Several NBA Draft Prospects Are Leaving Millions on the Table by Jumping Early
Several NBA Draft Prospects Are Leaving Millions on the Table by Jumping Early
For fringe NBA first-rounders who slipped into Round 2, college basketball could have offered a good fail-safe for the risks of turning pro.Kevin Sweeney|
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Duke Blue DevilsNorth Carolina Tar HeelsArkansas RazorbacksIsaiah Evans spent more than three hours waiting around the NBA draft green room—sunglasses on toward the end to help shield his emotion from the cameras, waiting for Adam Silver to call his name in the first round. The call never came.
The former Duke star became one of three college players with eligibility remaining who missed out on being first round picks Tuesday night, along with North Carolina big Henri Veesaar and Arkansas guard Meleek Thomas. All three will likely be selected very early in the second round Wednesday, but that one-day delay in officially joining the NBA ranks can be costly: If they sign for the rookie minimum, as expected, they will make $1.36 million in their first season, rather than the nearly $3 million slotted for the last pick of the first round. Falling to the second also means less long-term security: First rounders get four-year deals with the first two years guaranteed, while second-rounders sometimes get shorter deals with fewer guarantees.
It’s not for me, or anyone else for that matter, to say whether Evans, Veesaar or Thomas made the wrong decision to head to the NBA now. These are personal decisions, not decided on a spreadsheet. All three dreamed their whole lives of playing in the NBA, and all three will be draft picks in the coming hours. But from a financial standpoint, there’s little doubt all three guys, and even some late first-rounders, left significant money on the table by going pro now instead of staying in college.
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Milan Momcilovic, who starred at Iowa State and would have likely been an early second-rounder, elected to head back to school and transfer to Kentucky. Next season he will make somewhere in the $6 million to $7 million range, more than No. 30 pick Koa Peat’s guaranteed money over the next two years. Tounde Yessoufou, a fringe first-rounder, got north of $5 million to play 2026-27 at St. John’s, according to sources around college basketball.
Conservatively, there are somewhere around 40 college players slated to make at or above the $2.9 million Peat will get as the No. 30 pick this season … and it’s safe to say the three underclassmen who didn’t go in the first round could’ve gotten at least that much in college this season.
It’s not a stretch to say that there will be college players that make enough money that they could retire from basketball with eight-figure net worths before playing an NBA game. That’s especially true now that players will have a fifth year of college earning potential thanks to the NCAA’s new age-based eligibility proposal. The NIL market may not keep exploding with 30%-50% increases in value every year, but it seems unlikely to contract substantially, either. Someone like Evans, with three more years of college, could’ve easily made $10 million to $15 million before entering the NBA.
The financial case for leaving college earlier is getting to a potential second NBA contract sooner. College money can’t compete with the $125 million extension Christian Braun signed in Denver last October or the potential $30 million-plus Walker Kessler could command annually in free agency this summer. But chasing that is a major dice roll. From the 2022 draft, when Braun and Kessler were picked in the 20s, seven of the 11 players picked from 20–30 have been waived at least once and will be battling for roster spots next season now that their rookie contracts have come to completion.
And the NBA’s aversion to drafting older players with first-round picks has faded (or if nothing else, the league’s collective hand has been forced by so many college stars lingering in school longer). Tuesday night, nine first-rounders had spent at least three seasons in college, including 23-year-olds Yaxel Lendeborg (Michigan) and Alex Karaban (UConn).
Karaban is a good example of making the current landscape work for him. He had a predraft promise for a sizable guaranteed second-round contract had he stayed in the 2024 draft. Instead, he came back to school, made similar money with the Huskies as he would have in the NBA, got his jersey retired on Senior Day and snuck into the first round at No. 29 this year.
I’m all for betting on yourself. All the guys we’re discussing here (Peat, Evans, Veesaar and Thomas) have already been college stars. All four played into at least the NCAA tournament second weekend in their careers. It’s not unreasonable to want to start chasing the new challenge, even if there’s risk at play.
