GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Florida’s Zyon Pullin and Tyrese Samuel have both agreed to NBA deals, Pullin a two-way contract with the Miami Heat and Samuel an Exhibit 10 contract with the Phoenix Suns.
Pullin earned coaches first-team All-SEC honors as the Gators’ point guard, leading UF with 162 assists and adding 15.5 points per game along with 3.9 rebounds per game and 30 total steals. The Pleasant Hill, Calif., native set a Florida record with a 3.77 assist-to-turnover ratio, also the best number posted in the 2000s by an SEC player. He tallied 512 points to become part of the first trio in Florida history to all post 500 points in a season, along with Walter Clayton Jr. (633) and Samuel (500).
A second-team AP All-SEC honoree, Samuel averaged 13.9 points and a team-leading 7.4 rebounds per game while starting all 36 games last season. He tallied 30 double-figure scoring games and three 20-point games, and his 11 double-doubles tied for ninth-most in UF history. The Montreal native poured in a career-high 28 points to go with 10 rebounds in the win vs. Missouri. He also posted the No. 3 single-season total in UF history with 102 offensive rebounds, joining Micah Handlogten (108) to become Florida’s first duo to hit the century mark in offensive boards.
This marks the second straight season the Gators have had multiple players earn NBA deals, following Colin Castleton and Alex Fudge in 2023. Castleton and Fudge both signed with the Los Angeles Lakers last summer, Castleton on a two-way contract and Fudge on an Exhibit 10 that was converted to a two-way. They were part of the Lakers’ NBA In-Season Tournament title, with Fudge moving on to be part of the Western Conference champion Dallas Mavericks later in the season.
Both players will likely see their first action when NBA Summer League opens. Miami begins Summer League action on July 6 against Golden State in San Francisco as part of the California Classic Summer League (July 6-10), while Phoenix and the majority NBA teams will be in the NBA 2K25 Summer League in Las Vegas July 12-22. Miami’s G League affiliate is the Sioux Falls Skyforce, while the Phoenix affiliate Valley Suns are set for their inaugural season in 2024-25.
The Gators have a history with both NBA teams as three Gators (Udonis Haslem, Mike Miller, Jason Williams) have won NBA titles with Miami. Phoenix is currently home to 2012 All-SEC honoree Bradley Beal and is the franchise that selected Neal Walk, the highest-drafted player in program history at No. 2 the 1969 NBA draft.
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