Collin Gillespie open to any role once Jalen Green returns for Suns
Though he has showed the skill of a starting point guard, Suns' Collin Gillespie is happy to let Jalen Green lead when he makes his return.
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Phoenix Suns guard Collin Gillespie has earned lots of respect for his impressive beginning to the season, but he won’t let hubris get in the way when it comes to Jalen Green’s coming return post-Christmas.
“He’s done so much in the league to deserve a starting spot. I’ve seen all the stuff,” Gillespie told Arizona Sports’ Bickley & Marotta on Friday. “I’d love to come off the bench, if I need to start, I’ll start but to me it doesn’t matter. I want to win.
“JG has earned the right to start for this team. … He’s one of our leaders, one of our best players. We can’t wait to get him back.”
From a two-way player who was dished out some minutes at the backend of last season to a fill-in starting point guard with some serious feel in the clutch, Gillespie’s rapid ascent hasn’t blinded him to the tangibles that Green will bring.
“He’ll help us drastically on the floor … offensively, defensively, put pressure on the rim. He’ll be able to guard guys, pressure people and he’s an elite scorer and playmaker,” Gillespie added.
The 26-year-old out of Villanova, due to his 42.6% clip from 3 and Phoenix being without Green or Devin Booker of late, is beginning to see extra defensive attention. Look no further than a 1-for-5 performance on Wednesday against the NBA-best Oklahoma City Thunder.
Booker is expected to return from a right groin strain on Sunday versus the Los Angeles Lakers or Thursday against the Golden State Warriors. Green (right hamstring strain) just entered the four-week portion of his four-to-six-week return table on Tuesday.
While teams may not overlook Gillespie any longer, attention will once again head to the back court originally planned during the past offseason.
That won’t change how Gillespie operates and the mentality that he’s carried his whole basketball career.
He used the well-known quote, “comparison is the thief of joy,” when describing his journey of shooting for a roster spot at the University of Delaware while growing up in Philadelphia only to make enough of an impression on Jay Wright to earn his way to Villanova. Despite being named the Big East Player of the Year in 2021 and 2022, Gillespie went undrafted in 2022 before finding a first professional home on the Denver Nuggets’ G League team, Grand Rapids Gold.
“My journey is my journey, I wouldn’t trade it for anything else,” Gillespie said. “There’s a certain aspect to people not believing in you and having a chip on your shoulder, and I think that’s just how I grew up, how I’ve always played. I’ll never lose that.
“I remember where I started.”
Dillon Brooks, another key player so far for Phoenix, anointed Gillespie his “Villain Jr.” late in the offseason and now Gillespie and his counterpart Jordan Goodwin have been dubbed “the Killer G’s” for their combined shows of tenacity. Gillespie said the nature of the whole team is “ultra-competitiveness” and that’s why they “gel so well together.”
“We’re proving a lot to ourselves.”
Collin Gillespie isn’t worried about what the rest of the league thinks about the Phoenix Suns. This year has been about meeting their own expectations.
More on the @Bickley_Marotta conversation: https://t.co/fpYP7y9ueq pic.twitter.com/xY6Z3l6H6i
— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) December 12, 2025
Entering Sunday against L.A., Gillespie is averaging 13.1 points, 3.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists in his 27 minutes per game. He has also registered at least four assists in 17 of 25 games, with six of those being starts.
He has good vibes to say the least when it comes to the Lakers, as Gillespie put up career-bests in points (28) and 3s (eight) in a 125-108 win at Crypto.com Arena back on Dec. 1.
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Comments
20 Comments
Actually it won't cost Phoenix much to retain Gillespie. Phoenix is now limited in what they can offer Gillespie since they only signed him to a one-year deal. They hold his Early Bird Rights and can only offer 175% of the $2.3 million they signed him to OR 105% of the league last season, whichever is more.
What the Suns do offer are minutes on the court. So IMO it is pure nonsense to hand Green a starting job at mid-season. Green should have to earn his minutes like everybody not named Devin Booker. The former 2nd overall pick (Green) has managed to play himself off a playoff team in Houston after four seasons after disappearing in Houston's 1st rd playoff series loss to the Warriors.
In Trump's infamous words, "I like players who are winners!"
Agree though did you have to mention that name in your last sentence??
Honestly I think CG is the guy who starts regardless of who is back or who is not back. My opinion is that these are your FOR SURE your 3 starters regardless. CG, Brooks and Williams. Coach Ott will have to figure the other 2 starters and the rotations of everybody else. You have Green, Brooks, Oso, Dunn, Mason, Goodwin, O'Neale, and Richards... I want to mention Booo-YA as he has been nice little surprise helping Suns out, the little fella got some game.