. The 33-year-old came off the bench in all four games at the Olympics but provided valuable leadership and mentorship as one of two captains of an otherwise young Canada team in Paris. Olynyk’s role during his first full season in Toronto could look similar. He’ll be one of the elder statesmen on a team built around the younger core of Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley and Gradey Dick, and likely the top candidate to back up 7-foot starting center Jakob Poeltl. The Raptors will hope Olynyk can maintain his shooting efficiency after making a career-high 55.5% from the field in 78 games with Utah and Toronto.
WASHINGTON STATE COUGARS
Jaylen Wells, Memphis Grizzlies Experience: Rookie (drafted No. 39 overall by Memphis Grizzlies in 2024)
2023-24 numbers: N/A
The situation: This time last year, it was unclear what Washington State would get out of Wells, at that time a high-level Division II transfer from Sonoma State. Few people, if any, projected Wells would lead the Cougars to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2008, or that the small forward would hear his name called early in the second round of the 2024 NBA draft. Wells has shown he belongs, averaging 13.2 points while helping Memphis reach the Las Vegas Summer League championship and scoring 13 points in 12 minutes off the bench in the team’s preseason opener against the Dallas Mavericks. It’ll be an uphill battle for Wells to crack the Grizzlies’ rotation as a rookie, but he should see floor time through the course of a long NBA season and could gain valuable experience suiting up for the G-League Memphis Hustle. Isaac Jones, Sacramento Kings
Experience: Rookie (signed undrafted free agent deal with the Sacramento Kings in 2024)
2023-24 numbers: N/A
The situation: Not unlike his WSU teammate, Jones made the most of a single season with Kyle Smith and the Cougars, and started appearing on draft boards late in the year. The forward/center who had stops at Wenatchee Valley College and Idaho before transferring to WSU didn’t hear his name called but was quickly scooped up by the Kings in free agency and signed a two-way contract with the franchise prior to NBA Summer League. Jones
posted solid numbers in Vegas, averaging 11.2 points and 6.4 rebounds, and recently drew praise from Sacramento coach Mike Brown during training camp. “(Jones) was 4 of 5 from three, but they were all catch-and-shoot shots where he got to his spot and the floor was spaced ... and he took the right shot in rhythm. That was great, but more importantly, I think he had 11 opportunities to crash and he crashed all 11 times and came up with some big rebounds... When you have players that are going to bring something special like that to the table, for me and the rest of the staff, that’s eye-opening.” Jones is expected to spend time with the NBA team in Sacramento and G-League squad in nearby Stockton, where he’ll team up with former GU standout Drew Timme, during his rookie season. Mouhamed Gueye, Atlanta Hawks Experience: Second season (drafted No. 39 overall by Charlotte Hornets in 2023) 2023-24 numbers: 4.0 ppg, 3.7 rpg in 6 games The situation: Atlanta valued the versatile WSU forward enough to use an early second-round pick on him in the 2023 draft, but Gueye’s rookie season didn’t go as planned as he spent most of the year recovering from a stress fracture in his back. Gueye returned in time to appear in four games for the G-League College Park Skyhawks and played in three games at Vegas Summer League, averaging 12.3 points and 5.3 rebounds. Gueye dealt with a minor hip injury leading up to training camp but was cleared to participate and played 11 minutes off the bench in a preseason opener against Indiana. During a media day interview, the ex-Coug said he’s emphasized growth on the defensive end of the floor during the offseason. “Being able to guard one through five,” Gueye said. “I think I was doing a
bad job using my hands and feet, but now I feel comfortable using them and I’d say no matter where on the floor, I’ll be ready to guard.” Gueye isn’t expected to be in Atlanta’s rotation when the season opens, but provided he stays healthy there should be more opportunities in year two for the former WSU standout. Klay Thompson, Dallas Mavericks Experience: 14th season (drafted No. 11 overall by Golden State Warriors in 2011)
2023-24 numbers: 17.9 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 2.3 apg in 77 games
The situation: The last time he wore something other than a Golden State Warriors uniform, Thompson was at Washington State playing for Ken Bone. It could take time to adjust to seeing one of the NBA’s best sharpshooters – and top two-way players for much of his career – in Dallas Mavericks threads and it could take Thompson awhile to adjust to new running mates Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving after developing chemistry with Steph Curry and Draymond Green the last 13 seasons. Thompson’s offensive numbers declined during his final year with the Warriors – the shooting guard saw his scoring average drop below 20 points for the first time since 2013-14 – but many suspect that playing alongside two other high-level scorers in Doncic and Irving will open things up for the 14th-year pro and create opportunities that didn’t exist the last few seasons at Golden State. “I might not be able to run as fast or jump as high, but I can still knock down open shots, and I think I can be that missing piece for (Dallas),” Thompson said in August while attending the Hometown Favorites basketball camp. “They can’t send as many double teams. They got to worry about playing the backside and giving up wide-open looks.”