LOS ANGELES — It's pretty much a slam dunk that Kijani Wright will be playing big-time college basketball. The only question is, where?

Wright says he's keeping an eye on UCLA, a team that's only two wins away from a national championship. 

Wright is a star junior at Winward School. He will decide on what university he will attend — and play for — in 2022. He said he could one day be a Bruin.

"I can be that. I can have a roll. Next year or two years from now," Wright said.

He's also keeping an eye on a Supreme Court case, which could decide if NCAA athletes could potentially get paid. Although for him, it's not the most important thing. 

"I'm really not in it for the money, though it's good to be paid, you know," Wright explained. "It's exciting to [be] paid to play basketball, but I do it out of love for the game and out of my enjoyment."

Many in and out of the sports world say it is unfair that student-athletes are not paid because of the billions in revenue the games bring in. Wright says that's not his call

"I'm there for school and basketball. Getting paid is a second thing," he said.

In the last two years, the NCAA has changed its tune on allowing players to be paid for their name and likeness. But in December of 2020, the NCAA told a federal court compensating student-athletes "will fundamentally transform the century-old institution of NCAA sports, blurring the traditional line between college and professional athletes."

None of that matters to Wright. He's just ready to get to the next phase of his basketball journey.  

"I'm preparing for it right now – high school – after this on to the college level, so just keep developing my game, seeing it translate on to the court," he said. "Hopefully, we'll get there."

The Supreme Court will soon decide whether or not his game will come with a price tag.