There is no debate here. Collin Gillespie has outplayed his contract. He has forced his way into the conversation of “where this team would even be without him?”. The Phoenix Suns sit at 15-13, seventh in the Western Conference, and very much ahead of schedule. A real chunk of that belongs to CG12, the third year guard out of Villanova who decided that being ignored was not an option.
That work did not go unnoticed. Gillespie earned a spot on Bobby Marks’ NBA All Value team for ESPN, a list reserved
for players delivering far more than their paycheck suggests. These are the needle movers, the guys who tilt outcomes without tilting the cap sheet.
So what did Marks have to say about Gillespie?
Gillespie’s strong play after the 2025 All-Star break carried over.
Last season, he started nine games on a two-way contract, averaging 24.1 minutes and 9.6 points after the break. Inserted into the Suns’ starting lineup in late November this season, Gillespie has averaged 16.6 points and 4.8 assists while shooting 40.3% on 3s.
He has four games of at least 20 points and racked up 28 in a road win over the Lakers on Dec. 1.
Gillespie is considered by NBA scouts to be one of the top unrestricted point guards of the 2026 offseason. Because Gillespie has early Bird rights, he is eligible to sign up to a four-year, $67 million contract with Phoenix as a free agent.
Collin Gillespie went on a fever dream run from November 13 through December 1. He averaged 18 points per game on 50/49/100 splits, with 4.6 assists and 1.5 steals across that stretch. It is no surprise the Phoenix Suns went 6-4 during that time.
The last six games tell a different story on the surface. Gillespie is averaging 12.7 points on 38/27/94 splits. Some of that comes down to competition. Houston. Minnesota. Oklahoma City. The Lakers. Two games against Golden State. That stretch is not forgiving. But some of it is also respect. Teams are in the film room. They are building game plans around him. They are working to take away what he does best. That is the real measure of value. How much preparation you force on the other side?
After Anthony Edwards said number 12 was a good basketball player, the shift was obvious. The league took notice. The team shop did too, now selling T shirts quoting Edwards on the skill set Gillespie brings to the floor.
He is entering the next phase of professional basketball. This is the part where teams adjust with the sole purpose of stopping you.
I think about baseball prospects who come up on fire. The first ten games, everything leaves the yard. Then the league spins a slider. They want to see if you can handle the curve. That is the real test of staying power. You have to adjust to the adjustment. Right now, Collin Gillespie is living inside that fight.
It will help when Jalen Green returns. Collin can slide back into a more natural role and start building his counters. Through the first third of the season, he belongs on the Bobby Marks All-Value team. He has been central to the unexpected success of the Phoenix Suns. Now we are entering the dog days. Film rooms are locked in. Trends have been spotted. The league is paying attention.
The next stretch will tell us how real this growth is, and whether Gillespie can keep thriving with the spotlight fully on him.
