One in every of faculty basketball’s highest-paid gamers final season, former Duke star Cooper Flagg had estimated NIL contracts that had been staggering, based on longtime sports activities journalist and creator Howard Bryant. Throughout a current sitdown with Bob Costas on the 92nd Road Y in New York Metropolis, Howard requested his co-host how a lot a lot Flagg earned in NIL at Duke.
Costas was not sure, however then Howard supplied a solution that resulted in an audible gasp from the viewers — $28 million.
“He had a $13 million cope with New Steadiness after which $15 million with Fanatics,” Bryant stated on the 51:09 mark of the dialog.
Here is the factor — Howard’s reported complete is probably going Flagg’s NIL contracts in totality and never an annual cost. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski beforehand reported Flagg’s New Steadiness settlement was “important.” These are sometimes multiyear contracts between incoming rookies and sneaker corporations.
Flagg’s huge cope with New Steadiness forward of his first season within the NBA makes him one of many model’s latest signature athletes. Flagg signed his multiyear partnership with Fanatics in January, however phrases of the deal weren’t launched.
Different unique Fanatics athletes embody Victor Wembanyama, Paul Skenes, and CJ Stroud. Flagg’s first “rookie” card is a part of the 2025 Bowman College Chrome set, which is put out by Fanatics.
Flagg’s earlier estimated NIL valuation of round $5 million with the Blue Devils throughout his solely season of school basketball was the main quantity within the sport, so to suppose he was bringing in additional than 5 occasions that quantity in a single season is nearly unfathomable.
Regardless, the market worth for the projected No. 1 total decide within the upcoming 2025 NBA Draft is actual.
Flagg earned nationwide participant of the yr accolades final season after averaging a team-best 19.2 factors and seven.2 rebounds per recreation, main Duke to the NCAA Match’s ultimate weekend.
Costas used Howard’s staggering determine to get on his cleaning soap field of types to make a broader level.
“That is why, not less than, it is extra worthwhile for a lady … a feminine faculty basketball participant to remain in faculty and accumulate the NIL as a result of, as a result of in the intervening time, the highest wage within the WNBA is like $75,000,” Costas stated. “Now, it is going to go up a bit and when you’re Caitlin Clark it does not matter and some others as a result of their offers carry over, however one thing that used to at all times bothered me when this convesation was occurring earlier than NIL, folks would say, ‘All people is profiting off of this apart from the athletes.’
“That implicitly says this entire factor is a sham and that the training itself has no worth. So, if this student-athlete attends class, he might very nicely be sitting subsequent to somebody whose dad and mom labored a number of jobs to place that boy or woman and their siblings via faculty. (And) that is one thing that may be a gift, at some universities value on a four-year trip, $300.000. To not point out what it means down the highway to your incomes energy.”
Costas later stated followers who’re disparaging NIL numbers had been “okay with the corruption” however not OK with the chaos these figures have induced in recruiting and participant retention.