Braeden Smith becomes third Gonzaga guard to enter transfer portal, what it means for Bulldogs

Despite starting 18 games for Gonzaga, Smith's departure is not a huge surprise considering how his role diminished down the stretch, giving way to freshman Mario Saint-Supery, who took time to adjust to college basketball rules, while battling a nasty illness during the month of December.

The Seattle native started 17 of Gonzaga's first 26 games, playing 19 minutes and averaging 5.8 points and 4.2 assists. That included a season-high 21 points with seven assists on 7-10 shooting against Oregon in Portland and 15 points with eight assists on 6-8 shooting at Pepperdine to open up WCC play.

However, Smith ceded playing time to Saint-Supery over the final month plus of the season - starting just one of Gonzaga's final nine games and averaging 11.7 minutes, 3.1 points, and 2.0 assists per game.

Entering his senior year, it makes sense for Smith to look for one final payday and an opportunity to play a big role elsewhere in college basketball. Saint-Supery is expected back for his sophomore season and could be among CBB's biggest breakout candidates, now that he has a year of experience playing in Gonzaga's system under his belt.

Gonzaga also added a 20-year-old German guard in Jack Kayil, who can play both on and off the ball and is projected to be an instant contributor for the Bulldogs when he arrives stateside ahead of the 2026-27 season.

Smith won't have any shortage of suitors after a solid season in Spokane and a great career previously. After playing at Seattle Prep, Smith signed with Colgate in the Patriot League and blossomed into the conference Player of the Year in 2023-24, averaging 12.5 points and a league-leading 5.6 assists before transferring to Gonzaga and redshirting in 2024-25 to learn and grow behind senior point guard Ryan Nembhard.