Mutual interest pays off as Suns, Collin Gillespie reach $48 million deal

The feeling has been mutual for the Phoenix Suns.

Seeing the two sides come together on a new deal shouldn’t come as a surprise.

The Suns are looking to sign the unrestricted free agent to a four-year, $48-million contract, sources confirmed Saturday to the Arizona Republic.

ESPN’s Shams Charania tweeted the news earlier in the day.

Gillespie told the Republic back in April during Phoenix’s first-round playoff series against Oklahoma City that discussions were already underway about staying in Phoenix.

“It hasn't changed,” Gillespie later said after the Thunder swept the Suns. “I still want to be here. The front office knows that. Everybody knows that in the building. I'm sure we'll figure it out when that time comes."

Gillespie averaged a career-high 12.7 points in his second season with the Suns as the 6-foot-1-inch guard out of Villanova set a franchise record for 3s in a single season with 232.

He shot 40.1% from 3 and a career-high 87.4% from the free throw line. Gillespie scored a career-high 30 points, going 8-of-14 from 3, and posted 10 assists in a 130-125 win Feb. 3 at Portland.

"To do it at that size man, it's hard to do in the league, but that's a testament to his work,” Suns All-Star Devin Booker said about Gillespie during the 2025-26 season. “He puts the work in. He doesn't cheat any day. Super proud of him. I love being out there on the court with him. He's never going to look back the rest of his career.”

In his first career playoff series, Gillespie averaged 10.5 points, five rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.3 steals and connected on 40% of his 3s.

Gillespie joined Phoenix on a two-way contract in 2024-25 after starting his career with the Denver Nuggets. He ended his five-year run at Villanova in 2021-22.

The 26-year-old then agreed to just a one-year deal to make him an unrestricted free agent, but he was always looking to stay with the Suns.

“I would like to be here long-term,” Gillespie said last November. “It's 15 games into the season. There's a ton of time. I'm not even worried about that or focused on that right now. Just play the year out. Hopefully have a really good year. Win a lot of games and then focus on it after the season, but I would like to be here long-term.”

Gillespie, who will turn 27 years old on June 25, played a total of 57 games in his previous two seasons before 2025-26.

This past season, he played 80 games with a career-high 58 starts.

“He’s an incredible worker, high character,” Suns coach Jordan Ott said about Gillespie during the season. “Goes about his business. Not a rah-rah guy.”