The Ryan Kalkbrenner doubters, who had hummed and hawed, were left stunned after witnessing the 2025 NBA preseason. He’s objectively heavy-footed, which makes him a slight weakness in uptempo schemes. However, his potential two-way impact and hard work to establish and sustain his role as a modern big man are what’s currently keeping the hopes alive for the Creighton alum. His consistent defensive impact around the rim earned him four Big East DPOY titles. Along with the fame he has gained on the court, let’s now explore some of the financial aspects, such as his rookie salary and net worth.

What is Ryan Kalkbrenner’s net worth?

Ryan Kalkbrenner’s net worth is estimated to be around $1.91 million. As of his NIL valuation, On3 projected it to be $2 million a few months ago. Dan Hurley, however, compared the youngster’s marketability and skill with that of Zach Edey and Donovan Clingan.

“I’ll say the same things about him I said about Zach Edey last year when there was so many questions about where he was going to go in the draft, people didn’t even have him mocking. And, for how Ryan Kalkbrenner is not a first-round pick, it blows my mind. He should be easily a top 20 pick. This guy causes rare problems for you defensively, like Donovan did for us with other teams,” Hurley once said.

It’s essential to note that Kalkbrenner’s professional career is still relatively new, and he hasn’t yet earned his NBA paycheck. But a massive pay bump is on the way.

Ryan Kalkbrenner’s contract with the Charlotte Hornets

The Charlotte Hornets picked Ryan Kalkbrenner 34th overall in the 2025 NBA draft. Being a second-round pick naturally affects the kind of deal Kalkbrenner will start his career with. But it’s still a sizable paycheck. He signed a four-year, $9.97 million contract. The first two years are guaranteed $4.47 million. The third year, however, is non-guaranteed with a team option for the fourth season.

What is Ryan Kalkbrenner’s salary?

Under his current rookie contract, Ryan Kalkbrenner is expected to earn more than his projected NIL earnings starting from the 2025-26 season.

A look at Ryan Kalkbrenner’s college and professional career

Ryan Kalkbrenner left Creighton as one of the most decorated players in Bluejays history. The 23-year-old ranks second in several career statistical records in the program’s history, including points, rebounds, blocks, field goals made, and field goal percentage. He is a four-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year and a third-team All-American selection by AP. He averaged 19.2 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.7 blocks, and 1.5 assists in his final college season.

Ryan Kalkbrenner entered a loaded draft class this year that included Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel, and Dylan Harper. As a center, he’s still lacking the agility to be fully effective, and his first two preseason outings were disappointing on the defensive end. However, the Creighton alum has never been one to back down. He had a better showing against the Mavs and Flagg himself! If he impresses consistently, he could negotiate a better contract in the third year.

What are the brands endorsed by Ryan Kalkbrenner?

In the five years he spent in the NCAA, Ryan Kalkbrenner didn’t exactly raise his draft stock, but he did maximize his marketability. One of his best NIL sponsorships was worth $88,000.

Kalkbrenner also knew younger athletes wanted to be like him. He parlayed that into a session on DVLP Basketball, a specialized training platform. Aspiring athletes had to register for $100 fee! He did another training camp in collaboration with FlexWork Sports, likely making a decent cut from those profits.

However, Ryan Kalkbrenner is now out of the NCAA and no longer relies on NIL. His revenue will be from the NBA and potential endorsement deals. The latter is yet to kick in fully, but he still has prior endorsement deals with Omaha Steaks and Quest Nutrition. He’s not had the opportunity to earn a sneaker deal yet. But things could change dramatically in one season… it just takes one streak of good performances.