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With only 11 minutes played across the entire EuroLeague season and seemingly overlooked by Joan Peñarroya, this wasn't the experience Murinen had hoped for. However, he undoubtedly gained valuable insight sharing the locker room and playing minutes in the ABA League with his more experienced teammates.
Now, he's made a decision that appears to have been his goal all along: a return to America.
The Finnish talent announced he would be attending the University of Arkansas, explaining his decision to Finnish media.
It seems that for Murinen, at this early stage of his career, financial gain is taking precedence over basketball, a point highlighted in the Finnish press.
The world of collegiate sports is awash with money. Today, rising stars like Murinen are looking at multi-million dollar contracts. While direct payments to university players are still prohibited, for the past five years, athletes have been able to earn substantial sums through their personal brands. These sponsorship deals for collegiate athletes are now known as NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) agreements. According to American media reports, A.J. Dybantsa, who represented Brigham Young University, received at least $4.1 million through NIL deals this season. The value of NIL contracts for a highly talented player like Murinen is also likely to be in the millions. YLE
While he didn't disclose the exact value of his deal, Murinen elaborated on why he chose this particular path.
I visited Arkansas a year and a half ago. Since then, they've been messaging me almost every week, asking how I'm doing. Arkansas genuinely showed they wanted me there. For me, choosing a university was a fairly straightforward process. We went through everything, and in the end, with the help of my agent and family, we concluded that Arkansas was the best place for me. They have truly experienced coaches and an already well-established team. Mika Murinen
After working under Željko Obradović, Murinen will now have the opportunity to collaborate with another legendary coach: John Calipari, an NCAA champion in 2012 and a six-time NCAA Final Four participant.
Only 71 basketball players declared for the upcoming NBA draft, the lowest number since 2003. For comparison, last year 106 players competed for one of the 60 draft spots, and the peak was in 2021 with a staggering 363 draft declarations, according to journalist Jonathan Givony.
The existence of NIL contracts has undoubtedly influenced this outcome for the 2026 draft class.
ABA League (Playoffs)
VIDEO Mika Murinen can't even play against Studentski Centar...
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