Report proves BYU's Rob Wright didn't just follow the money in the transfer portal

When Robert Wright III jumped ship from his freshman home of Baylor University to take a higher paycheck from Big 12 mate, BYU, it was easy to point to the financial aspect of his move as the primary motivator.

Sure, the best player in college basketball, AJ Dybantsa, would be lacing up for a season under the Marriott Center lights, and former NBA assistant coach-turned BYU head coach Kevin Young prides himself on his NBA development program, but even as competitive as the Cougars promised to be if they could add Wright as the starting point guard, the money issue gathered headlines.

And it's obvious why: college athletes went from earning basically nothing to becoming multi-millionaires overnight. In the present day, you'll see players like Texas Tech's JT Toppin and Arizona's Koa Peat enrolling in another year of school because -- let's face it -- these players are going to make much more to play another year of college ball than they would as a professional in the NBA.

Oklahoma State's Audi Crooks just transferred from Iowa State for a reportedly $1.4 million NIL deal, making her the third-highest-paid female basketball player in the world, full stop.

So yeah, when Rob Wright III could yield a seven-figure payday by playing basketball in Provo, it's hard to argue that money was a significant deciding factor.

But in the fallout of his spicy love triangle with BYU and their archnemesis, Mark Pope, at Kentucky, Wright's ultimate decision to return to Provo wasn't financially driven after all.

Per Jeff Goodman, BYU and Kentucky's final offers were "basically the same" to the five-star guard. He chose to stay put with Kevin Young and company.

Yes, it was Wright's high asking price that sent him into the transfer portal in the first place. After all, if you believe you're worth a certain amount and your company disagrees, it's only natural to scroll through the job boards and reach out to see if you can find what you feel you deserve.

Eventually, after learning his market value, his number fell back to Earth, and with it, his decision came down to just two parties: BYU and Kentucky.

"It was kind of a family dynamic." Goodman shared on the Field of 68 pod. "Rob Wright never really wanted to leave BYU. [...] Basically, there were other family members that wanted him to explore other opportunities."

"The number wasn't different. Between Kentucky and BYU, the number was basically the same. I think part of it was like 'listen, I've been to Baylor, I've been to BYU, do I really want to go to another school?' It wasn't about Mark Pope or spurning Kentucky. It was more 'I'm comfortable at BYU.'"

Rob Wright is at home with BYU basketball now. When the money is equal, the money isn't a deciding factor. When he promised to return to BYU, those weren't empty words. All appearances would suggest that he's comfortable in Kevin Young's program and just wants to run back another year in Provo. Welcome home, Rob. Be even greater this season!

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