Arkansas star could make a lot of money by ditching John Calipari

Arkansas Razorbacks freshman guard Boogie Fland could make a surprising decision and leave John Calipari to join a college basketball powerhouse for the 2025-26 season. Fland followed Calipari to Arkansas after the coach left Kentucky and took many recruits with him. 

Now, if reports are to be believed, Fland could try his luck with a different program while making a lot of money in the process. After a rocky freshman season, which included a torn ligament in his thumb, the young player declared for both the NBA draft and the transfer portal. 

He’s expected to enter the NBA soon, but the Florida Gators are trying to lure him away from the association with a reported juicy offer. College Basketball Reporter shared that the Gators could pay “up to $7 million” to the guard. 

Boogie Fland is facing a key decision

Boogie Fland is coming off a 21-game freshman season. He missed time from January until the NCAA tournament, where his team was eliminated in the Sweet 16 in a dramatic 85-83 overtime loss to Texas Tech. Fland averaged 13.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.5 steals pr game, shooting 37.9% from the field, 34% from deep and 83.3% from the free-throw line.

Coach John Calipari

Many college players first consider going to the NBA, but Fland could take a different approach, withdraw from the event, and return to college to join the reigning national champions. 

The financial side could play a role in his decision, as NBA franchises can sign players for between 80% and 120% of the scale. That said, to get close to that $7 million value, Fland would need to be at least the No. 5 overall pick in the draft. 

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At this point, that seems unlikely, which could prompt the former five-star recruit to keep working on his game while making some money in a program that’s coming off a strong championship season. The Razorbacks showed glimpses of brilliance during Calipari’s first season, but Fland doesn’t seem to be interested in running it back with the legendary coach.