The decision isn’t about the NBA anymore. Not completely. For Braylon Mullins, the real question now is something far less predictable. It’s not draft position. It’s not money either. It’s whether he actually wants to stay in college.
That’s the shift Dan Hurley made crystal clear this week. “I would just say now with college… unless you know you’re going to be a lottery pick… the biggest mistake you could make right now as a college basketball player is go into the draft too early.” That wasn’t just general advice. It was a direct message wrapped inside a broader warning. And at the same time, there’s a very real financial play behind it.
According to NBA reporter Evan Sidery, the UConn Huskies men’s basketball are preparing a major NIL offer to keep Mullins for another season. The number is not small. The program is reportedly ready to match what he would earn as a mid-first-round pick. That puts the range somewhere around four to five million dollars annually.
Hurley confirmed the logic behind it. “Players like Braylon are probably going to make more money at UConn next year than he would if he was the 15th pick.” That one line flips the traditional draft decision on its head. For years, leaving early was about securing financial stability. Now, that pressure is gone. Because of that, the decision shifts entirely into a different space. Personal choice.
UConn will soon offer a lucrative NIL package to Braylon Mullins in order to hopefully keep him another year.
Mullins, currently projected as a mid-1st round pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, can earn around $4-5 million annually if he declared.
UConn plans on matching that figure. pic.twitter.com/u0B9fozdbv
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) April 10, 2026
Hurley didn’t stop at money. In fact, he made it clear that money might not matter at all in this case. “What I’ll tell Braylon… do you like college?” That question cuts deeper than any mock draft projection. “Some players are in a rush to get to the NBA because they don’t like being a college student… college programs are run way differently than NBA teams.”
That’s the real tension here. College basketball isn’t just about playing. It’s structure. It’s academics. It’s constant oversight. Meanwhile, the NBA is freedom. It’s a job. It’s purely basketball. Hurley’s point is simple. If Mullins enjoys the college experience, there is no reason to leave. If he doesn’t, no amount of NIL money will change that.
Mullins has already proven he’s ready for the next level
That’s what makes this decision so fascinating. Mullins isn’t a fringe prospect. He’s already delivered at the highest level for UConn Huskies men’s basketball. His freshman season wasn’t just solid. It was impactful. He averaged 12.0 points per game while shooting 42.1 percent from the field and 88.9 percent from the line. More importantly, he established himself as a shooter early, knocking down 45 three-pointers in his first 16 Big East games.
Then came the moment that defined his season. A 35-foot game-winner against Duke in the Elite Eight. That shot didn’t just win a game. It pushed UConn into the Final Four and cemented Mullins as a player built for big moments. Because of that, his draft range remains wide. Some projections place him in the lottery. Others push him toward the late first round. The middle ground, however, sits right where Hurley framed it.
Around that 15 to 20 range. And that’s exactly why the NIL pitch works. At the same time, this isn’t happening in isolation. UConn is already losing key pieces. Alex Karaban is heading to the draft after anchoring the team. Meanwhile, Tarris Reed Jr. led the team in scoring and rebounding this season.
If Mullins leaves too, the impact is massive. That would mean three of UConn’s top four scorers are gone in one offseason. Because of that, Hurley’s push isn’t just about Mullins as an individual. It’s about keeping the program’s identity intact. Despite all the noise, Mullins himself hasn’t committed either way. After the national championship loss, he made that clear.
He said he had “no clue” yet and would take a few weeks to decide. At the same time, he didn’t shut the door on returning. He admitted that coming back to UConn “would be great” if that’s how things played out. That matters. Because it shows this isn’t a player already leaning toward the NBA. This is a player genuinely weighing both sides. What’s happening with Mullins isn’t unique anymore.
That’s the bigger picture. Elite players are no longer forced into early draft decisions because of money. NIL has changed that completely. Now, programs can compete financially with the NBA for non-lottery players. Because of that, decisions like this are becoming more common. Stay and develop while earning millions. Or leave and start your professional career earlier.
There’s no wrong answer anymore. Just different paths. The deadline to declare for the NBA Draft is April 26. That gives Mullins a narrow window to make one of the biggest decisions of his career. UConn has already made its move. Hurley has delivered the message. The NIL structure is ready. Now it comes down to Mullins. Because if he stays, UConn immediately reloads as a contender again.
If he leaves, the program shifts into a new phase. And either way, this decision won’t be about money. It’ll be about what he wants his life to look like next.
