As noted by Syracuse.com on Thursday, former Syracuse men’s basketball guard Nate Kingz has found a new home. The guard, who competed for the Orange in 2025-26, will play professionally in Israel.
Earlier this summer, Kingz had signed with the Miami Heat.
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There are a few layers to unpack here, so here’s what you need to know:
A well-traveled guard, Kingz spent his freshman year at an NAIA school, then went to a junior college for his sophomore year and redshirted in his junior year because of injury. He played a redshirt junior year at Oregon State and this past year at Syracuse.
Though he only spent one season in Central New York, Kingz was a welcome addition to the Orange program, providing multiple big offensive games. He averaged 12.2 ppg on 49.3 percent shooting, while also shooting 36.7 percent from three-point range. On a team that didn’t shoot well from deep, he was by far the best, and most consistent, option.
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After the season ended, Kingz entered the transfer portal.
Though he had already played four years and received a redshirt, he was exploring the feasibility of a fifth year, which would have presumably come down to whether those NAIA/JUCO years counted against his eligibility clock.
Whether Kingz was denied additional eligibility or simply chose not to pursue it further is unclear.
The recent preliminary injunction which granted players a fifth year of eligibility did not apply to Kingz, as he had already played four seasons over more than four years.
Syracuse Orange guard Nate Kingz (4) scores as Southern Methodist University Mustangs guard Jaron Pierre Jr. (5) defends in the first half at Spectrum Center. Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
He played in three games for the Summer League Heat, averaging 14.7 ppg. He scored 4.3 ppg and shot 27.8 percent from the floor.
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After the addition of Amarri Monroe to the roster, the Orange continue to build out their schedule. We learned some of the details on the game with Albany this season on Wednesday, but there are still game dates to be released for a road contest with Rutgers and a game at St. John’s.
The ACC schedule hasn’t been released yet either.
Syracuse is coming off a 15-17 season and hasn’t been to the NCAA Tournament in five years. New head coach Gerry McNamara is working to change the culture and energy around the program, and seems to be doing a nice job at getting the fanbase re-engaged.
