Oct. 27—Twelve former Gonzaga players appeared on NBA opening day rosters and five more could be one call away as they open the 2026-27 season in the NBA’s G League.
Two members of last year’s Gonzaga team, Jalen Warley and Tyon Grant-Foster, will start their professional careers in the G League, along with another trio of former Bulldogs that includes Anton Watson, Nolan Hickman and David Stockton.
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Warley signed with the Indiana Pacers’ G League affiliate, the Noblesville Boom, after agreeing to join the Eastern Conference franchise at NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, where he impressed coaches and front office personnel with his defensive play and versatility.
Grant-Foster didn’t stick with the San Antonio Spurs after a Summer League assignment, but managed to sign on with the Miami Heat’s G League squad, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, after being selected No. 15 overall during Saturday’s G League draft.
Entering his third professional season since leaving GU, Watson, a Gonzaga Prep product, is returning to the Los Angeles’ Lakers G League affiliate but will be playing home games in a different arena after the team switched from South Bay, playing in El Segundo, to Coachella Valley in Palm Desert.
Watson was one of South Bay’s top performers last year, averaging 11.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.3 steals over 36 games and 24 starts.
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Hickman is returning to the Capital City Go-Go (Washington Wizards) for the second season since going undrafted in 2025. The former Gonzaga guard was a part-time starter for Capital City last season, starting in 17 of 33 games, and averaged 10.8 ppg and 3.6 apg while shooting 43% from the field and 39.5% from the 3-point line.
Stockton, who recently agreed to a deal with the Valley Suns (Phoenix Suns), is back for his sixth stint in the G League after spending a year with Piratas de Quebradillas of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional in Puerto Rico. The former GU point guard and son of Gonzaga legend John Stockton played for the Valley Suns in 2024-25 and could share the court this season with Drew Timme, who’s on a two-way deal with Phoenix.
Timme is one of four ex-Zags who could split their time between the NBA and G League this season. Graham Ike (Golden State Warriors), Ryan Nembhard (Denver Nuggets) and Malachi Smith (Toronto Raptors) also entered the 2026-27 campaign on two-way contracts.
Guard Hunter Sallis, who played two seasons at Gonzaga before transferring to Wake Forest returns to the G League San Diego Clippers (Los Angeles Clippers), while wing Michael Ajayi, who spent a season in Spokane between stops at Pepperdine and Butler, is on a two-way deal with the Charlotte Hornets after going undrafted in June.
