Gonzaga's Anton Watson signs with sports agency co-founded by rapper Lil Wayne
May 1—Anton Watson has found new representation as the former Gonzaga forward enters the first stages of his professional basketball career.
Watson, the Gonzaga Prep graduate who just wrapped up a standout five-year career with Mark Few and the Bulldogs, has signed with Young Money APAA Sports, a sports agency co-founded by renowned hip-hop artist Lil Wayne.
The sports agency revealed Watson as its newest client in an Instagram post on Wednesday afternoon, along with other college standouts who've entered the NBA draft such as Arkansas' Jeremiah Davenport, Western Carolina's Vonterius Woolbright, Akron's Ali Ali and Tulane's Jaylen Forbes.
Young Money APAA Sport works with a variety of athletes in the NFL and NBA, along with select college athletes for name, image and likeness (NIL) representation.
While at Gonzaga, Watson worked with Seven1 Sports & Entertainment for NIL representation, signing with the agency founded by former NBA stars Tracy McGrady and Jermaine O'Neal not long after the group announced former Zags teammate Drew Timme as its first college client.
Watson averaged career-high averages in points (14.5), rebounds (7.1) and assists (2.6) during his fifth and final season at Gonzaga, earning All-West Coast Conference first-team honors for the first time in his career. Watson, who started in his final 72 games at Gonzaga, scored a career-high 32 points during a 69-65 win over UCLA at the Maui Invitational then matched that total during a 77-76 loss to Santa Clara in WCC play.
The 6-foot-8, 228-pound forward, who was regarded as one of the WCC's top defensive players each of the past three years, isn't expected to hear his name called in the NBA draft, but should have a strong chance of signing an undrafted free-agent deal, two-way contract or landing an invite to NBA Summer League.
Watson declared for the NBA draft last season and participated in the NBA G League Elite Camp last May.
He withdrew his name from the draft and electing to return to school for his final season of eligibility.
