The transfer portal has continued to be a wild place for Florida Basketball over the past month. The Gators have landed two players out of the portal, Xaivian Lee and AJ Brown, while word got out yesterday that Florida would not be landing Southern Cal guard Desmond Claude.
But there is another player Florida has been linked to in the transfer portal, and rumors of just how much he was seeking in NIL money were shut down yesterday.
Florida Gators will show the money, just not that much
Arkansas freshman Boogie Fland is in the transfer portal but is simultaneously also exploring the NBA Draft. After averaging 15.1 points, 5.7 assists, and 3.4 rebounds to start the season, Fland hurt his hand against Florida, and when he did come back to close out the season, he was relegated to being a role player.
Most mock drafts view him as a late first-round to early second-round prospect, which puts him in a weird place when it comes to his ability to make more money via a NIL deal.
Florida has been linked as someone pursuing Fland should he come back to college, and yesterday, the X account @CBKReport recirculated comments that Bo Mattingly said on "The Chuck & Bo Show," where Mattingly said, "I was surprised to hear what I'm about to tell you. I believe that Boogie Fland - if he doesn't stay in the draft - could end up getting 5, 6, maybe $7 million."
If 5⭐️ Arkansas freshman Boogie Fland withdraws from the NBA Draft and returns to college, he could command up to $7 million from the reigning national champion Florida Gators, per @Bo_Mattingly. 🤯 pic.twitter.com/H3m8AgOOBd
— College Basketball Report (@CBKReport) May 5, 2025
The post included the idea that Florida was willing to pay that money, and that's when things went viral and had to be shut down.
Field of 68 insider Jeff Goodman simply replied, "This is insanely inaccurate."
This is insanely inaccurate. https://t.co/V57NwxWmuB
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) May 5, 2025
Other insiders chimed in with similar beliefs that there is no way a single player in college basketball is going to make $7 million for a single season.
And even if Fland is going to make $7 million, Florida doesn't seem like a place that is willing to pay that huge of a price. Todd Golden's salary is $4 million, and many believed that Florida's roster in 2024/25 was not making as much money compared to some other big-name schools.
Combined with Florida not wanting to pay Denzel Aberdeen his asking price, this never felt like a reality.