New York ? Most of the talk among the dozen or so future millionaires gathered Wednesday on the eve of the biggest night of their young lives was about basketball.

Another hot topic was money.

Kansas University All-American Nick Collison was one of the NBA prospects invited to the New York Stock Exchange before a news conference at a Times Square hotel. Recent high school graduate LeBron James, the projected No. 1 pick in tonight’s draft, opened Wednesday’s trading by ringing the bell.

James already is a millionaire, thanks to lucrative endorsement deals, but Collison said the players were there to visit, not spend.

“I don’t think so,” Collison said, asked if James bought any stocks. “But I would have if I were him.”

If James is, in fact, the No. 1 pick tonight, he will be guaranteed $3,349,100 as a rookie and a total of $10,800,900 during his first three years in the league. The top 17 draft picks are guaranteed at least $1 million in their first year, while the 29th and final pick in the first round will make $669,500 as a rookie and $2,159,100 in three years.

Collison and former teammate Kirk Hinrich who helped Kansas reach consecutive Final Fours as juniors and seniors are both projected as lottery picks.

Hinrich, whose father is a school teacher and coach, said it was hard to imagine that kind of wealth.

“It’s definitely going to be different,” he said. “You try to stay level-headed, stay grounded and make smart decisions, be careful what you do. That will take care of a lot of things.”

Hinrich said helping his family won’t be easy, despite his newfound riches.

“I don’t think they’ll let me do too much right away,” said Hinrich, who averaged 17.3 points per game as a senior. “I’m definitely going to take care of my family, but I don’t think they want to take my money.”

Collison and Hinrich both have made one major purchase, acquiring new Lincoln Navigators. Collison had been driving a 1998 Mercury Mountaineer, while Hinrich made a major upgrade from a 1994 Isuzu Rodeo with 97,000 miles.

Collison said he would meet with a financial planner before making any big decisions about his future or deciding how he might help his family.

“I’m going to try to save most of it and try not to live that much differently while I’m playing and focus on my career and playing ball,” said Collison, who ranked second in the Big 12 Conference in scoring (18.5 per game) and third in rebounds (10.0). “Afterwards, then you can enjoy life a little more. I mean, you can enjoy life. It’s a great lifestyle don’t get me wrong. But if you try to do too much while you’re playing it can cost you a lot. Human nature could make you think, ‘I’ve already got this. Why do I need to keep working?’ You have to keep that love of the game. I think that’s a trouble a lot of guys probably struggle with.”

After his visit to the Stock Exchange, Collison was even more happy with his chosen profession.

“I couldn’t work there from 9:30 to 4, or whatever it is, everyday,” Collison said. “Those people are crazy over there.”

As for James, Collison was sympathetic not envious of Wednesday’s bell ringer and tonight’s likely No. 1 pick.

“He’s in a tough spot,” Collison said. “No matter what he does, people are going to be disappointed just because there’s been so much hype. He’s under a lot of pressure. I hope he does well. It’ll be tough if he struggles.”

Hinrich said a private investigator had been poking around his hometown of Sioux City, Iowa, at the bidding of an unknown NBA franchise.

“It’s kind of crazy,” Hinrich said. “They want to find out as much as they can because we’re kind of their investment.”

• Hinrich on target: Despite traveling around the country to attend NBA workouts and tonight’s draft, Hinrich planned to complete his degree in communications this summer. He’s taking a directed studies class to earn his final three credits.

• Ready to play: Four years in KU’s program prepared Collison and Hinrich for the rigors of pro basketball.

“At Kansas, if we lose it’s a big deal,” Collison said. “People come down hard on you, so there’s a lot of pressure and the competition is great, too. The biggest thing is that spotlight. You have to come to play every day.”

Playing at Kansas also has given the Jayhawks plenty of experience with the media. They answered questions for 45 minutes Wednesday.

“At Kansas, we played in two Final Fours. That’s more of a zoo than anything.”

“They boo all their picks,” Collison said. “I understand it’s nothing personal.”

“I think that would be tough,” Collison said. “I lost one game in four years of high school, and we didn’t lose a lot at Kansas, so that would be something I’d have to adjust to. I think the thing you’d have to do is try to remember what it’s like to win, stay hungry and try to change it as soon as possible.”

• History lesson: Collison and Hinrich have little chance of breaking the record for highest teammates drafted. UCLA’s Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Lucius Allen were taken 1-3 in 1969. Duke’s Jay Williams and Mike Dunleavy went 2-3 last year.

• One lump or two: Hinrich played point guard and shooting guard at Kansas, but he has no doubt that he’s rather play the point than the two spot as a pro.

“I’m versatile enough to guard the two and play the two, but I think I’m a point guard,” he said.