NIL has flooded the financial incentive in college basketball. Just a few years ago, million-dollar deals for a college player would have been considered impossible. Players moved to the NBA at the first chance they got. Now, players like Yaxel Lendeborg forego the draft to stay in college. Why? It pays better. Bruce Pearl had put his hat in the ring for Lendeborg’s signature. However, he has revealed how a 7-figure offer wasn’t even considered a starter by the now-Michigan star.

Months after his retirement, Bruce Pearl was back with Auburn basketball when it faced No. 6 Michigan in the Players Era Festival. Pearl joined TNT’s in-studio crew in October and was a guest analyst for the network’s coverage of the Tigers and Wolverines. While calling the game, Pearl, who is currently a Special Assistant to the Athletics Director and an ambassador for the athletic department, revealed inside information on Yaxel Lendeborg’s demands. 

“We lost Johni Broome and Dylan Cardwell last year at Auburn, we went after Lendeborg,” Pearl said, “He’s a Dominican kid, played with Chad Baker-Mazara, had a great relationship. We thought a million dollars would be good enough to get him.  Didn’t even warm him up.”

Lendeborg eventually received a NIL package believed to be in the neighborhood of $3 million to return to school, according to CBS Sports. Some outlets push that towards $4 million, too. He was predicted to be the No. 30 overall pick in the 2025 draft at the time. He would have earned as much as $2.7 million for the 2025-26 season, via Spotrac. Therefore, another year in college it was, and that 1 million offer from Bruce Pearl and Auburn was truly a fraction of his eventual deal. After making the internal conversation public, fans were outraged and heavily criticized Bruce Pearl.

Bruce Pearl Blasted by Fans Over Yaxel Lendeborg’s NIL Demands

“Yeah, the best player in college basketball is worth more than a million,” a fan wrote sarcastically. Lendeborg led the American Athletic Conference in rebounds last season (11.4 per game) and was second in blocks (1.8). He was also in the top five in steals (1.7) and points (17.7). Lendeborg led the nation in double-doubles with 26.

If not the best, he was atleast among the top players. PJ Haggerty, a player arguably a worse player than Lendeborg, reportedly received $2.5 million deal ($2 million base, $500,000 incentives) from Kansas. So, $1 million was never going to happen. The comments came while Lendeborg’s eventual destination, Michigan, was routing Bruce Pearl’s Auburn. Lendeborg scored 17 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists as No. 7 Michigan beat the No. 21 Auburn 102-72. 

To be fair to Bruce Pearl, Yaxel Lendeborg has had an unconventional path to a college career. He had academic issues in high school. Lendeborg’s 11 games as a senior, which got him to Arizona Western College (NJCAA). He impressed at Arizona and got a ticket to UAB, which eventually led to a breakout 2024-25 campaign. His talent went unnoticed by Pearl at UAB, and he only joined a race where multiple teams were vying for him.

That naturally needs a bigger purse. Another fan brought up Pearl’s shady past when he almost destroyed a high school kid’s career. “Never forget Bruce Pearl turned in a kid to the NCAA because he lost the recruiting battle. F*** Bruce Pearl,” wrote a fan. So the story goes like this. A 27-year-old Pearl was an assistant coach at the Hawkeyes and was tasked with landing Deon Thomas, a star at Simeon High School in Chicago. 

He was locked in a battle with Illinois and its assistant, Jimmy Collins. Thomas chose Illinois, but Pearl suspected some under-the-table dealings. He recorded a call in which he inferred that Illinois had offered him a car and $80,000. He reported that to the NCAA, which was never able to substantiate the allegations. According to Thomas, Pearl had made some unethical offers as well, like keeping an informant in his high school and offering his grandmother financial assistance. For a decade, Pearl was stuck in D2 because of the loss of reputation, fallout. Thomas missed one year due to the investigation, but played 4 years in Illinois. 

“Shouldn’t their interactions be private? if I’m an elite high school player, I’m not picking up the phone when Bruce Pearl comes calling. It’s fine if details later emerge once an agreement is made, but for the head coach to be spouting this info is… Tasteless,” wrote another fan. The loss of trust is the ultimate hit in the recruiting business. Bruce Pearl should know that, since he has been in the college basketball circuit for so long. He revealed sensitive information on a broadcast that has the potential to damage Lendeborg’s reputation. Other players will definitely be taking note. 

“Pearl is a cheater… he ran out of money before NIL… that’s the problem,” accused another fan. Beyond that story as an assistant, Pearl faced sanctions as the Tennessee coach in the 2010s. He hosted a recruit for dinner, then lied about it to the investigators. In 2011, the Committee on Infractions gave him a three‑year show‑cause order, restricted his recruiting during that period, vacated some wins, and hit Tennessee with probation and scholarship limits. 

In 2021, now as an Auburn coach, the NCAA placed Auburn on 4 years’ probation, and Pearl was suspended for failing to adequately monitor former assistant coach Chuck Person. Auburn was in the $8 million club reported by CBS, which fell short of the absolute top teams that spent $10  million plus. Kentucky had the highest reported value at $22 million. If Pearl wants a better team, he might have to opt for smart recruiting or bring more money to the table.