Minnesota Timberwolves guard and former Illinois basketball star Terrence Shannon Jr. was found not guilty of felony rape and aggravated sexual assault in June after being arrested in December following an incident at a bar in Kansas in September.

Now, Shannon Jr. and his mother have filed a claim against the Douglas County District Attorney, Lawrence Police Department and a detective in Kansas for malicious prosecution and other claims, according to WCIA. According to their attorney, they are seeking “millions of dollars” in damages.

After Shannon Jr. was arrested, he was suspended by Illinois and missed six games before being allowed to return after he retained a temporary restraining order.

It is not clear how many potential NIL opportunities Shannon Jr. lost due to his false conviction or how far he may have slipped in the NBA Draft due to teams' preconceived notions of him despite his not guilty verdict. While it is not known yet how much exactly Shannon Jr. and his mother are seeking in this lawsuit, they could be in line for quite the payout.

Terrance Shannon's tumultuous 2023-24 season with Illinois basketball

Illinois Fighting Illini guard Terrence Shannon Jr. (0) reacts during the second half against the Duquesne Dukes in the second round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at CHI Health Center Omaha.
© Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images

Following a season that saw him get booed everywhere he played had his character constantly called into question, Shannon Jr. likely fell in the draft due to concerns regarding his personal life and potential legal status.

At 6-6 and with plus-athleticism and elite two-way abilities, Shannon Jr. was one of the best players in college basketball last season despite his legal situation. Averaging 23.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.9 blocks per game while shooting 36.2% from three, Shannon Jr. led Illinois to a Big 10 title and an Elite Eight appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Shannon Jr. was also named the Big 10 Tournament Most Outstanding Player, First-team All-Big 10 and Third-team All-American.

After he received the not guilty verdict in June, Shannon Jr. immediately shot up draft boards before being selected with the 27th overall pick by the Timberwolves. The former Fighting Illini star had an excellent Summer League for the Timberwolves, scoring 13.3 points per game and shooting an efficient 56.3% from the field in 23.2 minutes per game. He is expected to be able to contribute immediately to the Timberwolves and provide a scoring punch off the bench.

This has been a drawn-out and unfortunate situation for all parties involved. Hopefully this can be the end of this saga and Shannon Jr. can finally begin his NBA career without any other off-court distractions.