Miami’s Isaiah Wong, who recently declared for the NBA Draft, is apparently not convinced he’ll make it. He has suggested/threatened that he’ll enter the transfer portal - check this out - unless his NIL compensation is increased. His agent says he’ll enter “tomorrow” (Friday).
Under Florida State law, schools can’t be directly involved in NIL, so he’s not even threatening a possibly bewildered Jim Larranaga.
Rather, this is aimed at billionaire John Ruiz, who has gotten into NIL in a big way. Aside from Wong, he has 111 deals either in place or on the way for UM athletes. Among them is recent Kansas State transfer Nijel Pack, who signed an $800,000 deal (plus a car) with Ruiz and his company LifeWallet a couple of days ago...and apparently that didn’t set well with Wong, or his agent, or both.
Who knows.
What we do know is that Wong wants nearly a million, by tomorrow, or he’s Splitsville.
Ruiz ain’t biting: “Isaiah is under contract,” he texted ESPN. “He has been treated by LifeWallet exceptionally well. If that is what he decides, I wish him well, however, I DO NOT renegotiate! I cannot disclose the amount, but what I can say is that he was treated very fairly.”
So presumably, Wong is on his way somewhere else. If that happens, then Miami has essentially traded a good but not great player for one who is much better. Who saw that coming?
And wherever Wong goes, somebody better be prepared to pay up.
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