Hoop Dreams
Each year a new group of hardcourt hopefuls will interview, workout and market themselves in an effort to catch the eye of a prospective NBA team.
For those lucky enough to get drafted high in the first round, they are guaranteed to become millionaires upon signing with their new team.
by Brian Beers, Senior Producer for CNBC.com
How NBA Rookies Are Paid
The NBA has in place a pay scale that guarantees the first two years of salary for all players selected in the first round of the draft at a fixed dollar amount, tied to what slot the player was picked at.
The 2010 NBA Draft
Live from the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York, and televised via a national audience on ESPN, the draft gets underway with NBA Commissioner David Stern announcing the first pick at the podium.
#1 John Wall
Drafted by: Washington Wizards
Rookie Pay: 4.29 million
A fan favorite at the University of Kentucky (watch the John Wall Dance), Wall heads to the troubled Wizards one season after the Gilbert Arenas locker room gun incident. He has already signed a lucrative shoe deal with Reebok, and is looking forward to buying his mom a new house in the Raleigh, North Carolina area where she resides.
#2 Evan Turner
Drafted by: Philadelphia 76ers
Rookie Pay: 3.84 million
The 2010 AP National Player of the Year out of Ohio State, Turner (who has been nicknamed 'The Villain') was all smiles at the draft. He is being represented by super-agent David Falk, who will be looking for potential endorsement opportunities for the next big thing to come to Philadelphia sports.
#3 Derrick Favors
Drafted by: New Jersey Nets
Rookie Pay: 3.44 million
Favors, a highly touted native of Atlanta who played one season at Georgia Tech will be taking his game past the Jersey shore to a new basketball home in Newark, and eventually to Brooklyn under the new ownership of Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov. In the endorsement game, Derrick has already signed a deal with 3-stripe shoemaker Adidas.
#4 Wesley Johnson
Drafted by: Minnesota Timberwolves
Rookie Pay: 3.11 million
From one cold-weather city to another, Wes Johnson who played his college ball in the Carrier Dome at Syracuse for one season will reunite with former teammate Jonny Flynn (also a high first-round pick from 2009) in the Twin Cities where the Timberwolves appear to slowly be turning "orange". Johnson is represented by agent Rob Pelinka, who also counts Kobe Bryant as a client.
#5 DeMarcus Cousins
Drafted by: Sacramento Kings
Rookie Pay: 2.81 million
No one seemed to have faced as much character scrutiny leading up to the draft as Cousins. However, the nearly 7-footer from the University of Kentucky didn’t see his stock drop too far as he was selected at #5 by the Kings. The Maloof family who own the Kings are also owners of the Palms Casino in Las Vegas and numerous television and film properties including Living Lohan.
#6 Ekpe Udoh
Drafted by: Golden State Warriors
Rookie Pay: 2.56 million
Udoh, who originally declared for the draft without hiring an agent in the event he decided to withdraw and return for another season at Baylor, eventually saw his draft stock take off and is now being represented by agent Chris Grier Luchey. Udoh will now spend his time playing and living in the Silicon Valley, a long way from his home in Edmond, Oklahoma.
#7 Greg Monroe
Drafted by: Detroit Pistons
Rookie Pay: 2.33 million
Monroe heads to Detroit, a city that has essentially become the face of the recession in the United States over the past few years. A native of the New Orleans area, Greg lived through the devastation of Hurricane Katrina and the rebuilding process that followed. Will he be around to witness a similar rise from the bottom, this time in Detroit?
#8 Al-Farouq Aminu
Drafted by: Los Angeles Clippers
Rookie Pay: 2.14 million
Descending from a line of Nigerian kings, Al-Farouq will take his royalty to Tinseltown. A standout at the draft for the rather large pair of glasses he wore to the event, Aminu is being represented by sports agent Raymond Brothers. He will be sharing his rookie season with last year’s #1 overall pick Blake Griffin, who is hoping to hit the floor for the first time following a season ending injury that ruined his Clippers debut.
#9 Gordon Hayward
Drafted by: Utah Jazz
Rookie Pay: 1.97 million
As Darren Rovell points out, with Gordon Hayward going to the Jazz, the Indiana Pacers missed out on their opportunity to grab the hometown hero with their pick at #10. Hayward is a high school star from Indiana, and the star of the underdog Butler Bulldogs during their stunning run to the NCAA tournament final a few months ago. Assuming Hayward succeeds with the Jazz, he may not have a chance to sign with the hometown Pacers as a free agent for up to 5 or 6 years.
#10 Paul George
Drafted by: Indiana Pacers
Rookie Pay: 1.87 million
A product of Fresno State, Paul George's stock had been on a sharp rise following some impressive team workouts before finally landing as the Pacers selection. George is represented by agent Aaron Mintz of Priority Sports.