Florida's Keyontae Johnson unlikely to play this year, weighing pro options

Florida forward Keyontae Johnson is unlikely to play for the Gators this season and is currently weighing his professional options.

According to The Associated Press, the senior standout is in the process of deciding whether to push for medical clearance and turn pro or cash in on a $5 million insurance policy.

Weighing his options

Johnson collapsed in the middle of Florida’s game vs. Florida State on Dec. 12 and was taken off the court in a stretcher. He was then taken to a Tallahassee hospital in critical condition and later placed in a medically-induced coma before being transported back to Gainesville.

After spending 10 nights in the hospital, Johnson was ultimately released on Dec. 22 and rejoined the basketball team on Dec. 28.

He sat out the remainder of the 2020-21 season and opted to return to school for his senior year after considering his pro options. In the lead-up to 2021-22, though, Johnson has yet to practice or scrimmage and the AP is reporting that Florida isn’t expecting him to be medically cleared to play this season.

As a result, Johnson must decide whether to explore his professional options in hopes of being cleared or cash in on his insurance policy that went into effect in July 2020 — just five months before the medical emergency.

Here’s what the AP had to say about Keyontae Johnson’s upcoming decision:

Johnson, the SEC preseason player of the year in 2020, has turned his attention toward pursing a potential NBA career, one source said. He would need medical clearance — something that hasn’t happened in the 11 months since his collapse — and then pass any number of tests before being allowed to attend next year’s NBA combine and/or privately work out for teams.

Johnson’s policy provides him enough flexibility to take steps toward playing professionally and still be able to reverse course and make an insurance claim, one source said. If he does trigger the insurance policy that Florida paid the premiums on, there’s an option for him to take the $5 million as a lump sum. There’s no timetable or deadline for Johnson to make a decision on his future.

If he doesn’t play again, Johnson has the lucrative policy to offset the loss of future earnings.

The Associated Press

An unofficial coach

Until then, Johnson is serving as an unofficial coach for the Gators, working with the team in practice. According to Florida head coach Mike White, he’s organizing practices, helping with drills, and even officiating during scrimmages.

“He’s very much a big part of our program,” White said last week. “… Getting a taste of some individual meetings with guys at times, trying to motivate, trying to hold [guys] accountable. Doing whatever he can, he’s an unselfish guy.

“He’s a winner, he’s always going to be. And he’s doing whatever he can to help his teammates and to help us as a staff.”

Prior to the medical emergency, Johnson was leading the team with a scoring average of 19.7 points in three games. In his breakout sophomore campaign, the 6-foot-5 forward averaged 14.0 points and 7.1 rebounds per contest.

Once seen as one of the brightest up-and-coming stars in the SEC, it now appears Keyontae Johnson’s time as a Florida Gator is over.