WATCH: Former Big Ten stars share what they will buy with first NBA paycheck
The 2022 NBA Draft is less than a month away, and some potential draftees are starting to think about what they’ll do once they get to the next level. Big Ten Network’s Emily Ehman caught up with some former Big Ten stars, and they had some wide-ranging answers about that first paycheck.
Ehman spoke with former Michigan State standout Max Christie, former Illinois big man Kofi Cockburn, former Purdue center Trevion Williams and former Wisconsin star Johnny Davis to ask the important question. The answers varied, but the smiles on their faces showed how ready they are to get to the NBA.
Christie said he’d probably buy some new clothes, while Cockburn had the most unique answer, saying he’d buy land when that first direct deposit hits. Williams, meanwhile, had the most heartfelt answer of the bunch, explaining why he’d use that first check to help his mom.
“Definitely get my mom a house,” Williams told Ehman. “Growing up, we were moving from apartment to apartment. Definitely my first purchase would be to give her those keys to a new home.”
Davis rounded out the bunch by saying he’d buy a car — but not just any car. He wants a BMW.
Davis has the highest NBA mock draft projection of the group, projected to be a lottery pick by ESPN, CBS Sports and USA Today. ESPN has him as the No. 10 overall pick, while CBS Sports projects him to go No. 8 overall and USA Today has him going No. 9 overall.
ESPN also projects Christie and Williams to be second-round picks. Cockburn doesn’t appear on any of the three major mock drafts, but could wind up being a late second-round selection. The 2022 NBA Draft is coming up June 23 from the Barclays Center in New York.