Rick Pitino stealing Donnie Freeman may give Kentucky an unexpected NIL advantage

Donnie Freeman is an elite talent, the kind of player who immediately raises the ceiling of any roster he joins. His skill set stands out, but so too does his game-to-game availability.

The big caveat with Freeman is his health, as his now-surgically repaired toe has limited him to just 37 games over two seasons at Syracuse. But interestingly, it may not be the biggest concern facing his new coach, Rick Pitino.

It’s the fact that the NCAA may be moving to a 5-year-to-play-5 model in the summer.

While that hasn’t been fully approved, lots of players out of eligibility are jumping into the portal, as Josie Gilvin and Denzel Aberdeen have done. Speaking on the move, Pitino didn’t sound as happy as other coaches would be:

“It would be pure chaos. Most teams have used 80% of their NIL. Next year makes sense. Now, don’t get me wrong, I would love to have my seniors back, but our NIL is just about finished. … Unless Mike (Repole) wins the Derby lol,” Pitino quipped this week.

Programs aren’t just managing rosters now, they’re managing budgets. And most of those budgets are already spoken for at a lot of the major programs.

Which brings things back to Freeman.

Giving Donnie Freeman north of $3 million may come back to haunt Pitino. That money could be used on Zuby Ejiofor or Dillon Mitchell. Those are players Kentucky may now be able to make bigger money offers and promise bigger roles to.

Retaining key contributors or adding experienced depth suddenly becomes more difficult. In a normal cycle, that’s manageable. In a year where extra eligibility could flood the market with veterans, it becomes a real problem.

That’s the potential downside Pitino is hinting at. Not Freeman’s talent, or even his health, but the timing and financial allocation he brings to a roster.

And that’s where this conversation becomes especially relevant for Kentucky.

Could we see a Year 3 Otega Oweh in Lexington?

It opens the door for unexpected roster continuity across the sport, including in Lexington. One of the most interesting names to watch is Otega Oweh. Oweh is not in any mock draft, and ESPN has him as No. 100 in their best available, which is 39 spots below teammate Malachi Moreno.

Another year would give Owh a chance to improve his draft position again, take on a larger role on a new team, and earn more than he would in the NBA G League.

And for Mark Pope, it could be an even bigger win.

While other programs scramble to rebalance NIL budgets and navigate unexpected roster logjams, Kentucky has underspent on nearly every position; they should have some money freed up if this does happen.

The NCAA’s potential rule change isn’t just about giving players another year, though. It’s about reshaping how rosters are built, how money is spent, and which programs are positioned to adapt on the fly.

Some teams may find themselves overextended. Others may find opportunity in the chaos. Kentucky may be in the latter category there. Which brings us to what you think.

Would you be up for another year of Otegatron, or do you think the NCAA should come down harshly and stand pat at four playing seasons to tighten things up?

Sound off in the comments section!