Nick Van Exel, an American basketball legend, has amassed a net worth of $20 million through his 13-year NBA career and subsequent coaching roles.
Nick Van Exel is a retired American professional basketball player whose net worth stands at $20 million. Renowned for his left-handed play and flamboyant style, he spent 13 seasons in the NBA and earned All-Star honors with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1998. Born Nickey Maxwell Van Exel on November 27, 1971, in Kenosha, Wisconsin, he was primarily raised by his mother, Joyce. He attended a private high school in his hometown, where he played basketball from 1987 to 1989. During that span, he scored 1,282 points, leading the WISAA state tournament in scoring during his junior and senior years. His exceptional performance earned him a spot on the Associated Press All-State team as a senior. The NBA welcomed Van Exel when the Los Angeles Lakers selected him in the second round (37th overall) of the 1993 draft. Under his leadership, the Lakers returned to the playoffs in 1995 following a missed postseason appearance in 1994. His quickness and clutch shooting earned him the nickname "Nick the Quick." Over five seasons as their starting point guard, he averaged 14.9 points and 7.3 assists per game before being traded to the Denver Nuggets. While with the Nuggets—a team struggling at the time—Van Exel set personal records, including averages of 17.7 points and 8.4 assists per game over four seasons. In the 2001-2002 season, he reached 21.4 points per game in 45 appearances. In 2002, he was part of a seven-player and first-round pick deal that sent him to the Dallas Mavericks, where he took on a smaller role but remained effective. His career continued with the Golden State Warriors, where he played just 39 games, averaging 12.6 points and 5.3 assists. A subsequent trade brought him to the Portland Trail Blazers in 2004, but he played only 53 games before being released. He finished his playing days with the San Antonio Spurs, citing it as his final NBA season. Struggling with knee and elbow injuries, he managed just 65 games while averaging career lows. After the Spurs were eliminated by the Dallas Mavericks in the playoffs, Van Exel officially retired. In the coaching realm, Van Exel joined Texas Southern University as an assistant coach for the men’s basketball team on October 15, 2009. The Atlanta Hawks hired him as a player development instructor on September 8, 2010, a position he held through the 2010-11, 2011-12, and 2012-13 seasons. He then served as an assistant coach for the Milwaukee Bucks during the 2013-14 season. In 2015, he was named head coach of the Texas Legends in the NBA D-League. Van Exel returned to the professional coaching ranks in 2016 when the Memphis Grizzlies brought him on as an assistant coach. After two years as a scout with the Dallas Mavericks, he rejoined the Atlanta Hawks as an assistant coach in 2021. Throughout his NBA career, Van Exel earned $74,408,867 in total salary. His contract with the Denver Nuggets guaranteed him $50.5 million over five years, with potential earnings reaching $77 million over seven years if he met certain performance incentives. However, he played only four seasons in Denver before being traded. His highest salaries came during his time with the Portland Trail Blazers and Golden State Warriors, totaling $11,933,252 and $11,956,625 respectively. In a tragic turn of events, Van Exel’s son, Nickey, was convicted of murder on January 31, 2013, and sentenced to 60 years in prison. Nickey fatally shot his close friend, Bradley Eyo, and disposed of the body in Lake Ray Hubbard after Eyo threatened to report their involvement in multiple bank robberies. © 2026 Celebrity Net Worth / All Rights Reserved