Collin Gillespie Shocks NBA: From Undrafted Villanova Guard to Denver Nuggets’ Clutch Playmaker

PHOENIX — Collin Gillespie’s breakout season with the Phoenix Suns is accelerating toward two milestones that could redefine both the franchise record book and this summer’s free-agency market. The third-year guard needs just 13 more made threes to eclipse the Suns’ single-season mark, a stunning leap for a player who began last year on a two-way contract and split time in the G League. Elevated to the rotation amid roster injuries and a system built around perimeter spacing, Gillespie has rewarded head coach Frank Vogel with career highs across the board: 13.3 points, 4.8 assists and a blistering 41.8 percent from deep while starting 36 of 55 games. Phoenix’s offense has flourished when the former Villanova star shares the floor with Devin Booker and Kevin Durant, stretching defenses and unlocking drive-and-kick lanes. According to Cleaning the Glass data cited by ESPN, the Suns are +4.8 points per 100 possessions with Gillespie on court, underscoring his two-way value. His catch-and-shoot rhythm has already produced a career-best eight threes in a single game this month, and he has logged five contests with at least five triples. The timing could not be better for the 25-year-old. Gillespie will enter unrestricted free agency in July, armed with Early Bird rights that allow Phoenix to offer up to four years and $66.6 million — but rival cap-space teams can exceed that figure if they believe his upward arc is sustainable. League insiders already list him among the top value guards available, citing his elite spot-up efficiency, improving pick-and-roll reads and tough on-ball defense. Internally, the Suns view Gillespie’s emergence as a blueprint for roster building: mine undervalued shooters, develop them in the Valley Suns program, then plug them into a star-heavy core. Externally, his rise signals that Phoenix’s perimeter-oriented identity is here to stay. Should Gillespie break the franchise three-point record — possibly as soon as next week’s home stand against the Mavericks and Clippers — it will further cement his case for a multi-year payday and give GM James Jones a looming cap conundrum. Beyond the numbers, Gillespie’s story resonates with fans craving grit. Undrafted in 2022, he rehabbed a fractured leg in his rookie year, learned the Suns’ system in summer league and reshaped his body to handle NBA physicality. Now he is the franchise’s feel-good success tale — and potentially its next long-term starting point guard. As the regular season winds down, every corner three he lets fly carries dual stakes: one eye on the record books, the other on a lucrative new contract. Break the mark, boost the playoff push, and Gillespie’s next signature — whether in Phoenix or elsewhere — could become one of the defining moves of the 2026 NBA offseason.