According to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Jeff Borzello, Miami’s Isaiah Wong will turn to the transfer portal if his NIL deal is not increased to his liking.
Wong, who has spent his entire career in Coral Gables, averaged 15.2 points and 4.2 rebounds last season en route to the Elite Eight. This was the Hurricanes’ best finish in program history.
While the Piscataway, N.J. native declared for the NBA Draft earlier this week, a return to the college game is likely for Wong.
In an article on ESPN.com, Wong’s NIL agent Adam Papas of NEXT Sports detailed the situation. “If Isaiah and his family don’t feel that the NIL number meets their expectations, they will be entering the transfer portal tomorrow, while maintaining his eligibility in the NBA Draft and going through the process,” stated Papas.
As Wong has been an integral piece of Miami’s success, incoming transfers Nijel Pack (Kansas State) and Norchad Omier (Arkansas State) received lucrative NIL packages in addition to their scholarship at Miami.
Miami fan and billionaire John Ruiz arranged the deals, one of which included $800,000 over two years and a car for Pack. It is expected that Wong requests respectable compensation as Miami’s second-leading scorer on an Elite Eight team.
According to Givony and Borzello, Ruiz is aware of Wong’s unhappiness, but will not renegotiate an NIL for Wong or other athletes.
The NIL component has drastically impacted the college sports world and will have an imprint on college athletics for years to come. If Wong decides to change direction and move onto a different program, he could be the first of many to make this decision in the coming years.
If the redshirt sophomore guard enters the transfer portal, expect a long line of suitors to come knocking on the door.
