Which 2023 NBA Draft Players Are Primed for Big Contract Extensions Next?

Keyonte George became the third player from the 2023 NBA Draft class to receive a rookie-scale extension when the Utah Jazz guard agreed to a five-year, $157.5 million deal on Friday, per ESPN . George is the first player drafted outside of the lottery to receive an extension and joined Victor Wembanaya and Amen Thompson as the first players from the class to receive a second NBA contract.

George certainly won't be the last player from his draft class to cash in on a lucrative extension. The logical next player from the class that could get paid similar money -- and possibly, somewhere in the ballpark of $200 million over the life of the contract -- is Hornets forward Brandon Miller .

Charlotte had a busy offseason after trading away star guard LaMelo Ball to Minnesota and now has relatively clean books beyond this year. By trading away Ball, the Hornets. appear to be all-in on their young core of Miller and Kon Knueppel .

The biggest storyline of the 2023 NBA Draft was who Charlotte would pick. Ultimately, the franchise selected Miller over Scoot Henderson , who was drafted No. 3 overall by the Portland Trail Blazers . Henderson's career has been underwhelming to date, and he could have to wait until next summer's restricted free agency cycle to get paid.

With George cashing in on a big payday, here are the players from their draft class who could be next and who might be waiting beyond the next few weeks to get paid. Players are listed in their draft order.

Brandon Miller, Hornets

The verdict: Pay the man.

There's a possibility that Miller ends up at a higher AAV than George. A projected deal for Miller could be five years, $200 million. Miller has certainly shown flashes of why he deserves to be paid at the top of the line in his class. However, he has missed significant time (55 games in 2024-25 and 17 last season) due to injury. Miller could outplay a $200 million deal if he stays healthy and keeps developing.

Scoot Henderson, Trail Blazers

The verdict: Wait and see.

Henderson was heralded as one of the best guard prospects of the decade entering the draft. However, he hasn't lived up to that billing to date. Portland's guard rotation is talented but is among the most confusing in the NBA. If Portland starts Ja Morant and Jrue Holiday , that would leave Henderson in a bench role. Henderson could be a prime restricted free agent candidate next summer if his role with Portland diminishes this season.

Ausar Thompson, Pistons

The verdict: Pay the man (after settling the  Jalen Duren  situation)

Thompson has developed into one of the best defenders in the NBA. However, due to no fault of his own, he could be waiting for a payday. That's because Duren and Detroit have been in a contract stalemate this offseason, with either side yet to budge. Until that dispute is resolved, it's hard to see the Pistons extending Thompson. With training camp less than two weeks away, Duren remains the biggest priority that has yet to be resolved. Thompson -- whose twin brother, Amen, recently inked a five-year, $208 million extension with Houston -- deserves to be paid.

Anthony Black, Magic

The verdict:  Pay the man.

Black is coming off a breakout season with the Magic after starting 40 games and averaging 15 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists. Black is now part of Orlando's core alongside Franz Wagner , Paolo Banchero , Desmond Bane and Jalen Suggs . Orlando has big money tied to those four players for at least the next three seasons. Still, once Black signs his rookie-scale extension, it could become a value contract if he continues to develop.

Bilal Coulibaly, Wizards

The verdict: Wait and see.

Coulibaly could be among the players waiting until next summer to get paid. The former No. 7 overall pick hasn't played in more than 63 games in each of his first three seasons due to various injuries. When healthy, Coulibaly has shown he can be a very good perimeter defender. The Wizards have one of the most intriguing young cores in the league, headlined by No. 1 overall pick AJ Dybantsa . This could be a make-or-break year for Coulibaly to see if he's part of Washington's future plans.

Cason Wallace, Thunder

The verdict:  Pay the man (or else someone else will).

If the Thunder can't come to terms on a rookie extension with Wallace, then he is going to be one of, if not the top, restricted free agent on the market in nine months. It wouldn't be shocking to see a team with cap space throw significant money at Wallace because he is one of the most underappreciated players in the league. The Thunder cleared up money this summer by trading away Isaiah Joe and Lu Dort. An extension for Wallace should be a priority.

Dereck Lively II, Mavericks

The verdict: Wait and see.

Lively's career to this date has been a mixed bag. As a rookie, Lively looked like the perfect lob threat pairing for Luka Dončić. However, since shining as a rookie on a Mavericks team that reached the NBA Finals, he has played in just 43 games the last two seasons. He underwent season-ending surgery last December and his status for the start of this season is undecided. Earlier this summer, Lively said he wasn't able to run or jump yet. Time will tell what Lively's next deal looks like.

Gradey Dick, Clippers

The verdict : Wait and see.

After being traded from Toronto to Los Angeles in the Kawhi Leonard blockbuster, he will be looking for a fresh start on a new-look Clippers roster. Dick appeared in 76 games for Toronto (one start) last season and played a career-low 14 minutes per game. Dick will likely wait until at least next summer to get a new deal after seeing how he fits in with the Clippers.

Jaime Jaquez Jr., Bucks

The verdict : Wait and see.

Jaquez was part of the biggest trade of the NBA offseason that saw Giannis Antetokounmpo go from Milwaukee to Miami. Jaquez is coming off a season in which he finished second in Sixth Man of the Year voting to Keldon Johnson . Jaquez will certainly be one of the players from his draft class to get paid, but it's unclear when that could happen. The Bucks could wait and see how Jaquez fits with their roster. The Bucks' lone major cap hits beyond next season are Myles Turner , Gary Trent Jr. , and Damian Lillard 's dead cap hit, which ends during the 2029-30 season.

Brandin Podziemski, Warriors

The verdict : Wait and see.

The Warriors have kept their books clean beyond next season. The lone cap hit over $10 million on the books after this season is Moses Moody ($13.4 million) and Kristaps Porziņģis ($20.4 million player option). Podziemski has certainly been among Golden State's best players since he was drafted, but if the Warriors stick with the approach of keeping their books clean, he could be waiting until next summer to get paid.

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_Originally reported by [CBS Sports](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/next-member-2023-nba-draft-class-big-money-extension-keyonte-george/)._