Gonzaga's Malachi Smith declares for 2023 NBA Draft
Gonzaga guard Malachi Smith declared for the 2023 NBA Draft on Wednesday. The 6-foot-4 redshirt junior joined Julian Strawther as the second Zag to turn pro this week.
Smith averaged 8.7 points and 3.6 rebounds this past season and was named the West Coast Conference Sixth Man of the Year.
After winning Southern Conference Player of the Year in 2021-22 at Chattanooga, Smith joined Gonzaga last season where he was the first player off Mark Few’s bench.
Smith was by far Gonzaga’s most efficient guard during the NCAA Tournament. He shot 57.1% from the field and 55.6% from deep during the Zags' run to the Elite Eight. The team’s starting backcourt, Nolan Hickman and Rasir Bolton, shot a combined 4-for-23 on 3s in that span.
Bolton's graduation, along with Dominick Harris and Hunter Sallis entering the transfer portal and Strawther declaring for the 2023 NBA Draft, leaves a gaping hole in Gonzaga's backcourt.
