Forgotten Lakers star wealthier than Curry is one of NBA richest players ever

Luol Deng has had quite the career – and life.

The 6ft 9in star was born in war-torn South Sudan and eventually fled the country with his family to settle in Brixton, South London.

The British basketball icon played college hoops for the Duke Blue Devils and was drafted seventh overall by the Phoenix Suns in the 2004 NBA Draft.

By all accounts, he had a pretty stellar NBA career that included two All-Star appearances (his first in 2005 as a 19-year-old) and a place on the 2012 NBA All-Defensive Second Team.

Over the course of his 15-year NBA career, Deng played for the Bulls, Cavaliers, Heat, Lakers and Timberwolves.

He finished his career with 13,361 points, 5,468 rebounds and 2,042 assists, but is best remembered for one of the worst player contracts in NBA history.

In 2016, the Los Angeles Lakers signed Deng to a four-year deal worth $72 million.

He only played a total of 57 games in the famous purple and gold but the team from Tinseltown continued to pay his wages long after he left.

In order to open up some salary space, Deng’s contract was restructured in 2018 for two additional seasons, meaning the Lakers had to pay him for six years instead of four.

Deng left for the Timberwolves in 2018 but his restructured contract cost LA millions.

The contract was so bad (from the Lakers’ point of view) that he was the team’s fifth highest-paid player in 2022 despite retiring three years earlier.

They paid him $5 million each season and he ended up making just over $1 million per game he played with the team.

The 39-year-old undoubtedly made a fortune during his playing days, earning $166 million over the course of several contracts.

But his off-court ventures have seen him generate a staggering personal net worth of well over $200 million – more than NBA greats such as Steph Curry ($180 million net worth), Dwyane Wade ($170 million) and James Harden ($165 million).

It all started at Duke when he became friends with the daughter of Jamie Dimon, JPMorgan Chase CEO.

That was the start of Deng’s passion for real estate and, in 2014, he created his company, D3N9.

Along the way, Deng has been mentored by real estate entrepreneur Don Peebles and former Wall Street banker David Gross, who serves as chief investment officer for Deng’s company.

As a result, Deng has built an incredible portfolio consisting of hotels, resorts, condos and apartment buildings across Africa, England and the United States, with a total value of $125 million.

His real estate includes multifamily units in Baltimore, spec houses in the Hamptons, a luxury resort in the Bahamas and the Virgin Hotels Las Vegas.

“If you know the market and you are using your leverage and doing the right deals, it is really nonstop with the opportunities,” Deng said.

In 2019, Deng and his then-Timberwolves teammate Derrick Rose were on the cusp of closing a $25.6 million deal for 354 multifamily units in Chicago.

“I’ve always had a love for real estate and wanted to do something in Chicago for a long time,” he said at the time.

Deng has been vocal about the power of investing.

He’s also keen to give back, and has actively supported and worked for various charities over the years including the UK’s School Home Support, Lost Boys of Sudan, Basketball Without Borders, and the World Food Programme.

He was appointed as president of the South Sudan Basketball Federation in November 2019 for four years. He is also an assistant coach for the South Sudan men’s national team and has previously served as its head coach.

In 2020, Deng was included in the annual Powerlist as one of the most influential people in the UK of African/African-Caribbean descent, and in 2021 he was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to basketball.

Deng is is also depicted on one of the Brixton Pound community currency notes.

Deng is a British basketball icon and it’s amazing to see him give back so much of the wealth he has generated.