For the second time in a month, a top college basketball transfer target has reportedly inked a $2 million NIL deal.
Back in May, it was Utah State’s Great Osobor committing to Washington for a reported $2 million agreement. Sources indicated to On3 shortly after the announcement that the deal was made up of cash from an NIL collective and some endorsement deals.
Then on Friday morning, Illinois forward Coleman Hawkins committed to Kansas State after withdrawing from the NBA draft. Shams Charania, an NBA insider for The Athletic and Stadium, reported Hawkins inked a $2 million deal. Repped by Nate Conley of Court XIV and Aaron Turner of Verus Basketball, leaking numbers of deals has become a popular way to draw new clients.
“It’s all for recruiting,” an agent with a number of top college basketball clients told On3. “Maybe it’s $1 million.”
In April 2022, Kansas State transfer Nijel Pack inked a two-year deal with LifeWallet. John Ruiz announced the terms of the two-year deal the same day Pack committed to Miami. The agreement called for a yearly $400,000 payment and the keys to a car. At the time, it was a leading deal in the college basketball landscape.
Source: Coleman Hawkins’ deal ‘north of $1.5 million’
Since then, the dollars flowing into the space have only increased. Negotiating a contract before a commitment is permitted now following the preliminary injunction in Tennessee ruling the NCAA powerless. Since then, the NCAA has halted all investigations into NIL dealings and third-party collectives.
On3 has yet to obtain the reported $2 million contract Coleman Hawkins reportedly signed. However, a source close to the situation told On3 it was north of $1.5 million. Conley has yet to respond to text messages or a phone call. Another source told On3 that the deal was not done with the public-facing Kansas State NIL collective, Wildcat NIL.
Instead, the source familiar with the situation said the seven-figure deal was executed with a group of private donors who have opted to operate behind the scenes. The source indicated it was “probably a $2 million deal.”
The group of donors has worked with many star Wildcat players in football and basketball. Wildcat NIL currently has 11 of 13 K-State basketball players on NIL agreements. Kansas State has one of the largest NIL budgets in the country. Bankrolls for NIL collectives range from $1 to $6 million. Deals pushing half a million to seven figures are much more frequent in basketball, unlike football.
Deal makes sense in current NIL market
Coleman Hawkins landing a $2 million tracks with the market, though. The most valuable position in the basketball transfer portal – where most NIL dollars are used these days – are power forwards and centers. For high-end talent at those positions, $1 million deals are commonplace.
Hawkins was one of the last remaining standouts in the basketball portal, picking K-State over North Carolina, LSU, Louisville, SMU and Arkansas. He averaged 12.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.7 assists this past season, playing a significant role for an Illinois team that went 29-9 and reached the Elite Eight. He brings four seasons of Big Ten play with him to Manhattan.
For years, Nike and adidas ran college basketball. The sneaker giants poured dollars into the sport, paying coaches and rosters. With the rise of NIL and lucrative collective packages, they have taken a back seat. NIL has arguably created more parity in the sport. But just because adidas and Nike are gone doesn’t mean the expected amount of dollars has changed.
“It’s been happening for a long time,” an ACC collective leader previously told On3. “They’ve been getting this money forever, especially in basketball. This is just the norm, and it has something to do with the environment Nike and adidas created. You’re also dealing with more real agents than in football. Guys have no problem saying, ‘I know you have more money.”
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