Cooper Flagg has already earned an entire lot of cash earlier than he even steps on an NBA courtroom, reportedly incomes a staggering sum of money in title, picture and likeness (NIL) throughout his one season at Duke. However because the Dallas Mavericks chosen Flagg with the No. 1 total decide within the 2025 NBA Draft on Wednesday, he’s set to make much more dough in his NBA profession.
As soon as he indicators his rookie contract, Flagg will obtain $62.7 million over the subsequent 4 years. After that, Flagg’s wage may bounce considerably, particularly if he lives as much as billing as a generational prospect. The potential common annual worth of his second contract may very well be north of $70 million, whereas that determine for his third contract may be north of $100 million, in accordance with projections from Spotrac.
If that’s the case, it stands to motive that Flagg may be the primary participant throughout the 4 main North American skilled sports activities leagues (MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL) in on-field earnings. Let’s check out every of the 4 leagues and see who may need the very best probability of reaching that mark.
All wage numbers are courtesy of Spotrac, except in any other case famous.
MLB
Once you take a look at the biggest contracts in North American sports activities historical past, MLB gamers principally make up the checklist. Shohei Ohtani’s 10-year, $700 million deal to hitch the Los Angeles Dodgers in December 2023 blew individuals away on the time, however his file for the biggest contract in North American sports activities historical past solely lasted for one 12 months. Juan Soto beat Ohtani’s mark by $65 million this previous December, signing a 15-year, $765 million deal to hitch the New York Mets.
Whereas Ohtani and Soto are within the midst of the 2 largest contracts in MLB historical past, there’s a good probability these offers are their remaining two pacts as MLB gamers. Ohtani will likely be 38 when he’s a free agent once more and had $42.2 million in profession MLB earnings earlier than he signed his present deal. Soto will likely be 41 when his deal expires. There’s an opt-out following the 2030 season, so there’s a risk that Soto may obtain a bigger deal someday down the road. If he opts in, although, Soto will likely be on observe to earn $847.3 million in his profession.
Wanting into the longer term, there aren’t many gamers of Ohtani’s or Soto’s caliber set to hit free company within the coming years. Some insiders have pontificated that Chicago Cubs outfielder Kyle Tucker may earn a $600 million deal in free company this offseason, which is clearly plenty of dough, however nonetheless nicely wanting the $1 billion mark. Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal is about to change into a free agent following the 2026 season, however pitchers usually earn lower than hitters. So, Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes most likely gained’t get there, both, even when he continues to pitch at an elite stage by the point he’s eligible without spending a dime company within the 2029-30 offseason.
Kyle Tucker is about to be the highest MLB free agent this winter, with some insiders projecting he may obtain one of many richest contracts in league historical past. (Picture by Matt Dirksen/Chicago Cubs/Getty Pictures)
New York Yankees star Aaron Choose is underneath contract by means of the 2031 season, when he’ll be 39. He’ll have $396.1 million in profession earnings by then. Dodgers star Mookie Betts can be underneath contract by means of his age-39 season, turning into free-agent eligible in 2033. He’ll have $425.6 million in profession earnings by then, which incorporates the deferred cash he’s set to obtain after his contract expires.
Level being, the primary $1 billion MLB participant possible hasn’t begun his profession but, or is within the early years of his profession.
NBA
LeBron James just lately turned the primary North American athlete to have an estimated internet value that crossed the $1 billion mark, however that quantity contains his endorsement offers and investments. By way of his NBA profession earnings, James has solely $528.6 million in profession earnings by means of his NBA contracts. That quantity may enhance to $581.3 million if he accepts his participant choice for the 2025-26 season. Whereas James is the best earner in NBA historical past, he’ll should play for much longer as a way to attain the $1 billion mark.
With lots of the different NBA’s all-time highest earners on the again 9 of their careers, the possible candidates to come back closest or attain the $1 billion mark are youthful than 30. Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum inked the richest contract in NBA historical past final offseason, signing a five-year, $313.9 million deal. If he accepts his participant choice for the 2029-30 season, Tatum’s profession earnings will likely be at $469.4 million when that contract expires. He’ll be 32 by then, so he’d should have a fairly lengthy profession to succeed in $1 billion.
Contemporary off profitable an MVP and a title, Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander may break Tatum’s mark for the richest contract in NBA historical past within the coming weeks. He’s eligible for a five-year, $380 million extension this offseason. If Gilgeous-Alexander agrees to such a deal, he’ll have presumably racked up $535.3 million in profession earnings by the point the extension ends in 2032. He’ll flip 34 that offseason, although, giving him a comparatively restricted earnings window to probably attain $1 billion.
Some individuals thought Luka Doncic would change into the primary participant to succeed in the $1 billion mark as he had a powerful begin to his profession. However his potential to earn $1 billion in profession earnings took a success when he was traded this previous season, turning into ineligible to obtain a five-year, $345 million supermax extension from the Los Angeles Lakers this offseason. He can nonetheless signal a four-year, $229 million extension with the Lakers this offseason. Nevertheless, Doncic may maneuver his subsequent deal to make it doable for him to signal a five-year, $418 million deal within the 2028-29 offseason. If Doncic did that, he’d have $722 million in profession earnings by the top of the 2032-33 season, when he’s 34. One other large deal that offseason may assist Doncic come near the $1 billion mark.
