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Princeton guard Xaivian Lee is transferring to Florida after spending three seasons with the Tigers. He’s set to land a massive payday in the process.
Lee will reportedly bank $6 million in NIL earning thanks to both his new school and an international shoe deal. The money made sense to the senior superstar. The Gators were able to provide better compensation as they look ahead to their title defense.
Lee has played in 91 games with 59 starts over the last three years. He’s been Princeton’s leading scorer each of the last two seasons. As a sophomore, he scored 16.9 points per game. That number grew to 17.1 points a contest as a junior.
The Tigers made the NCAA Tournament during Lee’s freshman year, though he had yet to become a consistent contributor. Despite winning the regular season Ivy League crown in 2023, the team missed out on the Big Dance due to a loss in the conference tournament.
Last year, they again came up short with a two-point loss to Yale in the Ivy League Tournament. Now, Lee hopes to get back to the Field of 68 with a new school.
Xaivian Lee is transferring to Florida.
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That transfer decision was announced in April. A month later, some details of his NIL earnings have surfaced on social media.
Pete Nakos of On3 Sports reports that Lee is set to make “a combined $6M” between Florida’s NIL collective and a shoe brand deal.
The Gators are said to have one of the top NIL budgets in the SEC. They fall behind only Kentucky and Arkansas, who’s being funded by unlimited frozen chicken funds.
Florida is fresh off a national championship. They refuse to slow down. Todd Golden added three high-level transfer talents in the portal this offseason, including Xaivian Lee. NIL played a large role.
Lee’s situation is a bit different than the rest, however. This summer, he became the first NCAA NIL athlete to sign a shoe deal with an international brand.
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“Florida guard Xaivian Lee has signed a multi-year Signature Shoe deal with Serious Player Only to become the future face of the brand,” said Nick DePaula on X.
“[The] deal makes Lee the 1st NCAA NIL athlete to sign a shoe deal with an international brand. [It] includes PE shoe and apparel launches this season, with a Signature Shoe releasing in 2026.”
Lee will rake in the cash during his final college basketball season, but his production off the court has been equally as impressive. The guard was an economics major at Princeton that earned CSC Academic All-District honors last year. He was a Cum Laude Society Inductee and NHSCA Academic All-American as a high schooler.
He’ll now take those smarts to Gainesville before pursuing a professional career in the field he’s sees best. The Gators are hoping their investment in the guard pays off with another title.