Former Kansas Jayhawks center Flory Bidunga’s entry into both the transfer portal and the NBA draft could result in a benchmark decision for all NBA prospects weighing whether to turn professional or stay back in college for one more year.
In Bidunga’s case, particularly, he is expected to be picked in the first round. If he gets picked No. 29, he will receive a salary of $2.3 million. However, if he decides to return to college, he could get an NIL valuation of $5 million, which is more than twice what he is set to earn if he decides to become an NBA player now.
Even if somehow, he manages to get picked at No. 15, he will earn $3.88 million. Only if he is a lottery pick, which he isn’t projected to be, will Bidunga be able to match that high-paying college return by turning professional in the NBA. Then there’s also a possibility of him slipping into the second round, which would mean that he won’t get a guaranteed contract.
As such, by all measures, returning to college, where he could probably earn $5 million, appears to be the smart choice. As per CBS Sports, Kansas won’t be able to give him that much money, but as per their sources, there are many teams that are willing to do so.
According to insider Adam Finklestein, Bidunga’s decision could set a precedent for all the top eight centers on the CBS Sports Big Board, who are underclassmen and seven of them are projected to be picked between No. 20 and No. 40.
They could all potentially follow Bidunga, given they appear to earn more by returning to college. Therefore, college basketball programs looking to find good centers in the transfer portal should make sure they go after these seven players as well.
Update on Transfer Portal Star Flory Bidunga
Flory Bidunga is one of the top transfer portal players available this offseason. However, the center has narrowed down its destinations to four schools.
Duke, Michigan, St. John’s and Louisville are right now the leading landing spots for Bidunga, but this is not final.
Duke is losing Cameron Boozer and Patrick Ngongba could also follow him to the NBA draft, requiring the Blue Devils to bolster their front court. Meanwhile, St. John’s Zuby Ejiofor is also departing and they could look at Bidunga as a perfect replacement. As for Michigan, they could lose Aday Mara to the NBA and that’s why they would also be interested.
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