Former Gonzaga standout Zach Collins talks season derailed by injuries, upcoming offseason and rise of Zags in NBA
DALLAS – Zach Collins’ past year with the Chicago Bulls was defined by his time off the floor.
Collins, the former Gonzaga big man, missed the start of the season with a broken left wrist. After returning for a 10-game stretch where he averaged nearly 10 points and 5.6 rebounds, Collins suffered a sprained right toe that required season-ending surgery in February.
Collins was with the Bulls in Dallas last month when the team wrapped up the regular season against the Mavericks in Dallas, and sat down to talk about the season, the joy of facing off against the GU alums and his upcoming NBA free agency.
‘It’ll be good to reset’
Collins, 28, who just completed his ninth NBA season, will focus on getting healthy and strong over the summer after a season marred by injuries.
“I’ve had some time obviously being off,” said Collins, who spent the past two seasons with Chicago following stops in Portland (where he was drafted 10th in the 2017 NBA draft) and San Antonio. “There’s not much positive you can take from it. The only positive I can hang my hat on is I really locked in last summer, came in in really good shape, and all the things that I’d worked on in the summer were showing themselves in the games that I did play.
“So, now I just got to take that into this summer and have the same goal and come back ready to play next year. Again, just take everything up a notch, learn from this year, learn from things I could do even better to prevent injuries. That’s probably the biggest positive I can take away. As a team, it’s been a very weird year. It’ll be good to reset.”
The Bulls’ season was a bit of a train wreck, highlighted by big deals at the trade deadline, the later firing of both their general manager and their president of basketball operations, and culminating with head coach Billy Donovan stepping down after a 31-51 finish.
Collins said he enjoyed playing for Donovan, who was with Chicago for six seasons.
“I think (it’s) his ability to keep it real with his players and really everybody in the organization,” Collins said of what impressed him about Donovan, who won back-to-back NCAA titles with Florida. “Top to bottom, you can ask anybody, you’re never going to think there’s a gray area with Billy, you’re always going to know where you stand with him, what your position is on the team, how he feels about you as a person, what he sees your future looking like, what he needs from you. He’s always been very straightforward from the first day I got here.
“I’ve always appreciated that and on top of that, I just love his play style as a coach. The way he likes to move the ball and get everybody involved, that’s something I’ve always thrived in.”
Cheering on former coaches
Collins, the first McDonald’s All -American to sign with GU, played just one season in Spokane, but his Gonzaga roots still run deep. He was part of a Zags team that came up short in the 2017 NCAA title game against North Carolina.
And he was thrilled last month when Gonzaga coach Mark Few was elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
“I think it’s very well deserving and it was only a matter of time,” Collins said. “I texted him right away (when I found out). He’s a legend and I’m very lucky to have played for him. I’m definitely happy he’s getting that recognition.”
Collins says he also enjoyed watching Tommy Lloyd’s success at Arizona. The former GU assistant led the Wildcats to the Final Four in 2026.
“Every time I see those guys like coach Few and Tommy, I would just think back to the memories we made playing and winning games with each other,” Collins said. “It’s no surprise that everybody has been so successful and for this long. Definitely happy to watch Tommy go out there and kill it.”
Rise of NBA Zags
Collins has also loved watching his fellow ex-Zags shine on the court. He had a front-row seat for Ryan Nembhard’s near triple-double in the Mavericks’ 149-128 win against the Bulls in the season finale. Nembhard’s 23 assists shattered the Mavs rookie record, which was previously held by Dallas coach Jason Kidd.
“Both of the Nembhard brothers (Ryan and Indiana’s Andrew), they just play with a whole lot of confidence,” Collins said. “They are both super skilled and when you combine that with that mindset, the sky’s the limit.
“I think the bigs and guards who come out of Gonzaga, for some reason they’re very successful in the NBA. It’s so cool to watch more and more guys come out of Gonzaga and be successful. … It’s fun to watch.”
Arizona State transfer Massamba Diop, who committed to GU last week, seems like another player that will benefit greatly playing for Few, Collins said.
“Dude, I’m always happy to see these bigs develop,” Collins said. “I know how hard they work over there, especially those nights after practice, those mornings before school. I know how hard they work, so to see that work come through and go out there and dominate and earn a spot in the NBA and be successful, always excited to watch that.”
Looking ahead to next season
With the Bulls in full rebuild mode, Collins is likely headed elsewhere. His first foray in free agency went well when he landed in San Antonio on a three-year, $22 million deal with the Spurs in August 2021.
This time will be a completely different experience for several reasons, he explained.
“Yeah, I was in free agency after my fourth year with Portland. The one thing that was weird about that one was all the COVID stuff and coming out of that, so scheduling was off, visits were weird, communication,” Collins said. “It was kind of a wild situation, but I have good people around me. I have a great agent. Mentally, that’s who I rely on, and I think I’ll do the same this summer.”
Stephen Hunt is a freelance writer based in Frisco, Texas.