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Report Reveals How Much Cooper Flagg Made From NIL Deals

Originally posted on The Spun | By Daniel Bates | Last updated May 31, 2025 5:02 PM ET

Cooper Flagg's NIL earnings at Duke were reportedly so massive that he'll be taking a sizable pay cut once he gets to the NBA.

In a recent interview between Bob Costas and longtime sports writer Howard Bryant for 92NY, Bryant estimated that the superstar freshman netted close to $30 million in name, image, likeness earnings in his lone year in college basketball.

"He had a $13 million deal with New Balance and then $15 million with Fanatics," Bryant shared.

Flagg was reported to have led the nation in men's hoops earnings with a $5 million commitment from Duke. And while the contracts Bryant cited were likely the totality of multi-year brand deals, they're still incredible figures for a young man who's yet to go pro.

After learning of Flagg's numbers though, Costas used the data as part of a broader analysis of collegiate sports and higher education.

"That's why, at least, it's more profitable for a woman ... a female college basketball player to stay in college and collect the NIL because, because for the time being, the top salary in the WNBA is like $75,000," Costas said.

"Now, it will go up a bit and if you're Caitlin Clark it doesn't matter and a few others because their deals carry over," he continued. "But something that used to always bothered me when this conversation was going on before NIL, people would say, 'Everybody is profiting off of this except for the athletes.'"

"That implicitly says this whole thing is a sham and that the education itself has no value," Costas argued. "So, if this student-athlete attends class, he could very well be sitting next to someone whose parents worked multiple jobs to put that boy or girl and their siblings through college."

Flagg enters the NBA as one of the faces of New Balance's sneaker brand along with Kawhi Leonard, Jamal Murray, Tyrese Maxey and WNBA star Cameron Brink.

And if he ends up turning into the player we all think he can eventually be, it'll be the first of many multi-million dollar contracts for the 6-foot-9 forward.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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