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The wild world of modern college sports could well face its biggest shakeup yet thanks to the LSU Tigers men’s basketball program.
The Tigers, who recently rehired controversial coach Will Wade, currently have just four scholarship players on their roster heading into the 2026-27 season. But they’re exploring all avenues to fix that issue, some of which may seem extremely drastic.
According to Eurohoops, the Tigers have offered 26-year-old Israeli pro Yam Madar an NIL deal worth $5 million per season to join their program.
Former EuroLeague Rising Star Yam Madar reportedly agreed to a deal with the LSU Tigers worth $5 MILLION per season 😳
Madar becomes 26 next December 🤔 pic.twitter.com/x4lJFYbyea
— Eurohoops (@Eurohoopsnet) May 18, 2026
“Reports in recent days suggested that Madar had been in negotiations with the NCAA program from Louisiana, with speculation even linking the deal to a staggering $5 million per season package. Those talks now appear to have reached a full agreement,” the report states.
Yam Madar May Not Even Be Eligible To Play NCAA Basketball
Madar, who is Israeli, began his career with Hapoel Tel Aviv while performing mandatory military service. He then made stops at Partizan Belgrade, Fenerbache, and Bayern Munich before returning to Hapoel last season, where he averaged 11.1 points per game.
There’s just one problem. Madar may not even be eligible to play college basketball.
The former second-round pick in the 2020 NBA Draft (the same draft that included Anthony Edwards, Tyrese Haliburton, and LaMelo Ball), will require special approval from the NCAA in order to become eligible due to his professional experience.
If he doesn’t receive approval, LSU will likely have to take the case to court.
RJ Luis Joins Yam Madar In Limbo For LSU
But Madar isn’t the only case of the Tigers and Wade pursuing pro players. On Tuesday morning, they received a commitment from former Big East player of the year, RJ Luis Jr.
BREAKING: Former pro guard RJ Luis Jr. has signed with LSU, @PeteNakos reports🐯
Luis was the 2025 Big East player of the year.https://t.co/mzMe9luCgH pic.twitter.com/ZdUDJKoec3
— On3 (@On3) May 19, 2026
Luis Jr. played for UMass during the 2022-23 season before transferring to St. John’s. He then entered the 2025 NBA Draft but went undrafted before signing a two-way contract with the Utah Jazz. He was later traded to the Boston Celtics and signed a contract with their G League affiliate in Maine.
Like Madar, Luis Jr. is not currently eligible, but will pursue legal action in hopes of regaining eligibility. If either, or both, of Madar or Luis Jr. win their cases, college sports may never look the same.