Wizards' No. 1 Pick Set for Record $69 Million Rookie Deal

3 articles · Updated · Forbes · Jun 22

$69 million is the projected value of the Washington Wizards' four-year contract for Tuesday's No. 1 overall pick, with a $15.2 million rookie-year salary and a likely new NBA rookie-deal record.
That figure comes from the NBA's rookie wage scale, which lets first-round teams sign picks for 80% to 120% of slot value; top picks almost always get the full 120%.
The gap falls quickly down the board: Utah's No. 2 pick projects at $61.8 million over four years, while the No. 30 pick is slotted for $15.5 million and about $3 million in first-year pay.
A.J. Dybantsa is the current favorite to go first to Washington, though Darryn Peterson remains in the mix, in a draft where the top 10 could all be college freshmen.
The record would top Glenn Robinson's 10-year, $68 million 1994 deal and underscores how rookie contracts now serve mainly as a bridge to far larger extension paydays in a rising-cap NBA.