NBA trade rumors: Could former Gonzaga teammates reunite in Orlando?
The unofficial start to NBA trade rumor season is here, and there are a few former Gonzaga men's basketball stars who could be moved this winter.
Utah Jazz post and longest tenured Gonzaga player in the NBA currently, Kelly Olynyk, could be reunited with the team he started his career with, the Boston Celtics. According to insider Marc Stein. Boston has reportedly been "monitoring" Olynyk's situation in Utah (13-18). Olynyk spent the first four seasons of his career with the Celtics and played in 26 playoff games, 18 of which came during the team's run to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2017.
Since then, the 6-foot-11 Canadian has bounced around to four different teams. In 28 games this season, Olynyk has averaged 7.9 points, 5.5 assists and 4.5 rebounds in just over 20 minutes per game. His experience, size, shooting and playmaking ability could be of value for a contender like the Celtics, who are among the favorites to reach the NBA Finals behind Jayson Tatum, Jalen Brown, Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis.
As well as Boston, both the Los Angeles Clippers and New Orleans Pelicans could pursue Olynyk. Bleacher Report listed Olynyk as a realistic trade target for the two Western Conference teams. Olynyk, whose $12.2 million contract expires in the offseason, has been linked to New Orleans since the start of the 2023-24 season.
Elsewhere, Corey Kispert could reunite with former Gonzaga teammate Jalen Suggs with the Orlando Magic, according to Bleacher Report. Kispert, 24, was listed as a realistic trade target for the upstart Magic (18-12) to provide depth and outside shooting as the team looks to make the playoffs for the first time since the 2019-20 season. Meanwhile the Wizards (5-25) are likely to stockpile as many first-round draft picks as possible.
Kispert is averaging 11.2 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.5 assists while shooting 38.2% on 3-point attempts (5.4 attempts per game). He's come off the bench for all but one of his 29 games played this season. Washington picked up his $5.71 million team option for the 2024-25 season, but that doesn't protect him from being traded before the deadline.
A fresh start in Orlando alongside his former college teammate would be quite the scenario for Kispert. Especially considering Suggs is off to his best start as a pro — 12.7 points per game on 47.6% shooting from the floor, including 37.0% on 3-point attempts. After dealing with injuries for much of his first two seasons in the association, he's managed to not only stay on the floor for the Magic, but to also contribute positively to winning basketball.
Winning is something he became accustomed to in his short time with Kispert at Gonzaga. The 2020-21 squad went 31-1 while leading the country in points scored, field goal percentage and offensive efficiency. Suggs put up 14.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game as the third leading scorer behind Drew Timme and Kispert.
