Last Updated on July 21, 2026 by Mat Diekhake

Zach Collins is a skilled big man whose combination of size, passing ability, and outside shooting allows him to contribute in ways that go beyond traditional center play. Despite overcoming significant injury setbacks early in his career, Collins has earned a reputation as a tough, intelligent frontcourt presence capable of protecting the rim, spacing the floor, and making winning plays.

Here’s the detailed information about Zach Collins:

  • Full Name: Zach Collins
  • Nationality: American
  • Age: Born November 19, 1997
  • Hometown: Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
  • Height: 7 feet 0 inches (213 cm)
  • Weight: 250 pounds (113 kg)
  • Wingspan: 7 feet 1 inch (216 cm)
  • Shoe Size: 17 (US Men’s)
  • Jersey Number:
    • #32 — Gonzaga Bulldogs
    • #33 — Portland Trail Blazers
    • #23 — San Antonio Spurs
    • #12 — Chicago Bulls
  • Position: Power Forward / Center
  • High School: Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, Nevada
  • College: Gonzaga University (2016–2017)
  • NBA Draft: 2017, 1st round, 10th overall pick by the Sacramento Kings (traded to the Portland Trail Blazers)
  • Player Archetype: Stretch big / rim-protecting hybrid center
  • Primary Offensive Role: Pick-and-pop big; secondary scorer with floor-spacing ability
  • Defensive Role: Weak-side rim protector; interior anchor with mobility to switch selectively
  • Play Style: Skilled frontcourt player who blends shot-blocking with perimeter shooting; operates as a modern big capable of spacing the floor while protecting the paint
  • Handedness / Shooting Hand: Right
  • Athletic Profile: Above-average mobility for size; fluid mover with good vertical timing rather than elite explosiveness
  • Recruiting Status: 5-star recruit (2016 class)
  • Draft Status Detail: One-and-done prospect; lottery pick after limited but highly efficient college role
  • Injury Status Category: Injury-Prone — multiple foot and ankle injuries early in career, including extended absences that disrupted development
  • Career Stage: Prime (established rotation starter-level big with upside when healthy)
  • Comparison Style: Modern two-way stretch rim protector
  • Comparable Players:
    • Brook Lopez — stretch-5 with rim protection
    • Myles Turner — shot-blocking big who spaces floor
    • Channing Frye — floor-spacing frontcourt specialist
  • Teams Played For:
    • Portland Trail Blazers (2017–2020)
    • San Antonio Spurs (2021–2025)
    • Chicago Bulls (2024–present)
  • Championship Rings: None as of now
  • Kids: None
  • Siblings: He has one older brother, Taylor Collins.

Zach Collins fits the player archetype of a modern stretch big who anchors defense while spacing the floor, operating primarily as a weak-side rim protector and pick-and-pop offensive option. At nearly seven feet with solid strength and mobility, he combines timing as a shot-blocker with enough shooting touch to pull opposing centers away from the paint. His offensive role leans toward complementary scoring—screen-setting, popping to the perimeter, and finishing inside—while defensively he provides interior deterrence and positional versatility. Collins’ play style reflects a hybrid big: not a primary scorer, but a connective piece who impacts both ends when healthy through spacing, rim protection, and disciplined team defense.

Scouting Report

Zach Collins is one of those bigs whose influence starts with his decisions rather than his scoring. He sees the floor well enough to keep an offense connected, especially from the elbows or above the break, where he’ll wait just long enough for a cutter to clear before threading a bounce pass or flowing straight into a dribble handoff without letting the defense reset. That’s an underrated part of his game. He can stretch the floor enough to pull opposing centers away from the rim, but he’s more effective using that shooting threat to open driving lanes than hunting jumpers for their own sake. When he rolls, he isn’t purely a lob target either; he’ll catch, stay balanced, and make the extra read if the low man steps over. Defensively, Collins competes with good positioning and understands angles, often meeting drivers outside the restricted area instead of chasing highlight blocks from behind, but there are possessions where quicker guards expose his foot speed if he’s isolated too far from the basket or forced into multiple changes of direction. Physical post scorers can also make him defend deeper than he’d like, which limits his ability to help elsewhere. The trade-off is that while he does many things well, he doesn’t consistently dominate any single area, so his value depends on fitting into an offense that rewards quick processing and unselfish movement. Put him next to dynamic creators who can leverage his screening, passing, and pick-and-pop ability, and alongside rangy perimeter defenders who reduce the number of emergency switches he has to survive, and his strengths become much more noticeable. To me, his game carries shades of Kelly Olynyk as a connective offensive piece, with flashes of Mason Plumlee in the way he keeps possessions flowing through smart reads instead of forcing difficult plays.

Sources:
Basketball Reference — Zach Collins Stats
NBA.com — Zach Collins Player Profile
ESPN — Zach Collins Bio