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Purdue's Braden Smith Announces New NIL Deal After NCAA Tournament Loss

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Max Escarpio | Last updated Apr 4, 2025 9:11 PM ET

The Purdue Boilermakers courted one of the best players in the country this season, with guard Braden Smith leading the way.

Smith is currently a Naismith Player of the Year finalist alongside Duke's Cooper Flagg, Auburn's Johni Broome and Florida's Walter Clayton Jr.

Smith led Purdue to the No. 4 seed in the Midwest Region of the NCAA Tournament. While the Boilermakers found success in the earlier rounds, they suffered a narrow loss to Houston, 62-60, in the Sweet 16, ultimately eliminating them from March Madness.

Moving past the loss for Smith and company, the Purdue star took to social media to announce a new NIL deal.

Despite the loss for the Boilermakers, Smith has continued to be active in the NIL landscape. He signed an NIL deal with Saxby's, an educational corporation with a coffee business.

Smith added to his NIL portfolio, which already included the Purdue NIL Store, HEYDUDE shoes, the NIL store, Thayer's, and C4 Energy. According to On3, the Naismith Player of the Year finalist boasts a $1.9 million NIL valuation.

During the season, Smith averaged 15.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 8.7 assists per game, ranked No. 2 in the country in terms of average assists.

Smith established himself as a Purdue legend this season, having earned the all-time program assist record, while being the only player in NCAA history to record over 500 points, 300 assists, 150 rebounds and 75 steals in a single season.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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