Arizona:Β $53,950-plus. Thatβs the estimated cost of a full grant-in-aid package for an out-of state athlete at UA in 2017-18, including the $3,400 βcost-of-attendanceβ supplement that is intended to serve all of an athleteβs needs from the minute he or she leaves home. Arizona says its full cost for a scholarship student-athlete, when factoring in access to academic support, life-skills training, a sports psychologist and other peripheral items, can range from $140,000 to $200,000.
Professional:Β $76,000-plus. Thatβs the minimum value of a season-long βtwo-wayβ contract, a new category of NBA contracts that each team is allowed to have two of β and the kind of job that Alkins would likely be offered if he left Arizona this year. A two-way contract can earn a player as much as $279,000, if a player spends the maximum 45 days on an NBA roster β and as little as $26,000 if all his days are in the D-League. A training camp bonus of $50,000 is guaranteed, though teams can cut two-way players in training camp and owe them nothing else.
Of course, Alkins also has the potential to earn considerably more. If heβs drafted high in the second round, he might have the leverage to command a regular guaranteed contract. Nick Johnson signed a three-year deal worth $2.3 million as Houstonβs second-round pick in 2014, though he played overseas last season.
And if Alkins makes an NBA roster as a second-round pick or free agent, he would receive at least the rookie minimum of $815,000 next season. If heβs drafted in the first round, he will receive a guaranteed two-year contract worth at least $2.5 million.Β
