Ace Bailey Didn’t Work Out For Any NBA Teams Before The Draft—And It May Have Cost Him Millions
ByJoey Heldon June 27, 2025inArticles›Sports News
One of the biggest stories leading up to the NBA Draft was where Ace Bailey would end up. By all accounts, he was the third-best player in the draft. He was rated behind only Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper, who went first and second, respectively. But Bailey made it clear he didn’t want to play for the Philadelphia 76ers, who had the No. 3 pick. Bailey also wasn’t particularly interested in the Charlotte Hornets at No. 4 or the Utah Jazz at the fifth pick.
Bailey preferred to go to either the Washington Wizards, New Orleans Pelicans, or Brooklyn Nets. Those teams were selecting 6th, 7th, and 8th. To try and end up at his desired destination, Bailey opted to skip working out for any team, the only U.S. prospect to do so.
His plan almost worked. The 76ers chose Baylor guard V.J. Edgcombe, and the Hornets took Kon Knueppel out of Duke. However, the Jazz couldn’t resist taking the top talent remaining and chose Bailey at No. 5.
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Had Bailey been selected with the third pick, he would have made $50,438,478 over his first four seasons on a rookie contract. By sliding to the fifth spot, Bailey will instead make $41,209,782 during his rookie contract. That’s more than $9 million that he’ll miss out on.
Bailey smiled and seemed excited about getting drafted, even if he was chosen by a team he didn’t want to play for. Yet, this might actually be the best situation for him to find himself in.
Led by Lauri Markannen , Walker Kessler, and Collin Sexton, the Jazz had the worst record in the NBA last season and there’s an opening at the wing position. Bailey could slot in and become the face of the franchise. That sets him up for a max contract after this rookie deal is done, which would be worth well over nine figures. He might not have nearly as many opportunities to shine in other franchises.
In the long run, Bailey could still very well make a lot of money. For now, he’s giving up millions to hopefully land in a better playing situation.
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How Much Money Will No. 1 Draft Pick Victor Wembanyama Make Over The Next Four Years… And Beyond?
ByJoey Heldon June 26, 2023inArticles›Sports News
It wasn’t a very well-kept secret, but we finally got to make it official: The San Antonio Spurs selected Victor Wembanyama with the No. 1 overall pick. Well before NBA commissioner Adam Silver announced the pick, pundits were already comparing Wembanyama to previous top Spurs picks, including David Robinson and Tim Duncan .
Wembanyama certainly has some tall shoes to fill, but he’s an exciting player with a chance to be a generational talent. And he’s being coached by the legendary Gregg Popovich , which should only further his skills even more.
As the No. 1 pick, Wembanyama will also make more money than any other rookie through their first four seasons. Just how much money will that be?
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NBA rookies sign contracts on a sliding scale relative to where they were drafted. The top pick receives a certain amount of money, the second pick a slightly lesser amount, and so on, all the way down to No. 30. Second-round players are on non-guaranteed contracts, so they don’t fall into the same sliding scale.
Teams are able to pay anywhere between 80 and 120 percent of that sliding scale, though almost every team offers 120 percent. Assuming the Spurs continue that trend, per Spotrac , Wembanyama will make about $12.1 million during his rookie season, $12.7 million in year two, and $13.3 million in year three. His fourth season will see a larger jump, with $16.8 million coming his way. Both the third and fourth years are team options, though it’s hard to envision a scenario where Wembanyama is not in a Spurs jersey during those seasons.
In total, Wembanyama will make $55.1 million over his first four seasons in the league.
By comparison, the 30th selection, Kobe Brown, will make about $2.4 million this year and just under $12.4 million for the duration of his rookie deal. Quite a big difference!
Wembanyama is also well on his way to financially overtaking his fellow franchise big men. Robinson, who played 14 seasons in the NBA, earned $119 million. Duncan made about $245.3 million over 19 years in the league. If Wembanyama lives up to the hype during his rookie deal, he’ll surpass both players in total earnings with his next contract alone.
It’s always good to be the No. 1 pick, but it’s especially good to be the latest No. 1 pick.
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