Past Tatum, Gilgeous-Alexander and Doncic, San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama and Cooper Flagg may threaten to succeed in the $1 billion mark in the event that they dwell as much as the hype surrounding them. Wembanyama’s within the midst of a four-year, $55.1 million rookie deal, and his subsequent contract may very well be value round $300 million if he meets the requirement to earn a supermax, per Bloomberg. If Wembanyama meets the requirement to earn a supermax for his third deal, that contract may very well be value round $500 million, in accordance with Bloomberg. That might take Wembanayama’s profession earnings to round $850 million 12 years into his profession, when he’ll solely be 31.
If Cooper Flagg is not the primary participant to obtain $1 billion in on-court earnings, Victor Wembanyama may be a powerful candidate to do accomplish that. (Picture by G Fiume/Getty Pictures)
Flagg may earn much more than that in that span. Because the No. 1 total decide within the 2025 NBA Draft, Flagg’s rookie contract will likely be a four-year, $62.7 million deal. If he meets the standards to earn a supermax on the finish of that contract, Flagg can obtain a five-year, $359 million deal for his second contract. If Flagg meets the standards to earn a supermax once more by the top of his second contract, his third contract can be value $509 million over 5 years. In whole, Flagg’s potential profession earnings by means of his first 14 seasons within the league may very well be at $930 million by the top of the 2037-38 season, during which he’ll solely be 32 on the time.
NFL
Much like MLB and NBA salaries, the salaries for NFL gamers have additionally risen tremendously over the previous couple of years because the wage cap has risen following the COVID-19 pandemic and the monstrous TV offers. Whereas gamers are setting wage data at every place seemingly each offseason, quarterbacks nonetheless receives a commission nicely greater than anybody else.
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott was the largest beneficiary of the current cap spike. He signed a file four-year, $240 million extension previous to the beginning of the 2024 NFL season, making him the primary participant in NFL historical past to have a mean wage of $60 million. However his profession earnings will nonetheless be wanting $500 million by the point that deal ends in 2029 ($436.3 million) as he turns 36 that offseason.
Many would possibly assume that Patrick Mahomes can be a logical participant to threaten to cross the $1 billion mark. Nevertheless, the 10-year, $477 million extension he signed in 2020 will make it powerful for him to get there. The Kansas Metropolis Chiefs quarterback will likely be 36 when that deal expires within the 2032 offseason and could have $497.7 million in profession earnings at the moment.
Buffalo Payments quarterback Josh Allen turned the most recent participant to money in a historic examine, doing so when he signed a six-year, $330 million extension in March. However his profession earnings $504.6 million when that deal ends in 2031, as he’ll flip 35 that offseason.
Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens are reportedly discussing an extension forward of coaching camp. Even when they comply with phrases on an enormous new deal, Jackson would most likely nonetheless fall wanting $1 billion. He’s projected to earn $297.3 million in profession earnings by the top of the 2027 season, during which he’ll be 30.
In Could, wage cap knowledgeable and three Strand Sports activities’ vp of shopper compensation’s J.I. Halsell informed FOX Sports activities’ Eric Williams that Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels may very well be the primary quarterback to earn $100 million per 12 months. He tasks that Daniels will signal a four-year, $360 million extension when his rookie contract expires on the finish of the 2028 season, assuming Washington picks up his choice and he continues to play on the stage he performed at in 2024. If Daniels earns such a deal, his profession earnings can be north of $400 million by 2033. He’ll be 33 when his contract expires on the finish of that season, so he’d nonetheless have a while to make up for the $500-plus million he’d want to succeed in $1 billion.
Jayden Daniels, or one of many quarterbacks drafted lately, would possibly change into the primary NFL participant to obtain a $100 million common annual wage. (Picture by Emilee Chinn/Getty Pictures)
The 5 different quarterbacks chosen within the first spherical of the 2024 NFL Draft (Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, Michael Penix Jr., J.J. McCarthy, Bo Nix) may feasibly earn the identical deal in the event that they play at Daniels’ stage earlier than signing an extension. Tennessee Titans quarterback and 2025 No. 1 total decide Cam Ward would even be in line to earn an analogous sum of money by means of the top of his second contract if he performs at that stage, in accordance with Halsell.
So, as salaries proceed to climb within the NFL, it does look like a quarterback drafted within the final couple of years or within the close to future will attain $1 billion in profession on-field earnings sooner or later.
NHL
Barring a serious change within the NHL’s wage cap, it’s going to take a while for a hockey participant to earn $1 billion of their taking part in profession. The NHL is projected to have a tough wage cap of $95.5 million for the 2025-26 season, which is much fewer than the opposite three main skilled North American sports activities leagues (MLB has a $241 million tax threshold in 2025; NBA could have a $154.6 million comfortable wage cap in 2025-26; NFL could have a $279.2 million exhausting wage cap in 2025).
Washington Capitals star and NHL all-time goal-scoring chief Alex Ovechkin can be the league’s highest earner ever at $161.7 million. That ought to assist paint an image for a way far-off an NHL participant is from $1 billion in profession earnings.
Connor McDavid virtually definitely will not obtain $1 billion in profession earnings throughout his NHL profession, however his subsequent contract may assist him change into the best earner in league historical past. (Picture by Andy Devlin/NHLI through Getty Pictures)
Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid will likely be a free agent after the 2025-26 season, placing him in line to probably earn a historic deal. However NHL gamers can solely obtain as much as 20% of the wage cap on an annual foundation. In consequence, a max contract for McDavid is projected to be round $19 million in common annual worth, in accordance with ESPN.
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