Illinois forward Ben Humrichous agreed to sign an Exhibit 10 contract with the Brooklyn Nets shortly after going undrafted Wednesday night. Humrichous will begin his professional career by joining the Nets for NBA Summer League, training camp and preseason in the fall.

Ahead of the regular season, Humrichous will likely be waived from his non-guaranteed deal and designated as an affiliate player for Brooklyn’s G League affiliate, the Long Island Nets. If he spends at least 60 days with Long Island, Humrichous would not only receive his G League salary, but he’d be eligible to earn a bonus under the terms of his Exhibit 10 deal. That bonus could be as little as $5,000 or as much as a projected $91,200 this season.

Humrichous was not projected to be drafted, but after a strong second season at Illinois and six years in college, multiple teams had interest in adding him to their system. Humrichous’ pre-draft workouts included the Nets, Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics.

A key role player and contributor to Illinois’ 2026 Final Four run, Humrichous averaged 5.8 points and 3.9 rebounds while coming off the bench for most of the season. He also shot 36.1% from three, making multiple treys in 15 games. While his shooting was a highlight, especially in the second half of the season, Humrichous’ most impressive growth point from when he entered the Big Ten in 2024 was his defense and rebounding.

Humrichous was a true team-first player as a sixth-year graduate student, showing a new level of focus on the defensive end and an aptitude for crashing the boards. Despite moving from a starting to bench role for his second season in Champaign, Humrichous’ effort plays, positive attitude and strong understanding of the game earned him high praise from head coach Brad Underwood.

“(Humrichous and Jake Davis) might be the two best glue guys in college basketball,” Underwood said on Feb. 18. “The hardest thing we have in today’s world is to find guys who wanna play roles. They don’t need the ball. They don’t demand it. They do everything right … To have guys like that that are versatile, that are such good human beings, they’re both leaders and they’re totally bought into our culture, and that speaks volumes.”

A stretch forward who isn’t afraid to do the little things needed to win is exactly the type of player who can carve out a successful pro career. Now, Humrichous is one step closer to the next level, where he will have the opportunity to display those attributes in a new environment. The Las Vegas NBA Summer League, from July 9-19, is where Humrichous will make his debut for Brooklyn. 

@sahil_mittal24

[email protected]

About the Contributor