Corey Kispert traded and other updates on Gonzaga stars in the NBA

The Gonzaga Bulldogs have been among the most prolific college basketball programs at producing NBA talent under Mark Few, as evidenced by the 12 different alumni currently playing at the game's highest level.

Few and his staff have found a way to turn players from all sorts of backgrounds into NBA players - including international players like Rui Hachimura and Domantas Sabonis, transfer gems like Brandon Clarke and the Nembhard brothers, and high school recruits like Chet Holmgren, Jalen Suggs, and Corey Kispert.

The biggest news surrounding NBA Zags right now involves Kispert, who was dealt on Wednesday by the Washington Wizards alongside veteran guard CJ McCollum to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for All-Star point guard Trae Young, an unexpected blockbuster that sends Young to his preferred destination in the nation's capital.

Kispert was drafted by Washington as the No. 15 pick in the 2021 NBA draft, coming off an All-American season for the Zags. He averaged 10.9 points in 25.5 MPG across 311 games with the Wizards, while shooting 62.4% on two pointers and 38.3% from deep.

This year, in 19 games, Kispert averaged 9.2 points and shot 39.5% from three, although a hamstring injury has limited him to just two games since Nov. 25.

Nov 16, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards forward Corey Kispert (24). | Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images

The 6'7 wing will provide quality depth and floor spacing for the Hawks, who are set to rebuild around young stars Jalen Johnson, Zaccharie Risacher, and Dyson Daniels.

Unfortunately, the other major storyline for Zags in the NBA has been injuries. Three-time All-Star Domantas Sabonis has been out since mid-November with a knee injury, and a recent report indicated the Kings' big man is expected to remain on the shelf until late January.

Orlando guard Jalen Suggs has appeared in just 23 of the Magic's 37 games, continuing a long history of missing time since coming into the league in 2021. Brandon Clarke (2 games) and Zach Collins (10 games) have failed to stay healthy for Memphis and Chicago, respectively, while Andrew Nembhard, Julian Strawther, and Rui Hachimura have missed time as well.

There have been plenty of positives, however, including the play of Oklahoma City big man Chet Holmgren, who is averaging a career-high in points (18.3) and rebounds (8.3) along with 1.8 blocks while shooting 66.3% on twos and 37.7% from three for the first-place Thunder.

Jan 7, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder center/forward Chet Holmgren (7). | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Likewise, Ryan Nembhard, who went undrafted despite one of the most prolific passing seasons in college basketball history, has been tearing it up on a two-way contract for the Dallas Mavericks.

Nembhard has already started 16 out of 24 games played and is averaging 7.3 points and 5.0 assists while shooting 39.3% from deep. His brother Andrew has been terrific as well, having stepped into a bigger role for Indiana following the season-ending injury to Tyrese Haliburton. Andrew is averaging a career-best 17.2 points and 7.0 assists, while shooting 35.4% from three and playing elite on-ball defense.

A few other notable highlights include Julian Strawther posting a season-high 13 points on 5-6 shooting for the Denver Nuggets on the road against Orlando, a ten point, ten rebound double-double from Zach Collins in 24 minutes for Chicago against Milwaukee, and Kelly Olynyk passing 2,000 career assists as part of a 10 point, five rebound, three assist performance for San Antonio at Indiana.

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