It’s probably advisable not to get too attached to specific players in this new era of portal hopping and NIL. A lot can be said about how the IL should navigate to retain talent, but to spare potential heartbreak, that’s just how it’s going to be.
Plus, it would be pretty cool to hear Princeton’s name as part of his story if/when (?) he gets drafted.
If they call his name in the draft it will be as a florida player. Didn’t finish the job at princeton. He gets his bag, we move on.
Heard he got 1.75 to 2 at fla
And it sounds like he could have gotten more elsewhere:
https://xcancel.com/nwblackmon/status/1912833442535837854
Lee chose the Gators despite Florida not being the highest NIL bidder.
Gators landed Lee because they were the best combo of fit and the chance to compete for a national title.
St. John’s offered $3 Million,
and Repole was reportedly willing
to go higher.
So xaivian lee is the second coming of michael jordan?
He’s somewhere between the Bulls’ Michael Jordan and Penn’s Michael Jordan.
I’m interested in what you mean by “fit”. Pitino is not the easiest guy to play for, but he wins.
Good one!
Wasn’t my tweet, but I do agree that Florida is probably a better fit.
It’s easier to imagine Lee stepping into Walter Clayton’s role (Ball-dominant PG and top scorer) than Kadary Richmond’s role (defensive-minded pass-first PG). Also, Lee played with Thomas Haugh, Florida’s likely starting PF, in high school.
Boogie Fland to Florida
..and a $2 million NIL package! Boogie Fland shocks college basketball with NIL power move | Yardbarker
Yikes. These kids are making more in college than they would in the NBA in some cases.
IIRC, second round picks’ contracts aren’t fully guaranteed in the way first round contracts are. Depending on the circumstances, that guarantee could be full, partial or nonexistent.
Two way contracts? Pretty sure the max is around $500k if the player spends 45 days with the NBA team. Players can negotiate a guarantee of up to 50% of salary, depending on certain conditions.
Which is one reason why many kids are seeking additional college eligibility rather than going pro, especially if they are not top tier pro prospects.
They’re realizing that they have more (NIL) value to college programs, unless they’re potential lottery picks. I seem to remember having read that fewer college players who declared for the draft before exhausting their collegiate eligibility this year remained in the draft than in years past.
Industry sources tell On3 that the combined total of his contract with Florida and his new brand partnership with Serious Player Only amounts to more than $6 million. Sources said the new, multi-year sneaker deal with Serious Player Only is the more lucrative of the two, and he will have the opportunity to launch a shoe when he goes to the NBA.
That is a lot of money. That said, the sneaker deal is the kind of NIL money I support. Actual sponsorships from companies, not pay-for-play money from booster collectives just to join a team.
That is a lot of money and not hard to understand why he made the move. I wonder whether any of the shoe money is contingent. I wish him the best but it seems like a lot of assumption regarding Xavian’s future performance, especially in a higher level league.
to go kinsmen’s point, I wonder what SPO would
have offered if X stayed at Princeton? His appeal to the
Asian market gives him some rather unique opportunities.
Agree about the potential for the Asian market, but as Sparman suggested, he still has to perform on the court, both at Florida and as a potential pro. Otherwise, I would suspect the shoe deal will have some outs for the sponsor.