On Thursday, 30 young men will achieve their dream of being drafted by an NBA team in the first round of the NBA draft. And they’ll also become multi-millionaires.
The San Antonio Spurs selected French star Victor Wembanyama with the No.1 overall pick. Wembanyama, a 19-year old who stands at a towering 7-foot-5, according to ESPN, is viewed by many as the best NBA prospect since LeBron James.
The order a player is drafted determines how much money he will earn on his rookie contract. This is due to the NBA’s rookie wage scale, which assigns dollar amounts to specific draft slots. The higher a player is drafted, the more lucrative their overall contract will be.
Because of the NBA’s rookie wage scale, dropping several spots during the draft can actually cost players millions of dollars on their rookie contracts.
Each player selected in the first round of the NBA draft is awarded a four-year contract with an NBA franchise, but only the first two years are fully guaranteed.
Here are the estimated contracts for the first round selections of the 2023 NBA draft, according to Spotrac.
| Pick | Team | Total contract value | 2023-24 salary |
| 1 | San Antonio Spurs | $54,355,020 | $11,979,960 |
| 2 | Charlotte Hornets | $48,644,832 | $10,718,760 |
| 3 | Portland Trail Blazers | $43,704,517 | $9,625,800 |
| 4 | Houston Rockets | $39,413,889 | $8,678,400 |
| 5 | Detroit Pistons | $35,707,698 | $7,858,920 |
| 6 | Orlando Magic | $32,440,534 | $7,137,840 |
| 7 | Indiana Pacers | $29,628,220 | $6,516,000 |
| 8 | Washington Wizards | $27,156,614 | $5,969,400 |
| 9 | Utah Jazz | $24,974,784 | $5,487,120 |
| 10 | Dallas Mavericks | $23,730,606 | $5,212,800 |
| 11 | Orlando Magic | $22,828,659 | $4,952,160 |
| 12 | Oklahoma City Thunder | $21,951,767 | $4,704,720 |
| 13 | Toronto Raptors | $21,104,176 | $4,469,280 |
| 14 | New Orleans Pelicans | $20,293,014 | $4,246,200 |
| 15 | Atlanta Hawks | $19,506,914 | $4,033,440 |
| 16 | Utah Jazz | $18,537,283 | $3,831,960 |
| 17 | Los Angeles Lakers | $17,617,295 | $3,640,200 |
| 18 | Miami Heat | $16,744,337 | $3,458,400 |
| 19 | Golden State Warriors | $15,998,405 | $3,302,640 |
| 20 | Houston Rockets | $15,363,478 | $3,170,400 |
| 21 | Brooklyn Nets | $14,921,076 | $3,043,560 |
| 22 | Brooklyn Nets | $14,491,282 | $2,922,000 |
| 23 | Portland Trail Blazers | $14,072,312 | $2,805,240 |
| 24 | Sacramento Kings | $13,664,588 | $2,693,160 |
| 25 | Memphis Grizzlies | $13,264,908 | $2,585,040 |
| 26 | Indiana Pacers | $12,830,104 | $2,499,480 |
| 27 | Charlotte Hornets | $12,463,850 | $2,427,360 |
| 28 | Utah Jazz | $12,389,133 | $2,412,240 |
| 29 | Indiana Pacers | $12,299,277 | $2,394,960 |
| 30 | Los Angeles Clippers | $12,210,334 | $2,377,560 |
Read on: LeBron James vs. Michael Jordan: who is the GOAT when it comes to net worth?
Wembanyama is viewed as a devastating defender and likely will be a willing shot-blocker with his large frame and his strong mobility for a player his size. Offensively, Wembanyama has an innate dribbling feel for a center-sized player, and can shoot three-pointers, a sought-after skill in today’s NBA. He didn’t play for a college, but for a professional team in France this past year, where he averaged 22 points and 10 rebounds a game.