Alabama Basketball needs a lead guard for the 2025-26 college basketball season. Borrowing a headline from Emilee Starr after Philon's sensational game against Kentucky, Labaron Philon became the player Alabama "needs" for another Final Four run.
No matter how great the need, Alabama may have to compete next season without Philon. He has not completely ruled out returning to the Crimson Tide but recently said, "... I’m all in (100%) on the draft right now because I feel like I want to be a pro. You never know what can happen. We’ll just have to wait and see."
Philon must already know how much Alabama will pay him for next season. Whatever the amount, Nate Oats must include the dollars in his 2025-26 player payroll budget. It could be another month before Oats knows what Philon will do. Unless Philon lands in the top 25 of the 2025 NBA Draft, Alabama could possibly pay him more than he would earn as a first-year professional.
Philon appears more concerned about a solid professional opportunity, rather than how much money he would earn next season. "I would say, it's not about the NIL or the money, just for me. It's just about do you want to go back and play for that school or do you want to chase your dream and play with the big guys?"
Nate Oats cannot be all-in on Philon because he must have a contingency plan. Some Alabama basketball insiders expect two of the currently three available roster slots will go to Rylan Griffen and transfer forward Keitenn Bristow. The third roster spot will go to Labaron Philon or some unknown guard with the skills to trigger the Alabama offense. After losing out on Cedric Coward to Duke, Alabama is in a tricky position. The NCAA deadline to withdraw from the NBA Draft is May 28th. Feedback from the G-League and NBA combines could push Philon to an earlier decision. The NBA Combine will end on May 18, but teams will conduct player workouts after that date.
Alabama Basketball and Patience
Nate Oats is almost forced to gamble on patience with one potential transfer until Philon decides. It is a tough situation with no sure outcome. Alabama basketball fans are antsy. A recent Busting Brackets list of 10 top transfer classes, plus three honorable mentions, did not include Alabama. It did include SEC teams Kentucky, Texas, Auburn, and LSU, with Oklahoma gaining an honorable mention.
Nate Oats has been a roster-building expert and Preston Murphy is one of college basketball's top recruiters. This offseason situation may test those skills as never before.