Nick Van Exel was an elite point guard during his NBA career. He spent 13 seasons in the league and played for multiple teams. Van Exel played at a high level from the time he entered the league until the time he retired.

He was an important piece to the Los Angeles Lakers team during his early years in the league. The guard made a good amount of money throughout his career as well, and after his career, he stayed around the game as a coach.

Nick Van Exel’s career in the league

The Lakers drafted Van Exel in the second round of the 1993 NBA draft. During his rookie season, he was put into the starting lineup and made an impact immediately. He averaged 13.6 points, 5.8 assists, and 2.9 rebounds per game. Van Exel was named to the All-Rookie Second Team.

Van Exel and Eddie Jones were a good backcourt for the Lakers and helped a lot to the rebuilding of the team. In Van Exel’s first season, the Lakers missed the playoffs, but he helped lead the team back to the playoffs in his second season. He spent his first five seasons with the Lakers and averaged 14.9 points and 7.3 assists per game during his time with the team. In his final season with the Lakers, he made the all-star team.

After his time with the Lakers, he was traded to the Denver Nuggets. He had one of the best seasons of his career in Denver. During the 2000-01 season, he averaged 17.7 points and 8.5 assists. The next season he averaged 21.4 points through 45 games. He was then traded to the Dallas Mavericks, where he played for two seasons. Van Exel finished his last few seasons playing for the Golden State Warriors, Portland Trail Blazers, and the San Antonio Spurs. He finished his career averaging 14.4 points, 6.6 assists, and 2.9 rebounds. The point guard was most remembered for his time playing with the Lakers.

Nick Van Exel’s coaching career

After his playing career was over, Van Exel turned to coaching. A few years after his final season, he was hired by Texas Southern University to be an assistant coach for the men’s basketball team. After one season at Texas Southern, the Atlanta Hawks hired him as a player development instructor. In that position, he worked closely with the players and helped them improve their basketball skills.

After three seasons with the Hawks, he joined the Milwaukee Bucks and served as an assistant coach. He then went to the NBA Development League for the 2014-15 season and was an assistant coach for the Texas Legends. The next season he was named head coach for the Legends. Van Exel’s last coaching stop was with the Memphis Grizzlies as an assistant, where he started in 2016 and is currently still with the team.

How much did Nick Van Exel make during his career

According to hoopshype.com, Van Exel made $74,408,867 during his 13-year career. After his rookie season, he made $1,900,000 each season that he played with the Lakers and his first season with the Nuggets. He started to see more money after that.

Van Exel made over $10 million for four straight seasons playing with the Nuggets, Mavericks, Warriors, and Trail Blazers. He was able to make a good amount of money throughout his career, and because he had success early on in his career, he made more money toward the end of his career.