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Hannes Steinbach Declares for 2026 NBA Draft After Rejecting Reported $10 Million in NIL Deals

The choice underscores how college endorsement money now rivals rookie pay in the NBA.

Overview

  • Hannes Steinbach has filed for the 2026 NBA Draft, his agent confirmed, with the event scheduled for June 23–24 at Barclays Center in New York.
  • Multiple outlets citing BasketNews report he turned down up to $10 million in name, image and likeness offers, which are paid college endorsement deals allowed under NCAA rules.
  • Draft analysts project the Washington freshman as a likely first-round pick, though he can still withdraw before the late-May deadline under NBA and NCAA procedures.
  • At Washington, he averaged 18.5 points and 11.8 rebounds, earned Big Ten All-Freshman honors, and set a school freshman record with 19 double-doubles.
  • Before college, the Würzburg native logged pro minutes with Würzburg Baskets and helped Germany win U18 gold in 2024 and U19 silver in 2025.