Here’s how much Victor Wembanyama and other 2023 NBA draft picks will earn on their rookie contracts

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.

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