Fringe First Round Prospects May Opt To Stay In College Over NBA Draft
In the past, if a player had a chance at being a first-round pick in the NBA Draft, they'd leave college. With NIL payments growing in size, that's causing some players to rethink their NBA plans. Some players may choose to stay in school longer than they would have previously. In their latest look at the 2026 NBA Draft (two drafts out), ESPN projects that some potential 2025 first-round picks could opt to stay in school. This includes Jase Richardson of Michigan State, Thomas Sorber of Georgetown, and Ian Jackson and Drake Powell of North Carolina. These players could all make nearly as much in NIL deals as they would if they slipped into the second round of the 2025 draft. In addition, older players may opt to exhaust their full college eligibility, while maximizing NIL money, before heading to the pros. This group could include Tomislav Ivisic of Illinois, Joseph Tugler of Houston, and J.T. Toppin and Darrion Williams of Texas Tech. All of the players in that second group stand to make considerably more on NIL deals than they would as second-round picks. This is especially true if those players were to land two-way contracts in the NBA.
In the past, if a player had a chance at being a first-round pick in the NBA Draft, they'd leave college. With NIL payments growing in size, that's causing some players to rethink their NBA plans. Some players may choose to stay in school longer than they would have previously.
In their latest look at the 2026 NBA Draft (two drafts out), ESPN projects that some potential 2025 first-round picks could opt to stay in school. This includes Jase Richardson of Michigan State, Thomas Sorber of Georgetown, and Ian Jackson and Drake Powell of North Carolina.
These players could all make nearly as much in NIL deals as they would if they slipped into the second round of the 2025 draft.
In addition, older players may opt to exhaust their full college eligibility, while maximizing NIL money, before heading to the pros. This group could include Tomislav Ivisic of Illinois, Joseph Tugler of Houston, and J.T. Toppin and Darrion Williams of Texas Tech.
All of the players in that second group stand to make considerably more on NIL deals than they would as second-round picks. This is especially true if those players were to land two-way contracts in the NBA.