But the money to be had as a college superstar right now has gotten to the point where it’s really, really hard to walk away. This is generational wealth without the risk of getting cut as a 22-year-old. Evans could’ve returned to college, had a horrible shooting season, and still gotten a multimillion-dollar deal in 2027-28. Take Tahaad Pettiford, a fringe first-rounder in 2025 who went back to school for a massive payday. He shot less than 40% from the field as a sophomore, his team missed the NCAA tournament … and yet Pettiford is still in the $3 million-and-up club for 2026–27, according to multiple SEC sources.
In an ideal world, Pettiford can rebuild his stock and at some point get drafted in the first round. But even if he doesn’t, and has to grind his way into the NBA as a later second-round pick or two-way guy, he’d be doing so in 2028 or ’29, with eight figures in career earnings. He’ll have made NBA-level money already, just with the checks coming from Auburn instead of Atlanta.
You can think of a long college career in this current environment as an insurance policy on your career. Ideally, those extra college seasons make the prospect more physically and emotionally ready for their one shot at sticking in the NBA. But if a long NBA career is a 50/50 proposition (as the numbers say it is for players drafted in the 20–40 range), wouldn’t you rather take that change with millions already in the bank?
Maybe Evans will make Tuesday’s snub an afterthought in an outstanding career. Take the case of Max Christie, another slender sharpshooter from the 2022 draft mentioned above. Christie later signed a $32 million extension and emerged as a starter this year in Dallas. No one should be surprised if Evans ends up on a similar trajectory. But a few picks before Christie in that draft was Caleb Houstan, who spent his fourth NBA season on a two-way deal with Atlanta. In four years as a pro, he has made about as much money as Momcilovic will make in one season at Kentucky. That seems pretty much impossible to pass up.
So for all the college players who watched Tuesday night’s first round and might be in a similar position to Evans or Veesaar this time next year, a word of advice: If you can make NBA money without NBA risk, you should probably take it.
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Published 18 hours ago | Modified 18 hours ago
KEVIN SWEENEYKevin Sweeney is a staff writer at Sports Illustrated covering college basketball and the NBA draft. He joined the SI staff in July 2021 and also serves host and analyst for The Field of 68. Sweeney is a Naismith Trophy voter and ia member of the U.S. Basketball Writers Association. He is a graduate of Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism.
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Badenoch blasts 'moaning' female Labour MPs over Burnham jobs 'quota'
Kemi Badenoch has told Labour women to earn a job in Andy Burnham's Cabinet instead of demanding they are handed jobs because of their gender.
The Tory leader lashed out today amid reports that female MPs are demanding the de-facto new prime minister introduce a 50:50 gender split 'quota' in his government.
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister also complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts.
But in a scathing article in the Times today Mrs Badenoch told them to 'stop moaning' and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'.
'There are many, many reasons why you shouldn't have any Milibands in the cabinet,' she said.
'But complaining that the boys haven't given them the right jobs or that the boys are taking all the jobs, just shows that Labour's women still don't get it.'
The idea of quotas was also attacked by Baroness Jacqui Smith, Labour's Skills Minister.
Asked by Times Radio if Mr Burnham should reserve jobs for women, she said: 'No, I think what Andy Burnham should be doing is building the very best team around him to change this country.'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband (above, right, in 2010) is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts
But Mrs Badenoch told them to pipe down and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party and seen by the BBC has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs after he succeeds Sir Keir Starmer.
'We are asking you to demonstrate this change from day one and address the toxicity and misogyny within our own party and government,' it said.
Labour has never had a female leader, while the Conservatives have had three, and Mrs Badenoch urged the government to follow its meritocratic example.
'If you run a meritocracy, then you do not have to worry about jobs for the boys,' she wrote.
'Every woman who is a Conservative MP, every woman who has ever won the leadership, has had to fight to get where she is.
'By contrast, Labour women are demanding guarantees from Burnham. But the truth is he doesn't have to give any guarantees.
'If none of Labour's women are prepared to get their hands dirty and challenge him for the leadership, their demands are toothless.'
'In fact, it's quite revealing that the women's parliamentary Labour Party has written to Burnham asking him to commit himself to at least 50 per cent female ministers.
'This has nothing to do with meritocracy. It is yet more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country.'
Venezuela Fury and Noah Price subsidising their life by livestreaming
Venezuela Fury and her husband Noah Price look to be making their own way in the world by raking it in from their lucrative social media accounts.
