Texas A&M’s biggest offseason addition isn’t just a major basketball get - he’s reportedly being paid like one.
Former Kansas State shooting guard PJ Haggerty is set to become the centerpiece of Bucky McMillan’s second team in College Station, and according to The Athletic, his NIL package will put him in rare air. The report says Haggerty will make at least $3.9 million with the Aggies this season, a figure that lands him among the highest-paid players in college basketball.
That number is eye-catching on its own. It gets even louder when stacked next to the latest headline involving LeBron James.
This week, James signed with the Philadelphia 76ers after eight seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers on a reported 2-year, $8 million deal. By his standards, that’s a bargain.
But The Athletic’s reporting notes that the deal is on par with what some of the top college players are making this year, including Haggerty.
“Following discussions with multiple college coaches, general managers and NBA scouts, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to protect competitive interests, we know these 18 players will all be making at least $3.9 million.”
Haggerty arrives as the 8th-ranked player in The Athletic’s transfer portal rankings after averaging nearly 24 points per game last season with Kansas State. For McMillan, that kind of production is exactly what Texas A&M is betting on as it tries to get back to the NCAA Tournament.
The Aggies reached the postseason in McMillan’s first year, built largely through the transfer portal. They beat Saint Mary’s in the opening round before Houston sent them home in the Round of 32. That run came despite losing star transfer forward Mackenzie Mgbako just seven games into non-conference play.
Now the roster looks different again. Several key starters and reserves are back for the 2027 season, and McMillan’s staff added six players through the portal. Haggerty is the headliner, the player expected to carry the biggest load in a system that asks a lot from its guards and plays at a fast pace.
The connection between Haggerty and the staff helped Texas A&M land him, and so did the money. For a program trying to keep climbing, both mattered.
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