In a developing legal saga, six former Florida State basketball players have filed a lawsuit against Seminoles head coach Leonard Hamilton, alleging that he failed to fulfill a promise to secure them $250,000 each in name, image, and likeness (NIL) compensation.
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The lawsuit, filed Monday in Leon County Circuit Court, names Darin Green Jr., De'Ante Green, Cam'Ron Fletcher, Josh Nickelberry, Primo Spears, and Jalen Warley as plaintiffs. The group is represented by attorney Darren Heitner, a prominent Fort Lauderdale-based lawyer, who shared the 20-page complaint with the public.
According to the lawsuit, Hamilton allegedly promised the players that they would receive payments from his "business partners" but never followed through. The players claim they became frustrated by the missed payments and even staged a walkout during a practice last season.
They also considered boycotting a February 17 game against Duke but ultimately played the game after Hamilton reportedly assured them the payments would be made — a promise, the lawsuit suggests, that was never honored.
The complaint includes multiple text-message exchanges, including some between Hamilton and the players, further supporting their claims.
Notably, none of the plaintiffs remain with the team. Green and Nickelberry exhausted their eligibility last spring, while the others transferred: Spears to UTSA, Fletcher to Xavier, De'Ante Green to South Florida, and Warley, who is currently redshirting at Gonzaga.
Hamilton, who is in the final year of his contract, has not yet responded publicly to the lawsuit, and no attorney is listed in the court documents on his behalf.
Florida State is currently 9-4 on the season, with a 0-2 record in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Last year, the Seminoles finished 17-16, including a 10-10 mark in ACC play.
This legal action adds to the growing list of NIL-related lawsuits, with several athletes around the country filing similar complaints.
Notable cases include UNLV quarterback Matthew Sluka, who left the program over an unpaid $100,000 NIL deal, and former Florida quarterback signee Jaden Rashada, who sued Gators coach Billy Napier over a reported $13 million NIL dispute.
Additionally, players at Tulsa have claimed they were not paid for NIL commitments made by former head coach Kevin Wilson. This ongoing trend highlights the increasingly contentious landscape surrounding NIL agreements in college sports.
