Basketball hosted one of its most exciting nights, the NBA draft. Each year, prospects from around the world wait in anticipation, hoping their hard work on the collegiate level or in semi-professional leagues will earn them one of the most coveted spots in the world’s most revered basketball league. Year after year, new talent emerges, and the idea of who will be the NBA’s next big star enters sports chats. With all of the hype around this pivotal night, another focus is the deals and payouts draftees receive due to their newfound success. Young superstars of today benefit from rising costs due to inflation, the advancement of endorsement deals, and the ability to leverage highlight reels and salary caps to move the needle for their large rookie contracts. Photo Credit: Nic Antaya By comparison, some of the league’s best players in history commanded top-dollar salaries. For example, Ervin “Magic” Johnson signed an estimated $2.3 million contract over five years as part of his 1979...