NIL Price Tag for Milan Momcilovic to Kentucky Revealed

The Milan Momcilovic sweepstakes have officially come to an end. About five days after withdrawing from the 2026 NBA Draft, the former Iowa State Cyclones star announced that he would be committing to the Kentucky Wildcats in the transfer portal.

It is a major decision that will have an impact on multiple programs. Kentucky is certainly thrilled to have him to fill out their roster and add another bona fide offensive weapon to the mix, who is an elite 3-point shooter.

To the surprise of no one, the Wildcats have paid a pretty penny to bring the sharpshooter to Lexington. As shared by Adam Zagoria, the agreed-upon NIL deal between Kentucky and Momcilovic is north of $6 million.

There is a very good chance that the former Cyclones star will be the highest-paid player in men’s college basketball during the 2026-27 season. Finding exact NIL numbers is difficult, but based on information that has been shared over the last few weeks, he is going to be near the top, if not No. 1.

Milan Momcilovic breaks bank with Kentucky NIL deal

Iowa State Cyclones forward Milan Momcilovic (22) speaks during the postgame press conference. — Mar 22, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; Iowa State Cyclones forward Milan Momcilovic (22) speaks during the postgame press conference after the game against the Kentucky Wildcats during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Enterprise Center. | Jeff Le-Imagn Images

Last season, AJ Dybantsa of the BYU Cougars had the highest NIL valuation in men's basketball, somewhere in the range of $4.1 million and $4.4 million.

Early in the transfer portal cycle, it was being reported that top-of-the-market big men were commanding NIL deals in the range of $5 million. He has surpassed that number, and likely went above the $6 million mark thanks to Tounde Yessoufou.

The former Baylor Bears shooting guard also withdrew from the 2026 NBA Draft and announced he was committing to the St. John’s Red Storm. That took St. John’s out of the mix for Momcilovic, as they paid Yessoufou an NIL deal upward of $6 million.

As the No. 1-ranked player in the transfer portal, it gave Momcilovic and his camp a number to aim for while speaking to prospective schools. The Wildcats were always believed to be offering the most money, and it would be fair to assume that stayed true, given the reported price tag from Zagoria.

Reports indicated that the Louisville Cardinals made a push for the sharpshooting forward, increasing their offer to the point that the gap was less than $1 million. The Arizona Wildcats were also in the mix to some capacity, but no reports were made about what ballpark their offer was in.

Milan Momcilovic's NIL deal with Kentucky was north of $6M, per sources https://t.co/bGmWSOoFce
— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) June 2, 2026

This is a major increase in pay for Momcilovic. Last season, his NIL number was reportedly $2 million, which he is more than tripling this year.

Had he remained in the 2026 NBA Draft and been selected in the second round, the multi-year contract he would have been offered would have paid him less over the duration of that than he will make in one year with Kentucky.

The most guaranteed money a second-round pick has ever signed for is $6.6 million, which Tyler Kolek received from the New York Knicks in 2024 as the No. 34 pick. Momcilovic wasn’t projected to go near that range, if he was drafted at all.

His NIL deal north of $6 million will make him one of the highest-paid college athletes in any sport, approaching what Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning makes, with reportedly the highest NIL valuation.

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