Six Ex-Florida State Basketball Players Sue Coach Leonard Hamilton Over Unfulfilled NIL Deals

Six former Florida State basketball players are taking their grievances to the courts, launching a lawsuit against Seminoles coach Leonard Hamilton. The suit, filed in Leon County circuit court today, revolves around an alleged failure by Hamilton to secure $250,000 in name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals for each plaintiff. The players contend Hamilton promised this money from his "business partners," but the fulfillment of that promise never materialized, as reported by The Associated Press.

The legal action involves former Seminoles Darin Green Jr., De'Ante Green, Cam'Ron Fletcher, Josh Nickelberry, Primo Spears, and Jalen Warley. They allege that their decision to walk out of a practice session last season and threats to boycott a game against Duke on February 17, were tied to the missed NIL payments. Despite assurances from Hamilton for subsequent payment, the players claim they were left uncompensated, according to the NBC Miami report.

No legal representation for Hamilton has been indicated in the lawsuit documentation. Meanwhile, Florida State, with Hamilton now navigating through the final year of his contract, prepares for an upcoming game against Syracuse. Text message exchanges included in the complaint reveal communication between players and, allegedly between the players and Hamilton themselves, signaling the depth of the dispute.

Florida State University's last season closed with a 17-16 record, going 10-10 in the ACC, while their current season shows them at a 9-4 tally, not without early struggles in league play at 0-2. The former players behind the lawsuit have all since moved on from FSU – with various transfers leading them to other institutions. Darin Green Jr. and Josh Nickelberry's college playing days ended last spring, with the rest now scattered across different programs; Spears at UTSA, Fletcher at Xavier, De’Ante Green at USF, and Warley at Gonzaga, as detailed by ABC News.

This suit joins a growing list of NIL-related legal conflicts across collegiate athletics. Matthew Sluka, formerly a starting quarterback for UNLV football, departed after a missed $100,000 NIL deal. Jaden Rashada, who had signed with Florida before moving to Georgia, sued Gators coach Billy Napier over an unfulfilled $13 million NIL agreement. Additionally, several Tulsa players reported non-payment of NIL money pledged by their former coach, Kevin Wilson.