Chris Livingston signs the largest contract ever for the last pick in the draft

Just when you thought the oddities surrounding Chris Livingston were over, Shams Charania reported the Milwaukee Bucks are signing him to a four-year deal worth $7.7 million dollars with the first two years guaranteed. This marks the largest contract ever awarded to the final pick in the NBA draft.

So much for Mr. Irrelavent.

The Bucks are signing F Chris Livingston to a four-year, $7.7 million rookie deal, CEO of Klutch Sports Rich Paul and agent Brandon Cavanaugh tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. First two years guaranteed. It’s the largest ever total salary for the final pick in the NBA Draft. https://t.co/Oa14M5vPTg

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 9, 2023

Historically, only first-round draft picks received guaranteed contracts, but in the last handful of years, early second-rounders have been getting two-year deals. This type of deal has never happened for the final pick in the draft.

Livingston’s agency, Klutch, led by the notorious Rich Paul, handled their young talent with some notable peculiarities. After all but pulling him out of his dorm room at Kentucky, they canceled workouts with NBA teams shortly after they began, presumably securing a deal with an unnamed team.

On draft night, they then went further by calling every team with a pick in the 2nd round and telling them not to draft Livingston.

They must have been extremely confident in their deal-making because he was one of the few non-foreign draft candidates to be in attendance, giving him the opportunity to walk across the stage and bro-hug the deputy commissioner. They just didn’t bother telling John Calipari, who left the draft during the first round.

The mystery franchise turned with whom a behind-the-scenes deal had been struck turned out to be the Milwaukee Bucks, who held the 58th and final pick in the NBA draft.

The news broke during the first quarter of Livingston’s second Las Vegas Summer League game and one day after his rather quiet debut.

Kentucky fans have criticized Klutch throughout their handling of the Chris Livingston situation, but they came through the young man who is just trying to live out his dream. Good for him.