Arizona State basketball alumnus and current Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden contributed a six-figure amount to the Sun Angel Collective last year, according to Front Office Sports.
“NIL nowadays is the most important thing, because kids want to be compensated for their play and their work, which makes sense,” Harden said to Front Office Sports. “I wanted to be a part of helping the team and the school get players … and if NIL is the problem, then I can help with that.”
James Harden on his involvement with ASU's NIL collective:
"Kids want to be compensated for their play and their work… If NIL is the problem, then I can help with that."
More with @JHarden13 » t.co/5Vtvl8fpwE pic.twitter.com/N0dD2XAtNz
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) February 25, 2025
Part of that donation was enough to convince center Jayden Quaintance to turn his commitment from Kentucky to Arizona State this past offseason. When former Kentucky coach John Calipari left for Arkansas, Quaintance explored other options but ultimately picked a team that went 14-18 the season prior.
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The freshman center chose ASU over schools like Louisville and Missouri.
Other notable commitments from the 2024 class were 4-star guard Joson Sanon — a former Arizona commit — and 4-star wing Amier Ali. By landing Quaintance, ASU became the No. 7 recruiting class in the country in 2024, according to 247 Sports.
Quaintance is averaging 9.4 points to go along with a team-high 7.9 rebounds per game as a freshman. He has been a monster in the stocks department with his 2.6 blocks and 1.1 steals per game. Quaintance has played in 24 games this season.
Sanon is scoring 10.4 points per game on 40.3% shooting from the field and 38.4% from three in 22 games.
Ali has played in 26 games, averaging 5.2 points on 36.7% shooting from the field in 15.5 minutes.
Why James Harden wants to help ASU basketball’s NIL Sun Angel Collective
Other players in the NBA have been reluctant to donate to their college’s NIL initiatives for fear of players transferring out or underperforming after receiving their NIL money. By electing to fund practice facilities, players like Kevin Durant (Texas) and Richard Jefferson (Arizona) feel more secure in their investments, according to Front Office Sports.
Harden’s donation to support the basketball team has not translated into results on the court this season. The Sun Devils sit at 13-14 and are second to last in the Big 12 with a 4-12 conference record.
ASU sits at No. 60 in the NCAA’s NET ranking. They are the only school in the top 75 of NET to have a record below .500.
Harden continues to have a relationship with head coach Bobby Hurley, and the two remain in contact regarding what the program needs.
Harden said he trusts the collective at Arizona State to spend the donation wisely to make the team competitive.
“Good season, bad season, it doesn’t matter for me,” Harden said to Front Office Sports. “There’s a part of this sport where you can’t be great every single year. So, for me, it’s just having their back on my end. But if they need help, the help is there.”
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