Former UNC star Armando Bacot shares how NIL deals helped him avoid an early NBA draft declaration

After going undrafted in the 2024 NBA draft, former North Carolina Tar Heels athletes Armando Bacot and Cormac Ryan signed Exhibit 10 contracts with the Utah Jazz and Oklahoma City Thunder, respectively. Bacot will join former Duke center Kyle Filipowski in Utah, who was selected by the Jazz with the No. 32 pick in the draft.

In an interview on the "Run Your Race" podcast, Bacot discussed how Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) deals influenced his decision to stay in college longer. Talking to former Tar Heels star Theo Pinson, Bacot said:

“If it wasn't NIL, me and Caleb [Love] probably should have left because we both had a chance of getting drafted. It would have been more second round, but we had a chance of doing those types of things.

“But we stayed cuz, I mean, we want another chance of just being able to feel that Carolina, everything about it. I mean, all the opportunities. We made a ton of money too, like doing it too, so that was great.” [Time stamp: 1:08:10]

According to reports, an Exhibit 10 deal is a one-year contract that teams can upgrade to a two-way deal before the regular season begins. This contract ensures former Carolina star Armando Bacot will play in the Salt Lake City Summer League and the NBA 2K25 Summer League in Las Vegas.

Armando Bacot's NIL deals include big names

In his final season, Armando Bacot led the Tar Heels to a top spot in the NCAA Tournament, averaging 14.5 points and 10.3 rebounds per game. Over his last three seasons at UNC, he averaged 15.6 points and 11.3 rebounds per game.

Reflecting on his college career with Carolina, Bacot said:

"I got life-changing money, in college, just off playing basketball," Bacot told Pinson. "That's why I'm forever thankful to Carolina, the brand, because to be able to make over $2 million just in college, it's crazy."

Bacot's endorsements included big names like Intuit TurboTax, Wingstop, Topps, GNC, RITZ Crackers, Dunkin', Frosted Flakes, Crocs, Fanatics and Jimmy's Famous Seafood.

As a four-time All-ACC forward, Bacot will now face the challenge of making a mark in the NBA.