Xaivian Lee Makes Move After Going Undrafted in the 2026 NBA Draft

While he went undrafted in the 2026 NBA Draft, former Florida Gators guard Xaivian Lee will have the opportunity to make an NBA roster.

On Thursday, Lee signed an Exhibit-10 contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers, first reported by DraftExpress' Jon Chepkevich. An Exhibit-10 contract is a non-guaranteed one-year deal worth the minimum salary during training camp and is used to invite undrafted free agents to camp while securing their G League rights.

Lee is the lone NBA-bound player from last year's roster after notable prospects Thomas Haugh, Alex Condon and Rueben Chinyelu all elected to return to Florida for their senior seasons.

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— Florida Gators Men’s Basketball (@GatorsMBK) June 25, 2026

Lee spent one season at Florida after spending three seasons at Princeton. where he was a unanimous selection to the All-Ivy League First Team twice (2024, 2025). Helping the Gators win an SEC regular-season title and a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, Lee averaged 11.6 points, 4.2 assists — seventh in the SEC — and 3.7 rebounds per game.

His 147 total assists led the Gators, while his 2.4 assists-to-turnover ratio ranked eighth across the SEC.

Lee also earned his degree this year, holding a 3.62 GPA in economics and earning Academic All-America honors.

In Lee's place for next season, the Gators are expected to turn to Kentucky transfer and former Gator guard Denzel Aberdeen, who is still waiting on approval from the NCAA for an additional year of eligibility. The NCAA this week approved a five-for-five eligibility model that gives student-athletes five years of eligibility without redshirts, but Aberdeen does not qualify due to exhausting his eligibility last season.

Nonetheless, both head coach Todd Golden and athletic director Scott Stricklin are confident that Aberdeen, who only totaled 40.8 minutes on the court as a true freshman with the Gators, will receive approval.

"I think the unique circumstances of Denzel's case, considering he's coming back to a place he started to get his degree, I think the right thing to do is to let him have that year," Stricklin said. "If he gets denied, I don't know what decision Denzel will make, but I think we would support whatever decision, whatever path he wanted to attempt. I do think the right thing to do is, if we're going to go to a five-for-five, and given the variety of standards we've had up to this point, it makes sense to give that kid that year."

Florida also returns guards Boogie Fland, Urban Klavzar, Alex Lloyd and AJ Brown in addition to adding Aberdeen to the roster.

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