John's handed Tounde Yessoufou $6 million to spurn NBA Draft

St. John's pulled off a blockbuster transfer by signing Tounde Yessoufou to a $6 million NIL deal, convincing the Baylor forward to spurn the NBA Draft. The Red Storm secured the deal as late as the transfer cycle, with insider reporting that Yessoufou chose college money over a potential pro start after draft projections placed him in the late first to early second round ahead of the June 23-24 draft. The 6-foot-5 wing posted 17.8 points per game and 5.9 rebounds per contest for Baylor, a season that showcased several projected top-10 picks in the same conference. The deal signals St. John’s intent to capitalize on the portal class described as among the nation’s most loaded. The figure was first reported by nj.com’s Adam Zagoria.