Report Links Clemson to Current Two-Way NBA Player, Then Walks It Back

Clemson’s brief inclusion in a viral report involving an NBA two-way player showcases how quickly speculation can blur into perception in today’s college basketball landscape.

Clemson was briefly mentioned in a report involving a two-way NBA forward before the Tigers’ involvement was clarified. | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

College basketball continues to drift into increasingly gray territory as professional players explore paths back to the collegiate game, a trend that has generated equal parts intrigue and controversy across the sport.

That uncertainty was on display Saturday when On3’s Joe Tipton listed several programs, including Clemson, as schools reportedly in contact with current two-way NBA player Trentyn Flowers. However, he walked back his reports the following morning.

Florida, Michigan, Clemson, Indiana, and Texas Tech are not expected to be in the mix for Trentyn Flowers, sources told @On3sports. https://t.co/kPOunlPJF6

— Joe Tipton (@JoeTipton) December 28, 2025

Despite the clarification this morning, the initial post amassed nearly four million impressions on X (formerly Twitter) in roughly 13 hours and was met with skepticism from national media members.

CBS Sports senior writer Matt Norlander took to twitter and noted that some programs listed in the report privately questioned its accuracy, emphasizing the growing uncertainty surrounding which schools — if any — are actively involved when such information circulates publicly.

FWIW, while some might be sniffing around, at least three programs named in this report tell CBS Sports they've shown "zero" interest in pursuing Flowers. One adds: "Not even sure how we got on that list. No one on our staff has had any contact with anyone associated with him." https://t.co/F5QZuZA5jN

— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) December 28, 2025

Even with the update, Clemson’s brief association with the report was not entirely implausible given the program’s recent off-season behavior. Earlier this cycle, the Tigers were in discussions with former G-League guard T.J. Clark before he ultimately committed to Ole Miss, signaling that head coach Brad Brownell and his staff were at least willing to explore non-traditional roster options.

However, there was still mass amounts of doubt in Tipton's report based on Brownell's recent comments. When asked about the possibility of adding another player to the roster mid-season due to injuries in the backcourt last week, Brownell expressed that it was highly unlikely.

"I don't know if we're going to do that," he said. "I really haven't gotten into it with my staff. My staff hasn't come to me with, like, some guy that they feel like we need to add to the roster. I think it can also do some harm, so you've got to juggle it."

With Clemson’s roster largely set, any involvement — if it existed at all — appears to have been limited to preliminary evaluation rather than active recruitment.

Who is Trentyn Flowers?

Coming out of the 2023 class — which he reclassified into — Flowers was rated a five-star prospect and ranked as the No. 23 overall player in the country, according to 247Sports Composite.

He initially committed to Louisville and was in position to be an immediate starter for the Cardinals, but announced that he had decommitted from the program in early August to sign with the Adelaide 36ers of the National Basketball League (NBL) instead. 

Due to injuries, Flowers was limited to a mere 18 games with the Australian team, averaging five points and three rebounds per game before declaring for the 2024 NBA Draft. 

The 6-foot-9 forward went undrafted, but picked up a two-way deal with the Los Angeles Clippers shortly after. 

Flowers appeared in six games for the Clippers in the 2024-2025 season, with his best game coming in January against the Minnesota Timberwolves, dropping career highs across the board of nine points and four rebounds in 14 minutes.

The majority of his playing time came with the Clippers' G-League affiliate, the San Diego Clippers. In 27 game appearances, Flowers put up 20 points, five rebounds and two assists per night. 

Ahead of the 2025 season, the Clippers waived Flowers, but he inked another two-way deal three days later with the Chicago Bulls.

Two months into the season, Flowers has seen limited action, appearing in just one G League game with the Windy City Bulls and two games with the Chicago Bulls. His most recent appearance came earlier this month against the Golden State Warriors, where he logged four points in four minutes.