Collin Gillespie’s rise comes full circle on Valley Suns’ final day
· Yahoo Sports
TEMPE — On the last day of their season, the Valley Suns are honoring one of the most successful players to come through their development program — Phoenix Suns guard Collin Gillespie.
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Mar 24, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (27) defends against Phoenix Suns guard Collin Gillespie (12) in the first half at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
The club will give away a Gillespie bobblehead to the first 1,000 fans in attendance on March 25, honoring his journey from a two-way player to a crucial piece of the Suns’ rotation, as the team looks for a deep NBA postseason run. The night has lined up perfectly with the history he is currently chasing with Phoenix — the single-season 3-point record.
As of March 25, he’s only seven 3-pointers away from taking the record from Quentin Richardson, who had 226 made in the 2004-05 season.
Head coach Paul Jesperson, who coached Gillespie during his time in the Valley, isn’t shocked to see Gillespie’s rise in the NBA and notes the little things he did in the G League as the reason for his success now.
“Collin is the ultimate professional,” Jesperson said postgame on March 24. “That’s the easiest way to describe him as far as just his consistency with the habits. That’s really what the G League is about. It’s about developing habits. So that says early on in your professional career or later on in your professional career, you have something that’s sustainable that you can fall back on to hopefully have a long career.”
Mar 24, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Collin Gillespie (12) shoots the ball against Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (27) in the first half at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
In the G League with the Valley in the 2024-25 season, he averaged 21.2 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 11.1 assists while shooting 42.9% from the field in 10 games. It was his efficiency and quick style of play that earned him a one-year standard contract during the 2025 offseason.
So far in 2025-26, Gillespie is averaging 13.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 4.7 assists while shooting 43.0% from the field. Even when made a starter at times with the team dealing with injuries, the guard has continued to contribute at a high level — no matter when he’s put in.
Mar 16, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Collin Gillespie (12) shoots the ball against Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (15) in the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
“He’s the ultimate competitor,” said Jesperson. “I’m not shocked at all to see the success he’s having up there with those guys. So, super happy for him that he’s on the verge of that. Super happy that he’s having a ton of individual success this year, and then obviously the Suns collectively are playing very well this year.”
As he continues to help the Suns in their postseason push during the final stretch of the NBA season, the Valley hasn’t forgotten the contributions he made in Tempe.
Gillespie is no longer looking for opportunity — he’s grabbed it, run with it, and doesn’t look to slow down.
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Wendy Lopez is a reporter for Burn City Sports. You can follow her on her X account, @wlopezde
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