Rick Pitino: NIL, transfer portal landscape 'almost a carbon copy' of Euroleague

After his departure from Louisville, Rick Pitino spent two years in the Euroleague. He coached Panathinaikos in Greece until he returned to the U.S. as the head coach at Iona in 2021.

During that brief time, Pitino dealt with plenty of player movement thanks to the number of one-year contracts in the Euroleague. He called it “almost a carbon copy” of how college basketball is looking in the NIL and transfer portal landscape.

That experience in Greece effectively helped Pitino prepare to navigate NIL and the transfer portal at St. John’s, and it’s part of the reason he stays on the sidelines while other longtime coaches are retiring. He also confirmed the Red Storm don’t plan to bring in a freshman recruit this cycle – and he doesn’t deal with the discussions about money.

“I like it because I spent 10 years in the pros, and to me, it’s almost a carbon copy of the Euroleague,” Pitino said on Pardon My Take. “The Euroleague, if you sign a player for two years, that’s a long time. So it’s really a one-year contract. You’re getting different players every year. And that’s the way it [is] with us. Now, fortunately for us, we haven’t lost our freshmen yet. Our freshmen have come back. So this year, we’re not even looking at a high school basketball player. We’re losing Aaron Scott, Kadary Richmond and Deivon Smith, so we’re looking at three transfer guys. And I like it.

“I don’t get involved in the financial negotiations of any of that. But if we need more money, I’ll call our guy [St. John’s donor] Mike Repole and say, we need more money.”

Pitino’s time in Greece, which included an 18-19 record in less than two full seasons, also laid the foundation for how much film he breaks down. Of course, he did that during his time in the NBA, as well – and if the Knicks listened to him, the league might look different.

But that professional experience is important once it comes time to scout the portal. Pitino and his staff have to get to work once the window opens.

“We all make mistakes,” Pitino said. “You make mistakes in the pros with who you draft. I begged the New York Knicks to take Donovan Mitchell, I think, at six and not at 12. I said, look, this guy’s better than you think he is. And they took Frank [Ntilikina] from France, I think it was. So you’ve got to really study these guys.

“First of all, is it just about money? Is that why they’re staying in college? Or are they really into winning? Are they going to be part of that, ‘I hate to lose,’ attitude? So you’ve got to really study and you’ve got to talk to their trainers, you’ve got to talk to assistant coaches that may have moved on. You’ve got to really do your homework and your research on this. We really do our homework on all of this.”

Rick Pitino stresses getting players ‘for the right reasons’

The other consideration on the recruiting trail, Rick Pitino said, is why players are staying in school now that they can profit off their name, image and likeness. He acknowledged the difference in pay at the college level, based on numbers he hears, compared to the NBA G-League. The average G-League contact is $40,500, according to Front Office Sports.

As dollars flow into the college game, Pitino said the key is finding out just how important money is to players. The biggest trait he looks for in players is the desire to win.

“You’re in the G-League and you’re making $75-$100,000, or you can go to college and make $600,000 or $400,000,” Pitino said. “So you’re going to stay in college, but are you getting them for the right reasons? Okay, the money’s great.

“And most of these guys, what I can appreciate, they help out their families. they’re not spending it on themselves. They’re really helping out their families, they’re getting their families into better situations. I’m great with that. But I want to make sure we’re getting guys that just have that desire where they really, really inside, hate to lose.”