Cooper Flagg has already earned substantial money even before stepping onto the NBA court, thanks to deals involving his name, image, and likeness during his single season at Duke. Now, as the Dallas Mavericks picked him first overall in the 2025 NBA Draft, he aims to significantly increase his earnings in his professional career. Upon signing his rookie contract, Flagg is set to make $62.7 million over four years. If he lives up to expectations as a generational talent, his salary could soar, with projections showing his second contract potentially averaging over $70 million annually and his third contract possibly exceeding $100 million per year.
Flagg could become the first player across the four major North American sports leagues (MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL) to earn a billion dollars in on-field revenue. Here’s a breakdown of each league’s highest earners and their chances of reaching that benchmark.
MLB: Major League Baseball dominates the list of largest contracts in North American sports history. Shohei Ohtani’s 10-year, $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, signed in December 2023, was the largest until Juan Soto surpassed it with a 15-year, $765 million deal with the New York Mets in December. Both players are in the midst of historic contracts, with Soto’s deal potentially bringing his career earnings to $847.3 million if he opts to stay through 2030. While promising players like Kyle Tucker and pitcher Tarik Skubal are approaching free agency with potential for large contracts, few MLB players currently seem on track to cross the billion-dollar threshold.
NBA: LeBron James, recently the first North American athlete valued at over $1 billion net worth including endorsements and investments, has earned about $528.6 million from NBA contracts. Younger stars under 30 like Boston’s Jayson Tatum, Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama and Cooper Flagg have the potential to reach or come close to $1 billion in career earnings with Super Max contracts, assuming long and successful careers. Flagg’s total earnings over his first 14 seasons could reach approximately $930 million by age 32, positioning him as a leading candidate for this milestone.
NFL: NFL salaries have surged in recent years, especially for quarterbacks. Dallas Cowboys’ Dak Prescott holds the record with a four-year, $240 million extension and career earnings around $500 million by 2029. While stars like Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen have lucrative deals, their total career earnings currently hover around the $500 million range. Rising talents like Washington Commanders’ Jaden Daniels and recent first-round quarterbacks, including the 2025 No. 1 pick, Bryce Young, are projected to negotiate record-setting contracts and might eventually push NFL earnings closer to $1 billion.
NHL: Due to the NHL’s hard salary cap, players are far from earning $1 billion in career revenues. With a cap set at $95.5 million for the 2025-26 season, top earners like Alex Ovechkin have career earnings around $161.7 million. Edmonton Oilers’ star Conor McDavid, approaching free agency after the 2025-26 season, could sign a historic deal but will be limited to about $19 million average per year due to the cap, making a billion-dollar career highly unlikely in hockey’s current economic landscape.
Fan Take: This news highlights the stark contrast in earning potential among major sports, with NHL players considerably behind due to salary cap restrictions. For hockey fans, this underscores the ongoing financial challenges in the sport and sparks hope that future changes in league economics could elevate player salaries and the NHL’s overall competitive edge.
