In today's college basketball NIL market, top players like Flory Bidunga are demanding hefty sums, with reports of $5 million contracts. A center costs about $1.3 million while a point guard costs around $813,000, highlighting significant disparities in player valuations.
What $1 million will buy in today's college basketball NIL market originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
With the transfer portal window open for college basketball, there's always the question of who's available on the market and what a certain player is demanding. For example, the top portal talent this cycle was Kansas center Flory Bidunga, who came with a pretty heavy cost.
After one good season under coach Bill Self, the big man was reportedly asking around $5 million for his services, and apparently signed, sealed and delivered himself to Louisville. This is the rare exception or outlier for the current market, according to basketball analytics guru Evan Miyakawa. However, the five positions are one programs are overpaying for right now.
"To obtain a center or a point guard who are equivalent in talent level, it would cost $1.3 million for the center, while only $813,000 for the point guard," Miyakawa wrote. "That means, in this market, it costs 61% more NIL dollars to get a center of the same caliber as a point guard."
As for $1 million overall, some programs can't compete with the rising costs of trying to maintain a top-tier roster. Look at Kentucky's spending last year, which was reportedly over $20 million for 15 players. Yet, the blue-chips Mark Pope brought to Lexington might've been a bargain under Miyakawa's figures. A top-450 player in the nation will run programs roughly $1 million-plus right now.
"Letâs pretend that a team had $1,000,000 to spend on an extra player. For the sake of this example, letâs assume they already have rotation pieces figured out and are willing to either get a starter-level PG or C to add to the mix," Miyakawa added.
"Based on the high demand for centers, they could reasonably get a big with a projected Bayesian Performance Rating next season of 3.9. A player of that caliber would be a borderline top 450 player in college basketball next season. If they were to spend that same $1 million on a point guard instead, they could get a better player, with a projected BPR of about 5.1, due to lower demand in the guard market. A player of that caliber would be around a top 250 player next season."
More:Flory Bidunga projected to make twice as much at Louisville than the NBA
This is a perfect March Madness poaching situation at play. A lower-division has a good year with solid talent, goes to the NCAA Tournament and finds themselves with an empty roster after Power Four schools with resources are right there with a golden ticket to offer.
With such a stark upswing in the NIL market, expect this to only get worse before the correction comes. You have to spend money to make money, but you have to have it first.
Flory Bidunga reportedly asked for around $5 million for his services in the college basketball NIL market.
It costs approximately $1.3 million to acquire a center and about $813,000 for a point guard of equivalent talent.
Kentucky reportedly spent over $20 million for 15 players last year in the college basketball NIL market.
A top-450 player in the nation currently costs programs roughly $1 million or more.
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