Collin Gillespie went from a two-way contract to a place in Phoenix Suns history, finishing the season with a franchise-record 232 made three-pointers. He played 80 games and became one of the clearest surprises on a team that outperformed most preseason expectations.
Gillespie started last season on a two-way deal with Phoenix, then returned on a one-year contract and first came off the bench this season before moving into the starting lineup when Jalen Green was injured for most of the year. He stayed there the rest of the way, passing Quentin Richardson on the Suns' list for made three-pointers in a season while averaging 12.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.2 steals in almost 29 minutes a night.
The jump mattered because his earlier role had been limited by injuries to the roster last season, and this year’s version of Phoenix looked different from the start. New head coach Jordan Ott pushed a fast-paced, three-point-heavy and defensive style, and Gillespie fit it almost immediately. What began as a depth signing became a defining part of the season, and Phoenix will enter the offseason with one more reminder that the right role can change everything.
Gillespie’s breakthrough also came alongside another roster rebound. Jordan Goodwin returned to Phoenix this year after not fitting in during his first stint with the team, after the Los Angeles Lakers waived him and the Suns picked him up off waivers this offseason. Goodwin competed with Jared Butler for the final roster spot, underscoring how thin the margins were even as Phoenix found players who could stay on the floor and make the system work.