3 Gonzaga basketball players who could enter the NCAA transfer portal after March Madness

Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs finished the 2025-26 season with a devastating loss in the Round of 32 to the Texas Longhorns, putting this team in offseason mode.

Gonzaga will lose five seniors from this 31-4 squad: Graham Ike, Jalen Warley, Tyon Grant-Foster, Adam Miller, and walk-on Noah Haaland. They may also lose Steele Venters, who will almost certainly need to pursue legal action against the NCAA to get an additional year of eligibility. While Venters missed two full seasons with knee and ankle injuries, redshirted in 2019-20, and shouldn't have 2020-21 count due to COVID, his five-year clock started back in 2019 and that will be a point of contention by the NCAA, just like it was for Grant-Foster.

But in this day and age, Gonzaga's roster movement is not limited only to graduating seniors and incoming freshmen. The transfer portal will almost certainly play a role in this offseason - for better or worse - with a few players potentially finding their way to a new program in 2026-27.

Right now, the Zags are set to return Braden Huff, Mario Saint-Supery, Davis Fogle, Emmanuel Innocenti, Braeden Smith, Ismaila Diagne, and redshirt forward Parker Jefferson, and will bring in three freshmen in 6'5 wing Luca Foster, 6'5 combo guard Jack Kayil, and 7'0 center Sam Funches.

With so many potential returners, this coaching staff will have a tough time finding room for everyone, while also getting key veteran additions in the transfer portal.

Below is a look at three players who could end up entering the portal and looking for a new school in 2026-27:

Point guard Braeden Smith

Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Braeden Smith. | Photo by Myk Crawford

Both Gonzaga's starting point guards from last year, Mario Saint-Supery and Braeden Smith, have the option to return to Spokane. But is there room for both of them after splitting the role almost down the middle last year?

Saint-Supery played 23.1 MPG on the year, while Smith was at 17.1. Both are capable of starting and playing 30+ minutes at the vast majority of college basketball programs, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see one of them pursue a bigger role - and potential payday - in the portal.

Gonzaga will do whatever it can to keep Saint-Supery, who has an insanely high upside after showing elite three-point shooting, strong defensive instincts, and developing playmaking skill throughout his first collegiate season.

Assuming Gonzaga gets Saint-Supery to stay, Smith might look to play a bigger role elsewhere for his final season of eligibility.

Center Ismaila Diagne

Diagne and redshirt Parker Jefferson will compete for minutes behind and alongside superstar Braden Huff in the frontcourt, and while Diagne has the advantage of playing each of the past two years, he didn't take advantage of those opportunities this past year.

The 7'0 big man from Senegal averaged 1.1 points and 2.4 rebounds in seven minutes per game, routinely being unable to stay on the floor due to foul trouble. He uses his size well as a rebounder and rim protector, but the foul issues and lack of offensive game make him a tough player to project as a key contributor next year.

With Jefferson and freshman Sam Funches knocking on the door, Diagne's time in Spokane could be coming to an end.

Forward Parker Jefferson

Jefferson is a player to keep an eye on after developing behind the scenes as a redshirt freshman in 2025-26. Gonzaga did this with Braden Huff, who was an instant contributor the following year, and hopes to get the same result for Jefferson.

However, the staff also got a good look at what kind of player he is capable of being behind the scenes, and if either side feels like the fit isn't as good as advertised, it could result in him moving on and starting over elsewhere. Without a ton of insight into how he looked this year, it's hard to know if he'll be the next Huff, or someone who never ends up suiting up for Gonzaga.