The NBA's rookie salary scale caps the contracts of first-round draft picks. Zion Williamson will sign a four-year deal worth as much as $44.2 million.
Share to twitterZion Williamson with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver after being drafted with the first overall pick of the 2019 NBA Draft. Thursday night, with Zion Williamson the No. 1 overall selection by the New Orleans Pelicans, followed by Ja Morant and R.J. Barrett . Williamson, the presumptive top pick, had been destined for the Big Easy ever since the Pelicans won the draft lottery last month.
It’s a significant change from a quarter-century ago when negotiations between top picks and teams were fraught. Glenn Robinson, selected first in the 1994 NBA Draft, held off on signing until the beginning of training camp. He eventually signed a 10-year, $68 million contract that still stands as the richest ever for a rookie. A rookie salary cap was implemented the following season, after the owners locked out the players and then agreed to a new collective bargaining agreement.
Contracts for all first-round picks are guaranteed for only the first two years and limited to four years overall, but the teams hold options for Years 3 and 4. The contract values are based on the rookie salary scale, where teams can pay as little as 80% of the scale but typically pay 120% of the figure, the maximum allowed. The potential salaries below are based on teams offering deals worth the max 20% above the rookie salary scale.
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