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Thursday, August 27, 2026

Former Gator Xaivian Lee transfers to Gonzaga for fifth year

Lee averaged 11.6 points per game in his sole season at UF

Florida guard Xaivian Lee (1) drives during the second half of an SEC Men's Basketball Tournament quarterfinal game against Kentucky, Friday, March 13, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn.
Florida guard Xaivian Lee (1) drives during the second half of an SEC Men's Basketball Tournament quarterfinal game against Kentucky, Friday, March 13, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn.

Former Gator Xaivian Lee transferred to Gonzaga Wednesday after receiving a temporary restraining order from the state of California, per On3’s Joe Tipton. 

This move comes after Lee announced he planned to enter the transfer portal on Aug. 18, seeking a new opportunity in his fifth collegiate season.

At Princeton, he averaged 17.1 and 16.9 points per game in his sophomore and junior years, respectively. Lee also received First Team All-Ivy League honors in 2024 and 2025.

On April 16, 2025, he transferred to Florida from Princeton, opting to attend UF over St. John’s and Kansas.

Last season, Lee averaged 11.6 points and a team-high 4.2 assists per game as Florida’s starting shooting guard. He recorded a season-high 24 points on 6-of-10 shooting against George Washington on Dec. 13 in Sunrise, Florida, earning him the Orange Bowl Classic MVP.  

On Feb. 16, Lee was named SEC Player of the Week following an 18-point outing against Georgia and a 22-point performance against then-No. 25 Kentucky.

In high school, he was a teammate of Florida’s Thomas Haugh at Perkiomen School in Pennsburg, Pennsylvania.

Following the conclusion of the 2025-26 season, Lee agreed to sign an Exhibit 10 contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers, whom he represented at the 2026 NBA Summer League, averaging 6.4 points, 2.4 assists and two rebounds per game across five appearances. He shot 40% from the field and 21% from beyond the arc.

Now, Lee will finish his college basketball career as a Gonzaga Bulldog. 

Contact Jeffrey Serber at Jserber@alligator.org. Follow him on X at @JeffreySerber.

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Jeffrey Serber

Jeffrey is a summer 2026 sports enterprise reporter and a third-year journalism sports & media major with a media, management and production minor. In his free time, he enjoys hanging out with friends and family, and rooting for the Miami sports teams


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