Tounde Yessoufou NIL Deal Is Great News for Milan Momcilovic

The St. John's Red Storm paid Tounde Yessoufou handsomely, which is great news for Milan Momcilovic.

Mar 7, 2026; Waco, Texas, USA; Baylor Bears guard Tounde Yessoufou (24) shoots a free throw during the second half at Paul and Alejandra Foster Pavilion. | Chris Jones-Imagn Images

The deadline day for players to withdraw from the 2026 NBA Draft had a massive impact on the Iowa State Cyclones.

Their former star, Milan Momcilovic, was one of the players who withdrew. In the transfer portal, he is going to be playing for a new team during the 2026-27 season, and one of the suitors is their Big 12 rivals, the Arizona Wildcats.

They are in the mix because one of their stars from last season, Koa Peat, decided to keep his name in the draft pool. With an open spot in their lineup, it makes sense why Arizona is showing interest in Momcilovic.

Another reason the Wildcats are in the mix is that the St. John’s Red Storm secured a commitment from Tounde Yessoufou. A projected first-round pick, he withdrew from the 2026 NBA Draft and immediately announced he was joining St. John’s.

Tounde Yessoufou cashed in with St. John's

Mar 7, 2026; Waco, Texas, USA; Baylor Bears guard Tounde Yessoufou (24) dribbles the ball up court against the Utah Utes during the first half at Paul and Alejandra Foster Pavilion. | Chris Jones-Imagn Images

That took the Red Storm out of the running for Momcilovic, but the former Iowa State star is still going to benefit in a great way from the decision that Rick Pitino and the program made. 

If there was any doubt about Momcilovic landing a lucrative NIL deal in the transfer portal, those doubts have been erased by the deal that Yessoufou agreed to. As shared by Adam Zagoria on X, the former Baylor Bears product signed a deal for close to $6 million.

That blows away what AJ Dybantsa reportedly earned for his one season with the BYU Cougars before declaring for the 2026 NBA Draft. He was reportedly the highest-paid player in men’s college basketball with an NIL valuation somewhere between $4.1 million and $4.4 million.

Star big men in the transfer portal were reportedly commanding deals in the $5 million range. Yessoufou blew that number out of the water, which sets things up remarkably well for Momcilovic to truly break the bank.

Tounde Yessoufou’s NIL deal with St. John’s was for close to $6M, per sources https://t.co/Rkg6abdXxk

— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) May 29, 2026

Yessoufou was excellent for Baylor as a freshman. He averaged 17.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 2.0 steals and 0.6 blocks in 32.6 minutes per game.

Viewed as a top-six player in the portal by virtually every outlet, his payday was going to be a significant one. The $7 million contract that was originally reported as a number Momcilovic could command seemed outrageous at the time, but with Yessoufou getting nearly $6 million, it sounds much more realistic now.

Throughout the pre-draft process, Momcilovic noted that money wasn’t a driving factor behind his decision-making. He wanted to find a place where he fit in well and could compete and win.

Given the teams that are in the mix for him, the Kentucky Wildcats, Louisville Cardinals and Arizona, he can certainly find everything he is seeking along with a historic payday.