Bulls first-rounders Caleb Wilson and Dailyn Swain signed their rookie scale contracts on Friday, according to NBA.com’s transaction log.
Wilson and Swain were among four rookies who officially signed with Chicago throughout the day. The team also completed two-way contracts with undrafted free agents Tobe Awaka and Jaylin Sellers.
Wilson, the former UNC forward who was drafted with the fourth overall pick, is the obvious headliner of the group. Assuming he signs for the full 120% of his rookie scale amount, which is a virtual lock, he’ll earn a first-year salary of nearly $10.7MM and will make $48.5MM over the course of his first four NBA seasons. Swain, the 15th overall pick out of Texas, will carry a cap hit just shy of $5MM as a rookie and will have an overall four-year total of $24MM.
Wilson and Swain, who will make their Summer League debuts in Las Vegas next Friday vs. Memphis, are the first two players drafted by new Bulls head of basketball operations Bryson Graham. We wrote last Tuesday when they were selected about how they’ll fit in with Chicago as two of the organization’s potential long-term cornerstones.
Newest Clippers guard Keaton Wagler, the fifth overall pick, also formally completed his rookie scale contract on Friday, per the league’s official transaction log. His deal will be worth about $9.7MM in his first year and a total of nearly $44MM across four seasons.
Explaining the Clippers’ decision to draft Wagler after the consensus top four prospects came off the board, president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank cited the former Illinois star’s positional size, his high basketball IQ, his ability to play on and off the ball, and the fact that he can dribble, pass, and shoot at a “very, very high level.” Our full story on the Garland pick is here.
A total of 21 first-round picks have already signed their rookie scale contracts, with the other nine likely to join them in the coming days.