![Phoenix Suns 2024 Draft Press Conference](https://www.wisconsinsports.today/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/2159782625.0.jpg)
The Knicks & the Suns weren’t required to lock up the Marquette duo for even the 2024-25 season, but they’ll be getting multiple seasons worth of paychecks.
When Marquette men’s basketball stars Tyler Kolek and Oso Ighodaro went #34 and #40 in the 2024 NBA Draft, there was no guarantee that we would see either of them in an NBA uniform for the 2024-25 season. That’s how the collective bargaining agreement works: Pre-set locked in guaranteed contracts for first round picks from #1 to #30, but no requirements for contracts for anyone selected after that.
On Thursday, we found out that both the New York Knicks and the Phoenix Suns do, in fact, see value in having both guys on their roster for multiple seasons. We’ll go in chronological order from the reporting, first turning out attention to news from Bobby Marks, who is an NBA front office insider for ESPN….
Oso Ighodaro
Oso Ighodaro, pick No. 40 in the 2024 draft, has signed a 4-year, $7.9 million contract with the Phoenix Suns, sources tell ESPN. The contract has substantial guarantees that will give him one of the higher guaranteed salaries of players selected in the second-round. The contract…
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) July 4, 2024
and a little follow up from USA Today’s Michael Scotto:
The Phoenix Suns signed No. 40 pick Oso Ighodaro to a 4-year, $7.9 million contract, which includes two fully guaranteed years, a partial guarantee in Year 3, and a team option in Year 4 that will be fully guaranteed if the team picks up the option, league sources told @hoopshype https://t.co/H0j3C2JwE6
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) July 4, 2024
We don’t know the year by year here, but please note that Marks said that Ighodaro will have one of the higher guarantees for second round players this season. I suspect that means Oso will be making more than the $1.975 million that would be the four-year average value of his contract. With that in mind, I have to point out that Creighton’s Baylor Scheierman is locked into a $2.08 million contract for his rookie year as the #30 pick in the draft.
No matter what Ighodaro’s actual salary numbers are, it’s good news that he’s guaranteed two seasons worth of paychecks from Phoenix. That gives both Ighodaro and the Suns a reason to try to make him succeed in the league, as that contract is potentially incredible value for a fourth year player if things get to that point.
Tyler Kolek
The Knicks have signed Tyler Kolek to a four-year, $9.06M contract, league source said. Team option on the fourth year. First three years guaranteed.
— Fred Katz (@FredKatz) July 4, 2024
Fred Katz is the New York Knicks beat writer for The Athletic, so he’s a guy who knows a thing or two about a thing or two at Madison Square Garden.
That’s an average annual value of $2.265 million for Tyler Kolek, which would be paying him more than the Knicks are paying Pacome Dadiet in Year 1…. and he’s the guy that they took with the #25 pick. On top of that, three fully guaranteed seasons means that New York is actually more committed to Kolek than they are to Dadiet, who gets two guaranteed seasons and a team option on the third year. Yes, yes, first round picks have try to play their way out of getting the team to pick up that option, so it’s almost nearly guaranteed…… but it’s not officially guaranteed like Kolek’s is already.
With signed contracts in place, we turn our attention to NBA Summer League, as we can easily expect both men to play notable roles for their teams in Las Vegas. Tyler Kolek & the Knicks open up Summer League action on Saturday, July 13th, with a contest against New Orleans, while Oso Ighodaro and the Suns play in the last game of the day on the 13th against Golden State for their first contest.