Donovan Clingan, top NBA Draft prospects sign NIL deals with Panini

The trading card and collectibles company Panini America announced Friday it signed exclusive, multiyear NIL agreements with five men’s college basketball players, including a reigning national champion and four freshmen who were top-20 recruits in the 2023 recruiting class.

The players involved in the NIL deals include Baylor‘s Ja’Kobe Walter, UConn‘s Donovan Clingan, Duke‘s Jared McCain, Iowa State‘s Omaha Biliew and Oregon‘s Kwame Evans Jr. Each player will attend the National Sports Collectors Convention in Rosemont, Illinois, this weekend, according to a release.

“Today is a big day for Panini America as we welcome six exceptionally talented NBA prospects to the Panini family,” Panini America Senior Vice President of Marketing and Athlete Relations Jason Howarth said in a statement. “This partnership is the beginning of an exciting chapter for each of these players as they continue their journey toward becoming professional athletes, and we’re proud to support them by commemorating their achievements and highlights for fans along the way through exclusive trading cards and memorabilia.”

Matas Buzelis, who agreed to play for the G League Ignite, was also a member of the signing class.

Donovan Clingan signs deal after winning title

As a freshman, Clingan helped UConn win the 2023 NCAA Tournament. The 7-2, 280-pound center and former top-50 recruit averaged 6.9 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in just 13.1 minutes, while appearing in 39 games off the bench. He was 16 of 23 from the field (69.6%) in the NCAA tournament.

Baylor’s Walter was ranked as the No. 2 shooting guard and No. 9 overall prospect in the 2023 recruiting class, according to the On3 Industry Ranking. He was one of 11 players who earned Five-Star Plus+ status, which means all four major media recruiting services ranked him as a five-star recruit.

Iowa State’s Biliew, a 6-8 power forward, was ranked as the No. 1 recruit at his position and No. 10 overall prospect in the 2023 recruiting class, per the On3 Industry Ranking.

Duke’s McCain was ranked just behind Walter. He was the No. 3 shooting guard and No. 11 recruit in the 2023 recruiting class, according to the On3 Industry Ranking.

Oregon’s Evans was the No. 2 power forward prospect in the 2023 recruiting class behind Biliew. Evans was ranked No. 16 overall, according to the On3 Industry Ranking.

On3 NIL Valuations for Clingan, Walter, McCain

Panini America has announced several exclusive, multiyear NIL partnerships recently, including with Texas quarterbacks Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning, as well as 2024 Five-Star Plus+ shooting guard Tre Johnson.

Here are the On3 NIL Valuations of the five men’s college basketball players who were part of Panini America’s latest announcement.

McCain leads the group with an On3 NIL Valuation of $1.1 million. Biliew has an On3 NIL Valuation of $439,000, Walter has an On3 NIL Valuation of $426,000 and Evans has an On3 NIL Valuation of $219,000. Clingan’s On3 NIL Valuation is $88,000.

The On3 NIL Valuation is a proprietary algorithm that calculates the projected annual value of an athlete’s earning potential in the NIL landscape. It incorporates Brand Value and Roster Value. The former factors in the role of regional and national sponsorships, while the latter takes into account the role of NIL collectives.