3 transfers Gonzaga could target for its final roster spot

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Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs currently have 12 of 15 roster spots full as they look to put the finishing touches on the first group to play in the new-look Pac-12 this upcoming season.
The team also has three players in the midst of ongoing eligibility battles: 23-year-old French guard Nathan de Sousa, 21-year-old Real Madrid big man Izan Almansa, and 26-year-old St. Francis transfer Skylar Wicks.
Should all three get eligible and remain committed to Gonzaga, the Zags would still have one open roster spot because Alonzo Metz - who walked onto the team last year - is a 'designated student-athlete', meaning he does not count against the 15-man roster limits imposed by the House Settlement last year.
Gonzaga's recent additions of Dayton transfer Javon Bennett and Florida State transfer Chauncey Wiggins give the team a new look starting lineup - adding experience, three-point shooting, and depth across the board.
However, the team is still on the hunt for another big-time guard - with multiple targets that could push Bennett into an elite sixth-man role for coach Few's club.
Below is a look at three potential guard targets for Gonzaga, including their updated eligibility status and fit in Spokane:
1. Xaivian Lee, Point Guard, Florida Gators

Lee was a hot commodity in the transfer portal last spring after a phenomenal junior year at Princeton, but he ended up having an up-and-down senior season with Florida. He averaged 11.6 points with a very solid 4.2 assist to 1.7 turnover ratio, but his once-strong outside shooting plummeted to 29.2% in the SEC with the Gators.
That could give Gonzaga some pause, as shooting remains an area of need, but the recent additions of Wiggins and Bennett do help in that regard - making a pass-first point guard who isn't a great shooter an easier addition to stomach.
The bigger issue is Lee's eligibility. Lee announced plans to enter the transfer portal after the ruling in Colorado granted eligibility to all class of 2022 players, but it was clarified a few days later that only players who entered the transfer portal in the April window were eligible to play for a new team in 2026-27.
Lee would need another ruling in order to transfer to Gonzaga, and that doesn't include the question of his pro status. The 6'4 guard played with the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Summer League, with some outlets reporting he signed an Exhibit 10 deal - which could make him ineligible.
However, Jon Chepkevich reported Lee was one of many players who has yet to execute his professional contract, a situation the NCAA will evaluate before determining eligibility in Lee's case.
2. Donovan Dent, Point Guard, UCLA Bruins

Long thought to be Gonzaga's top priority, Donovan Dent announced plans to pursue a fifth year of eligibility less than 48 hours after GU lost Mario Saint-Supery - which most felt wasn't a coincidence.
Dent averaged a ridiculous 7.6 assists per game last year with UCLA, and as a junior, he won Mountain West Player of the Year at New Mexico after averaging 20.4 points and 6.4 assists while shooting over 40% from three.
Dent is clearly the best pure PG available on the market, but like Lee, Dent is currently not eligible to play anywhere other than UCLA. However, Dent is part of a lawsuit filed in the state of California that - if an injunction is granted - would likely give him permission to play wherever he chooses in 2026-27. Gonzaga could very well be the place for the 6'3 guard - and his arrival would vault this team into national championship contention.
3. BJ Edwards, Guard, SMU Mustangs

Lee and Dent are arguably more 'pure' point guards than Edwards, but he is by far the best three-point shooter of the bunch - drilling 37.2% of his 4.0 attempts per game as a senior last year at SMU in the ACC. He ultimately averaged 12.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, 4.9 assists, and a conference-leading 2.3 steals per game in 2025-26.
Edwards is also the cleanest from an eligibility standpoint, as he was part of the lawsuit in Tennessee that granted all plaintiffs immediate eligibility and the right to transfer wherever they see fit for this upcoming season.
The 6'2 guard would start over Bennett, giving Gonzaga another shooting weapon in the lineup alongside Wiggins - while adding above-average perimeter defense and strong facilitation skills. His career 3.4 to 1.5 assist to turnover ratio is more than adequate for coach Few's system, making him a very solid option to round out the roster heading into the Pac-12 in 2026-27.

Andy Patton is a diehard fan and alumnus of Gonzaga, graduating in 2013. He’s been the host of the Locked On Zags podcast covering Gonzaga basketball since 2021, and one of two co-hosts on the Locked On College Basketball podcast since 2022. In addition to covering college basketball, Andy has dabbled in sports writing and podcasting across nearly every major sport dating back to 2017. He was a beat writer covering the Seattle Seahawks from 2017–2021 for USA TODAY, where he also spent one year each covering the USC Trojans and Oregon Ducks, and had a stint as the lead writer for College Sports Wire. Andy has also written about the NBA, NHL, and MLB for various news outlets through TEGNA, including KREM in Spokane, CBS8 in San Diego, and KING 5 in Seattle. After stints in Spokane and Seattle, Andy is back in Oregon near his hometown with his wife, daughter, and dog.
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