Why timing and money—not Rick Pitino’s choice to bench him—drove RJ Luis from St. John’s to transfer portal

Move aside, Hunter Dickinson. St. John’s wing and 2024-25 Big East Player of the Year RJ Luis Jr. has officially earned the belt as the most accomplished player to ever enter the college basketball transfer portal. This is the first time the top player from a high-major league has dipped a toe into the portal, and unpacking the fallout is complicated. The jostling, messaging and narrative-pushing have already started. 

Luis’ potential divorce from St. John’s had been simmering behind the scenes for weeks and the rumbles grew even louder after Rick Pitino benched his star wing for the final five minutes of St. John’s upset loss to No. 10 seed Arkansas in last weekend’s Round of 32. It was a painful end to what had been an unbelievable breakout season for both Luis and St. John’s, but Luis’ portal entry days later was not a direct result of the benching or Pitino’s sharp comments, according to conversations with people familiar with the situation.

“It has nothing to do with the last game. Nothing. That hasn’t changed anything,” one source told CBS Sports. “He wants to go pro, he wants to test the waters. Pitino thinks he’s ready, they’ve talked about it and the program has to move on to get someone else. There’s nothing contentious, surprising or antagonistic about it.” 

That viewpoint was consistent in other conversations CBS Sports had with sources close to St. John’s and Luis. Most notable about the benching, which came during Lui’s worst showing of the season (3 of 17 shooting for nine points), was Pitino knowing his star was mulling an exit, which could have colored his postgame interaction with reporters:

“He played 30 minutes,” Pitino said. “That’s a long time.”

Pitino was then asked if Luis was benched due to fatigue. 

“No,” Pitino said. “He played 30 minutes, and I went with other people. … Don’t ask me leading questions. You already know why he didn’t play.” 

Pitino was later asked about Luis telling reporters that he didn’t feel like he played like a leader. In response, the coach singled out Kadary Richmond, Deivon Smith and Aaron Smith — curiously omitting Luis — as players who he appreciated for “giving them every single thing they had.” 

Headline-making barbs aside, timing, leverage, money and how they converge on roster construction are the key factors behind the Luis-Johnnis breakup.

Rick Pitino defends benching star RJ Luis late in NCAA Tournament loss: ‘You already know why he didn’t play’

Kyle Boone

A legitimate two-way force, Luis has a real case for the NBA, and is expected to go through the pre-draft process before making a decision. The NBA Draft Combine is May 11-18 in Chicago, and Luis would have until late May to make up his mind. But that’s eight weeks away, and with Luis expected to command at least $1.5 million, that’s a huge chunk of the salary cap St. John’s can’t afford to earmark for a possibility — money that can and will be used across several other players.

Pitino did not push Luis into the transfer portal, sources told CBS Sports. But St. John’s certainly would have preferred a swift answer, rather than late May, because it has no time to wait in retooling its roster. A late-May bidding war earned Coleman Hawkins north of $2 million last year from Kansas State, and Hawkins was not even regarded as a top-20 transfer. Luis could certainly garner that type of offer. St. John’s is expected to have more NIL to work with than it did a season ago, but does it want to spend that?

We very clearly have our answer. 

St. John’s is returning big man Zuby Ejiofor, who will be a cornerstone for the future. Pitino would’ve loved to pair Luis with Ejiofor to give this group the upside to be the best defensive team in America. Retention is everything when your goal is a national championship. And with Luis and Ejiofor back, St. John’s would’ve entered 2025-26 as the team to beat in the Big East.

This was already shaping up as a high-stakes offseason for Pitino, but it’s dialed up even more with Luis’ expected departure. Kadary Richmond, Deivon Smith and Aaron Scott are all out of eligibility, so the Johnnies are going to look very different next winter. The portal will be everything. St. John’s got the party started by scooping up Arizona State transfer wing Joson Sanon. The electric shot-maker could play in the league one day, but he’s just the first piece with holes everywhere on this roster. 

Like many other programs, St. John’s aggressively scouted the transfer portal for weeks before it opened. Luis’ status changes Pitino’s pitch. Pitino’s transfer targets change as well. Providence transfer Bryce Hopkins is a big early name to watch who could slide into Luis’ vacated role.

The money factor

There is also a financial aspect be consider here. There’s extra cap space in this cycle as programs combine previous NIL coffers with the revenue sharing the House v. NCAA settlement will bring. It’s a green-laced cornucopia. There are rumblings of a potential $10 million roster at the top of the sport, but the reality is that dozens of eager-to-win, high-major programs will have north of $6 million to build a team.

If Luis returns to college basketball, everyone will want him. The early buzz indicates it would take $1.5 million to just get in the door with Luis, and that number could skyrocket in the coming weeks. 

That’s three times as much as a two-way deal in the NBA could garner.

Luis’ NBA outlook is blurry

The feedback from NBA decision-makers will be vital. Luis’ physicality has impressed pro scouts all year. He’s a 6-7, 215-pound wing who can sit down and guard at a high level. When tuned up, his motor is as good as it gets. But he’s not a first-round lock because there are some real questions about his feel, jumper and overall decision-making. Luis, 22, has the athletic tools to play in the league, but does he have the skill? He could raise his stock during the pre-draft process, and it only takes one team to pull the trigger if they believe Luis could be the next coming of Josh Hart. But as of now, he is not guaranteed to get drafted.

That opens up the door for a return to college, especially with the type of offers he could command. Luis can be one of the best players in the sport in 2025-26.

If he’s not returning to St. John’s, Pitino wants Luis to go to the NBA. Luis wants to go to the NBA. Does the NBA want him? That’s quite literally the million-dollar question. 

Luis playing college basketball next year is the most likely outcome, but it very likely won’t be at St. John’s.