Nah’Shon “Bones” Hyland won’t be heading to classes this fall at Virginia Commonwealth University. Instead, he’ll be heading to the bank.

The 20-year-old native of Wilmington, Del., became an instant millionaire and then some when he was selected 26th overall by the Denver Nuggets in the NBA draft on July 29.

According to the NBA’s pre- determined rookie pay scale, the 26th pick receives about $1,696,500 guaranteed the first year and $1,866,000 in year two, also guaranteed.

There is some wiggle room on the high and low ends, and the former VCU star would seem to be well represented. Hyland’s agent is Newport News-based Austin Walton, also the agent of former Old Dominion University star Kent Bazemore, now with the Golden State Warriors.

Representing Bazemore in 2016, Walton negotiated a deal with the Atlanta Hawks worth $70 million over four years. At the time, it was the largest NBA contract ever signed by an undrafted player.

Hyland is one of two athletes with state connections to be drafted last week in the NBA’s round one.

The New Orleans Pelicans selected the University of Virginia’s Trey Murphy III with the 17th overall pick. According to the rookie pay scale, Murphy will be guaranteed $2,470,700 for his first season.

From Durham, N.C., the 6-foot-8 Murphy played two seasons at Rice University before transferring to U.Va. last season. In his one season as a Cavalier, he averaged 11.3 points and 3.4 rebounds while hitting an eye-popping 43.3 percent from beyond the arc.

Murphy chose to enter the draft even though he had one remaining season of eligibility in Charlottesville.

Rather than attend the NBA draft in Brooklyn, Hyland celebrated with former and current teammates, friends and family, most notably his mother, Marshay Hyland, who calls her son “Shon” rather than “Bones.” The gala watch party was held at House of Laffs in downtown Wilmington, near the playgrounds and asphalt courts Hyland grew up on.

Hyland was confident he would hear his name called in round one. His outstanding sophomore season at VCU – he was Atlantic 10 Player of the Year—followed by a scintillating showing at the Pre-Draft Combine vaulted his name to many teams’ first round wish list.

Hyland interviewed with Denver Nuggets head Coach Michael Malone and other team officials, but never had an individual workout with the Northwest Division club.

He was scheduled for a solo workout in mid-July but passed due to a slightly tender ankle.

At St. GeorgesTechnical High School in Middleton, Del., Hyland became the Hawks’ all- time scorer (1,857 points) and was Delaware State Player of the Year as a senior. He was rated a consensus four-star prospect (on a 1 to 5 scale) and considered area schools University of Delaware, St. Joseph’s, Temple and LaSalle before signing with VCU Coach Mike Rhoades.

Had he decided to finish his eligibility at VCU, Hyland might have been the Rams’ all-time scorer as well.

In his two years wearing jersey No. 5 for the Rams, Hyland scored 279 points (9.0 average) as a freshman and 467 points (19.5) this past season.

With similar production for two more years, about 70 games, that would mean another 1,400 points, rocketing his total well past 2,000.

Eric Maynor (2005-2009) is VCU’s all-time scorer with 1,953 points, while Len Creech (1964-1969) is the all-time, RPI-VCU Rams scorer with 2,019 points.

But instead of going to class and collecting records, Hyland put his name in for the draft despite many feeling he was too inexperienced and too frail at a willowy 6-foot-2 and 169 pounds. He’s not called “Bones” for nothing.

While it may be a stretch, Hyland often is compared to Steph Curry’s size and skill level coming out of Davidson in 2009. Curry, the seventh overall pick in 2009, was 6-foot-2 and 181 pounds at his pre-draft physical.

Also at the Combine, Hyland’s wingspan was measured at 6-foot-9, seven inches longer than his standing height, and he was the fastest competitor in an agility run.

For VCU, he hit 40 percent of his 3-pointers, many from well past the arc, and isn’t expected to be too troubled by the NBA’s longer distance. The college distance is 22-13⁄4 while the NBA is set at 23-9.

In Denver, Hyland will join a squad that was 47-25 this past regular season before defeating the Portland Trail Blazers and losing to the Phoenix Suns in the playoffs.

The Nuggets feature three primetime players in 6-foot- 10 Nikola Jokić (NBA Player of the Year with a 26.4 scor- ing norm), 6-foot-10 forward Howard Porter (19 points per game) and 6-foot-4 guard Jamal Murray (21.2 average).

Backcourt veterans include Monté Morris, Markus Howard, Facundo Campazzo, Austin Rivers and Will Barton, who wears the same No. 5 Hyland wore at VCU.

If Denver decides their top rookie needs more work, the franchise’s G-League affiliate is the Grand Rapids Drive in Michigan.

Hyland becomes just the third player from Delaware to be an NBA first round draft choice. Others were Terence Stansbury (from Newark, Del.) in 1984 and Donte DiVincenzo (also Newark) in 2018.

From Wilmington’s Howard Career Center, A.J. English went on to star at Virginia Union University and was the 37th player (second round) taken in the 1990 draft.

Coincidentally, English was among Hyland’s early tutors in the Wilmington youth leagues.