SAN BRUNO, Calif. – The West Coast Conference is well represented as the National Basketball Association begins its 2025 season tonight. In all, 14 former standouts that competed in the Conference are on NBA opening night rosters. 10 former Gonzaga student-athletes can be found on rosters across the association. The Memphis Grizzlies and Oklahoma City Thunder lead with two players each on their respective team.
Oklahoma Ciy Runs It Back With West Coast Conference Stars
Headlining the list of former West Coast Conference players on NBA rosters are Gonzaga's Chet Holmgren and Santa Clara's Jalen Williams, two of the stars who helped bring the Oklahoma City Thunder their first NBA Championship since 1979. In the NBA Finals against the Indiana Pacers, Holmgren averaged 12.3 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.6 blocks while shooting .395 from the field. Williams averaged 23.6 points, including a playoff career-high 40 points in Game 5, 5.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists while shooting .433 from the field. With the two West Coast Conference stars paired with 2025 NBA MVP and Finals MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, look for the Thunder to once again make some noise in the NBA this year.
While the Indiana Pacers' historical run came just short last year, a lot of their success in the playoffs was thanks to former Gonzaga guard Andrew Nembhard. In the playoffs, on top of stellar defense, Nembhard averaged 12.5 points, 4.7 assists and 1.5 steals while shooting .465 from three. The Indiana Pacers with Andrew Nembhard hope to continue with playoff success once again this year.
Elsewhere in the Association, 3x NBA All-Star and former Gonzaga standout Domantas Sabonis looks to continue his rebounding streak, leading the NBA in rebounds since 2023. After averaging 16.2 points last season, former Zags star Jalen Suggs will look to help the Orlando Magic make the playoffs for the third season in a row.
| Name |
School |
NBA Team |
| Brandon Clarke |
Gonzaga |
Memphis Grizzlies |
| Zach Collins |
Gonzaga |
Chicago Bulls |
| Rui Hachimura |
Gonzaga |
Los Angeles Lakers |
| Chet Holmgren |
Gonzaga |
Oklahoma City Thunder |
| Corey Kispert |
Gonzaga |
Washington Wizards |
| Jock Landale |
Saint Mary's |
Memphis Grizzlies |
| Jonathan Mogbo |
San Francisco |
Toronto Raptors |
| Andrew Nembhard |
Gonzaga |
Indiana Pacers |
| Kelly Olynyk |
Gonzaga |
San Antonio Spurs |
| Brandin Podziemski |
Santa Clara |
Golden State Warriors |
| Julian Strawther |
Gonzaga |
Denver Nuggets |
| Domantas Sabonis |
Gonzaga |
Sacremento Kings |
| Jalen Suggs |
Gonzaga |
Orlando Magic |
| Jalen Williams |
Santa Clara |
Oklahoma City Thunder |