Oscar Tshiebwe could earn "multimillion-dollar (NIL) deal" with return to UK
Kentucky center Oscar Tshiebwe is now eligible to sign deals and profit off of his name, image and likeness, a much-awaited announcement that came from the National Player of the Year candidate on Sunday.
After watching his teammates agree to deals and earn money all season, Tshiebwe is now proudly “open for business.”
What does it mean? For starters, he’ll finally be able to start earning money like the rest of his teammates, and he’ll do so at the peak of basketball season. With Kentucky seen as a serious contender to win it all and Tshiebwe seen as the favorite to earn National Player of the Year honors, he’ll certainly be able to make up for lost time.
More importantly, maybe? He’ll get a taste of what a full season in Lexington could bring in terms of NIL opportunities. For that reason, the idea of Tshiebwe returning for his senior year isn’t out of the realm of possibility.
In fact, Tshiebwe’s agent Nate Conley of The Familie confirmed with Kyle Tucker of The Athletic that the standout center already has a game-changing deal lined up if he ultimately decides to return to school.
“I’m looking at an email right now,” Conley told The Athletic. “If he comes back to school, there will be a multimillion-dollar deal on the table.”
As things stand currently, Tshiebwe is seen as a potential second-rounder in the latest draft boards, and even that is a recent development. The 6-foot-9 center hasn’t sniffed any major mock drafts all season long, with the pro buzz just now starting to ramp up. Considering late first-round picks don’t even secure “multimillion-dollar” deals — pick Nos. 23-30 in the 2021 NBA Draft all had first-year rookie salaries under $2 million — Tshiebwe would certainly clear second-round or undrafted money by returning to Kentucky.
Tshiebwe knows it’s a personal game-changer, though he won’t be ready to make a final decision until after the season.
“It’s a big one,” Tshiebwe told The Athletic “But right now, I cannot think about next year. I want to focus on finishing this season and then after that, I’ll make a good decision.”
Either way, Tshiebwe’s decision can now be focused entirely on basketball, not money. He won’t be forced to go pro to support his family as many players have had to do over the years.
“Obviously his goal is to play in the NBA,” Conley told The Athletic, “and Cal will always want what is best for the kid. He loves Oscar and we all agree we’re going to do right by Oscar. But with this NIL stuff now, it’s going to make that decision hard in a good way.”
Maybe the coolest part of it all? Tshiebwe is in the process of getting his mother, who hasn’t seen the Kentucky center play basketball in person, to the United States in time for the NCAA Tournament.
“I’m so thankful to God, I don’t even know what to say. I’m just excited,” Tshiebwe told The Athletic. “That means a lot to me. When I see my mom, I’ll probably cry like a baby. To be able to do this and help my mom is one of the best things in my life. I’ve come from a long way away and always try to find a way to take care of my family, and now God has opened the doors.”
Kentucky head coach John Calipari said this was a long time coming, something all parties involved worked hard for and remained patient with. It’s the perfect stop-gap until a permanent solution is found at the federal level regarding foreign student-athletes playing sports on a student visa.
Now, Tshiebwe will be able to support his mother and the rest of his family back in the Congo.
“I think everybody’s happy for everybody (on the team),” Calipari said Monday evening during his call-in radio show. “This is America, some guys are gonna make more than others. But Oscar, the way this was done and their patience — first of all, forget about eligibility, how about the visa? You don’t want to do anything to violate the F1 visa. So the University and (Oscar’s) people worked through a way that makes this doable.
“Now, is he gonna make as much if he were able to be like every other student? No, he’s not gonna make as much, but he’s able to do something, and he’s doing it for his mother, his family back in the Congo. And that’s what he wanted, so it’s not about him, it’s about her. I’m just happy that he’s able to share in this stuff.”
There is no one more deserving in college basketball.
How did the NIL process come together for Tshiebwe? What deals are being discussed? What is The Big O Foundation? Read Kyle Tucker’s complete feature over at The Athletic right here.
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