Iowa State forward Milan Momcilovic is at the center of one of the biggest NIL stories of the offseason after Kentucky reportedly landed a package worth more than $6.5 million, according to NBA insider Evan Sidery. Sidery said the Wildcats won a bidding war against Louisville and Arizona, calling it “the power of the new NIL era.”
The size of the offer stands out because Momcilovic had been viewed as a possible early second-round NBA Draft pick before withdrawing from the 2026 class. Sidery noted that the deal would pay him more than the No. 8 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, a striking comparison for a player choosing another year in college.
That decision makes sense when looking at what Momcilovic brings offensively. During the 2025-26 season at Iowa State, he shot 48.7% from three-point range while averaging 3.7 made threes on 7.5 attempts per game.
He finished the season at 16.9 points per game and 50.6% shooting from the field. Across three college seasons, Momcilovic developed into one of the most proven perimeter scorers in the country, which is exactly the profile that now draws top-dollar NIL interest.
The reported money also shows how sharply the college basketball market has changed for players near the NBA Draft’s second round. Instead of leaving for a rookie-scale contract, Momcilovic can reportedly return to school on a package that reflects both his production and the premium placed on shooting.
For Kentucky, the move signals an aggressive push to add a proven offensive weapon rather than wait for development to happen at the next level. For Momcilovic, it gives him another season to keep building on a career that already includes averages of 13.2 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.1 assists.
