Basketball Analyst Jeff Goodman Says Coleman Hawkins Is In A Better Position Financially After Bypassing NBA Draft

Shandel Richardson | May 30, 2024

David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

Time was, the best option for a second-round college basketball prospect was remaining in the NBA draft.

Those days are over, which was evident when former Illinois forward Coleman Hawkins decided to pull out of the draft so he could return to college. College basketball analyst Jeff Goodman, who runs The Field of 68 podcast, said Hawkins is in a better position financially by playing one more season in college.

The fact players can now receive money from NIL deals makes it more attractive instead of testing the NBA waters, which isn't guaranteed. The option of playing in the NBA remains next season, too.

"With NIL, they kind of realize, `you know what, let me crunch the numbers. Let me talk to my agent. Here's what's on the table at the very, very end,"' Goodman said. "It's really, even for the agent, it's like, `hey, go all in, focus on these workouts for the draft and we'll worry about Option B later if Option A isn't there."'

Coleman Hawkins has withdrawn from the NBA Draft and will transfer to a new program!

How surprising was this move?

AFTER DARK: https://t.co/cnFEwYcDqohttps://t.co/b3E1k7522T

— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) May 30, 2024

Hawkins has already spent four years at Illinois but is eligible for another season because of the Covid-19 waiver. Goodman said he could make perhaps double in college than what he could playing on a two-way contract in the NBA.

"Here's what we're looking at, you're talking $500-600 grand maybe [in the NBA]," Goodman said. "But it's not guaranteed. Here's what we're looking at right now from some of the schools out there. Maybe you're talking $1 million, $1.5 million, maybe we can get them up to $2 million ... Reality sets in for some of these kids at the very end."

Shandel Richardson is the publisher for Illini Now. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com