The influencer daughter of Tyson and Paris Fury, 16, has become an internet sensation after tying the knot with her husband Noah, 19, earlier this year.
Since getting married and moving in together the couple have been earning thousands of pounds a month, livestreaming their life as newlyweds in their static caravan in the East Riding of Yorkshire.
And fans can't get enough of their regular life updates on TikTok and Kick, which have proved to be very profitable for the pair.
They look to be supporting themselves after Noah denied that he was given £5million by Venezuela's family as a wedding gift.
Despite his wife's huge family wealth, an estimated combined £160 million, Noah recently told his Kick followers that he 'pays for everything' for the couple.
Making light of the claims about Venezuela's millionaire financial status, Noah said: 'I actually pay for everything unfortunately. You'd expect the millionaire to pay for it wouldn't you.'
Venezuela Fury and Noah Price are earning thousands livestreaming their caravan life - after her new groom insisted he pays all the bills and denied he had £5m handout from her dad
The influencer daughter of Tyson and Paris Fury , 16, has become an internet sensation after tying the knot with her husband Noah, 19, earlier this year
Venezuela then asked their fans: 'Do you think I am a millionaire?'
Noah joked: 'She isn't a secret millionaire guys', before she broke into song and sang: 'But I live like a millionaire!'
But it seems according to estimated calculations from their social media work, Noah and Venezuela can more than afford to support themselves.
Noah has been livestreaming on platforms such as Kick and TikTok, where viewers can send paid gifts or donations.
He was previously encouraging viewers to send gifts on his honeymoon during livestreams, suggesting this is one revenue stream.
Both Noah and Venezuela have built substantial followings on Instagram and TikTok. They can potentially earn money through sponsored posts, brand collaborations, affiliate links and creator payouts.
Kick allows its creators to take home 95 per cent of the £4.99 subscription cost that fans pay.
Streamers keep 100 per cent of direct tips and donations, minus minor standard payment processing fees.
It is unclear how many subscribers Noah currently has because this information is hidden, but he does have 7,200 followers which is publicly viewable.
An industry insider has suggested Noah is making around £400 per video on TikTok, while Venezuela is likely to make £2,000 due to her following count of 1.3 million.
An industry insider has suggested Noah is making around £400 per video on TikTok, while Venezuela is likely to make £2,000 due to her following count of 1.3 million
In one video on their honeymoon, Noah asked his followers if they'd give them some more gifts now that they were married.
In a TikTok live viewed by 20,000 he said: 'Keep liking our videos people, keep sending gifts.'
After saying thank you to several of his followers he joked they should stick around on the livestream and 'watch Venezuela punch me in the mouth'.
The other half of the honeymooning couple said: 'I am, honestly!'
Noah previously confirmed that the pair don't share their finances after they were asked whether they have a shared bank account.
'She earns her money, I earn mine,' said Noah, as Venezuela joked: 'Yeah, what you gonna do about it.'
Noah went on to debunk the rumour that Tyson gave him £5million when he tied the knot with his daughter as he insisted: 'No Tyson did not give me £5million'.
Meanwhile Venezuela is being eyed up by executives for a fly on the wall TV series.
Noah went on to debunk the rumour that Tyson gave him £5million when he tied the knot with his daughter as he insisted: 'No Tyson did not give me £5million'
Boasting 1.3 million TikTok followers, Venezuela is already entertaining fans with her honest musings and candid moments, from cooking to kitting out her and Noah's static caravan home.
And following the success of the Netflix series At Home With The Furys, it is no wonder bosses are wanting to draw on the Fury popularity.
A TV insider said: 'The couple are not A-list celebrities but everyone has become obsessed with their love story.
'People are genuinely intrigued by them. Whether it’s the fact they have married so young, Venezuela’s famous family or their gypsy lifestyle, they have the ‘X factor'.
'Several TV executives think a proper fly-on-the-wall series following their lives as newlyweds in the gypsy community would be fascinating,' they told The Sun.
It is thought Netflix would be likely to produce the series due to their already established relationship with the Furys.
Venezuela's representatives told The Daily Mail: 'We have many offers on the table regarding Venezuela which we are discussing.'
