The prize money for the players whose teams advance to the knockout round of the NBA Cup (in-season tournament) has increased in the second year of the event. According to Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today (Twitter link), the prize money for 2024 is as follows:
- Players on the team that wins the NBA Cup: $514,970 apiece
- Players on the team that loses the NBA Cup final: $205,988 apiece
- Players on the two teams that lose in the NBA Cup semifinals: $102,994 apiece
- Players on the four teams that lose in the NBA Cup quarterfinals: $51,497 apiece
When the Lakers won the inaugural in-season tournament in 2023, those figures were $500K, $200K, $100K, and $50K, respectively. The NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement calls for the prize money to increase annually at the same rate that the league’s basketball-related income (BRI) grows. Based on the new amounts reported by Zillgitt, that growth was just under 3%.
A player on a standard contract whose team makes the knockout round of the event will earn a full bonus share, while a player on a two-way deal receives a half share. That means the two-way players on this year’s NBA Cup champion will claim bonuses of $257,485 each.
While these bonuses are a drop in the bucket for the league’s highest-paid players, they represent a significant raise for players earning the minimum or close to it. Last season, there were seven Lakers players (including two-ways) for whom the NBA Cup bonus money increased their total earnings for the year by more than 20%.
They are filthy rich already. USA players don’t care
fans are not paying for it but the sponsors who are all billionaires that price gauge everyone so let them give it away.
Yes we are supporting them. We need to stop and stop supporting Hollywood
I just don’t think this concept translates well to the US. Pro leagues are like lottie cartels in this country, so the competition amongst franchises really is somewhat moot with revenue sharing agreements.
While it’s nice that the fringe or end of bench players will benefit, it’s obvious that those players are not the ones influencing the results, so it’s just another form of revenue sharing without the sizzle that such tournaments have in Europe.
It’s not even as consequential as the coin tosses to break ties in the draft lottery. If there were competitive leagues in the US, it might have an early Super Bowl vibe, but this is just redundant and like the Slam Dunk competition, a prize unrelated to actual winning seasons.
I need to start liking my own post like everyone else