April 19, 2022

Is Christian Braun about to get handed the NIL bag?

The feeling has still not sunk in. The Jayhawks are champions, and more Banner Talk is in the pipe. In this afterglow, I’m reluctant to do the whole “well, what about next season?” dance, but the chatter around what happens next feels timely, maybe even slightly respectful. Where do we go from here?

A lot of the post-title coverage so far has centered around how the team is cashing in. They’re on a Barnstorming Tour—which comes with a healthy cut of the proceeds—and partnerships with local chains like Rally House have proved lucrative. Most players even have their own direct-to-consumer t-shirt, and I will absolutely be copping the Dajuan Harris one because I love when text is just EVERYWHERE:

The first chapter of the NIL was a chaotic one. It was hard to tell where the smart money was going during that initial free-for-all, because the NCAA unveiled the whole thing so shoddily. But the schools themselves knew that building up the NIL business would become an enormous asset, and the more support and assistance they could provide student athletes, the better. (They’re getting a cut too, obviously.)

KU’s Barnstorming Tour is just the tip of the iceberg—this is the first full offseason KU basketball has had in the NIL era, and it seems like they’re absolutely pulling out all the stops and giving the athletes the best possible opportunities to earn. Bigger companies (no shade Crown Toyota) are finally developing platforms, too. It’s great to see, and it bodes very well for Kansas basketball and for the 2022 title team, who should be rewarded with all the spoils of Earth.

Now, let’s get to the question I slammed into the headline: Could Christian Braun be handed the bag to return next season? Braun’s NBA Draft projection suggests late first/early second1, and I believe he has incentive to go, having just laid down awesome tape throughout the title run that earned rave reviews from Draft pundits like Jonathan Givony. Ochai Agbaji just proved just how much one summer’s hard work can give you, and it makes plenty sense to suspect that Christian Braun could embark on a similar journey to the All-America First Team. Would such a leap guarantee the lottery for Braun?

Here’s my math on this, assuming that the compensation is a factor in Braun’s return: if Braun goes this year, and ends up getting picked 25-35 like most Draft gurus are saying, he’s looking at around $1.7M-$2M on his first deal. Even if he’s not picked in the first round (which mandates a guaranteed contract) the money on early second round is pretty close to that. So, if KU is coming at Braun with money, the total number needs to be high.

But how high?

But… what was that title worth to Kansas basketball, all said and done? $20M? More? It seems like finding a way to bring Braun back is financially viable because KU is absolutely swimming in it right now. It could absolutely happen!

Assuming the goal is to be a pro, compensation aside2, I’m not sure Braun will have a better opportunity, even if an Agbaji-level improvement happens. Scouts are sizing up Braun as more of a “high floor” prospect, and I’m not sure how much a dominant year in college will raise Braun’s stock. While Agbaji just turned in an all-time year at Kansas, I feel that Agbaji hasn’t even begun to unlock his potential as a defender; he was a good one at Kansas, but we needed his offense too badly for him to go all KJ Adams on the other side of things. Does Braun have as much upside left to realize? I am skeptical of that, although I do think Braun could be a useful NBA player. Is the timing just too good for Braun to pass up the NBA?

All things being equal, I bet KU makes Braun a pretty interesting offer to come back. There’s also seemingly more chatter about Jalen Wilson than there is about Braun right now. Stay tuned.

Also: a name you’ll be hearing a lot more in the coming months: 6th Man Strategies, a company founded by two former KU baseball players. They’re handling all things NIL for KU, and they’ve got big things in store and now they’re going to market with a National Champion. Last week, they launched a sub-brand called 12th Man Strategies, which will handle NIL deals for the football team. They’re on it, and it’s definitely something to look out for.

Live from the basketball banquet

Some really, really good moments at the banquet. I love that they do the banquet, feels so high school. I’m not seeing any NBA teams with a banquet, and that’s their loss!

Self kind of going scorched earth here… the ball-drop fakeout!

Really good, I especially recommend watching the video at the beginning of the event. They need to flip that puppy live on ALL CHANNELS. Try not to sob when Self talks about how much this team has meant to him—this title is honestly just an emotional tidal wave. Let’s talk about it for years to come!