Donovan Dent Ends Pro Plans, Chooses Youth Training Instead
donovan dent says he is done with pro basketball, ending the path that had pointed toward a professional career after one season at UCLA. He said he will not take a G-League contract or any overseas deal, and instead wants to give back to youth and start training.
“I'm done with pro basketball,” Dent told the Albuquerque Journal. “I want to give back to the youth and I want to start training.”
Dent Turns From Pro Path
The move closes the door on the route many expected after he left New Mexico for UCLA through the college basketball transfer portal. Dent arrived at UCLA with a proven scoring resume and left after one season with 1.7 steals per game, 7.6 assists per game, and 2.9 rebounds per game.
His New Mexico numbers were bigger. In the 2024-25 season, Dent averaged 20.4 points per game and won Mountain West Conference Player of the Year. That production helped make his decision more notable, because it came after a season in which he had already established himself as one of the most productive guards in the conference.
UCLA Season And New Mexico Run
Dent’s lone season at UCLA gave him a different statistical profile. He was not just scoring; he was creating chances for teammates and generating turnovers, which is reflected in the assists and steals numbers he posted in Los Angeles.
The contrast between the two stops is part of the story. New Mexico was where he put up the scoring total and the conference honor, while UCLA was where he showed broader all-around production. That makes his decision to walk away from pro basketball more abrupt than a simple decline in production.
Pop-Up Clinics And AAU Coaching
What Dent says he will do next is already tied to basketball. He created Pop-up Clinics as basketball skills camps and is involved with the AAU circuit as a coach, so his shift away from the pro game points him toward direct work with younger players.
That is the practical change for the next phase of his career: no G-League contract, no overseas contract, and a move into youth development and training work instead. The former UCLA guard is leaving the pro route behind while keeping his footprint in the game through camps and coaching.
