NBA star Tomáš Satoranský becomes highest-paid Czech athlete

Tomáš Satoranský may no longer be a Washington Wizard, but he’s about to become the highest-paid athlete from the Czech Republic in professional sports.

Satoranský’s future with the Wizards, the team that signed him after he left Barcelona in the Euroleague in 2016, was put in jeopardy last week when the team extended him a $3.9 million qualifying offer, allowing Satoranský to become a restricted free agent.

Now, the 27-year-old point guard, who stands just over two meters tall (6’7), has reportedly been traded by the Wizards to the Chicago Bulls for future draft picks. And Satoranský will receive a new 3-year, $30 million contract in the process.

At $10 million per year, Satoranský will become the highest-paid Czech athlete in professional sports.

It’s also more than triple what Satoranský made with Washington after signing a 3-year, $9 million contract with the team in 2016.

In Chicago, Satoranský will be joining one of the NBA’s most storied franchises. While the Bulls won an incredible six championships from 1991-1998 with stars like Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippin, however, the team has not made the NBA finals since ‘98, and has only made the Conference finals once during that span, in 2011.

And given the large amount of Czech heritage in Chicago, Satoranský may soon become a fan favorite with the Bulls.

While Satoranský did not enter the 2018-19 season as Washington’s starting point guard, he quickly assumed that role after an injury to John Wall. He played in 80 of the Wizards 82 games, and started 54 of them.

Over the course of the season, only Satoranský’s third in the NBA, he put up an average of 8.9 points, 5.0 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.0 steals in 27.1 minutes per game – all career bests.

Earlier this year, Satoranský achieved his first career triple-double in the NBA with 18 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists in a Wizards win over the Milwaukee Bucks.

With the Bulls, Satoranský is expected to compete with Kris Dunn to start at point guard, though a Dunn trade, which would free up the position, is also possible.

While Satoranský is currently the highest-paid athlete from the Czech Republic, he falls just short of the all-time record, as Czech hockey legend Jaromír Jágr reached a salary of $11 million per year in his prime.

Still, Satoranský’s per-year average bests the largest contract that Jágr signed, which was $55 million over 7 years with the Washington Capitals in 2001.