Cooper Flagg hasn’t played a single minute in the NBA, yet he might be on the verge of rewriting the financial ceiling of professional sports.
According to projections from Spotrac, the 18-year-old phenom, taken No. 1 overall by the Dallas Mavericks in the 2025 NBA Draft, could earn a jaw-dropping $930 million in NBA contracts alone by the time he turns 31.
Let’s break that down.
Rookie Contract (2025-2028): $62.7M
30% Supermax Extension (2029-2033): $359M
35% Supermax Extension (2034-2038): $509M
Flagg is expected to sign a standard four-year rookie deal worth $62.7 million through 2028. If he meets the criteria for a 30% supermax extension (by making All-NBA teams, winning MVP, or DPOY), he could lock in a five-year, $359 million extension starting in 2029.
Then, assuming he continues to dominate and qualifies again, he could sign a 35% supermax extension worth $509 million from 2034 through 2038. The math adds up to a total of $930 million, and Flagg would still only be 31 years old.
This isn’t just unprecedented in basketball, it’s unprecedented in all North American sports.
No player in the NBA, NFL, MLB, or NHL has come close to this level of on-field/on-court earnings by their early 30s.
LeBron James, the most bankable basketball star ever, has earned around $528.6 million in career salary and might reach $581.3 million if he exercises his 2025–26 player option. That’s still over $300 million less than Flagg’s projected haul.
Even the megastars of baseball, where guaranteed contracts are massive, don’t quite match up. Shohei Ohtani’s $700 million contract, the largest in MLB history, was structured with deferred payments.
Juan Soto’s $765 million deal still falls short of Flagg’s projected $930 million, and both will be in their mid-to-late 30s by the time their contracts expire. Meanwhile, Flagg will still have a decade of elite basketball left in the tank.
As for the NFL, the sport’s most lucrative deals pale in comparison. Patrick Mahomes is projected to earn just under $500 million by 2032. Josh Allen may reach $504 million by 2031. And up-and-coming QBs like Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels might crack the $400–$450 million range, but none are forecasted to reach anywhere near Flagg’s total.
The NHL isn’t even in the same stratosphere. Alex Ovechkin leads the NHL in career earnings with $161.7 million, while Connor McDavid, arguably the best player in hockey, might max out just above $200 million due to tight league salary caps.
But Flagg’s case isn’t just about projections, it’s about potential. He already made millions through NIL during his season at Duke and entered the league as the most hyped American prospect since LeBron. With Luka Doncic traded, Flagg is expected to be the new face of the Mavericks and potentially, the entire NBA.
If he meets the supermax qualifications, All-NBA selections, MVPs, and Defensive Player of the Year honors, there’s nothing stopping him from becoming the first billion-dollar athlete by contract alone. His path is clear. Now, it’s up to him to walk it.
