$514,971 is the total jackpot pocketed by Bucks players after their victory against the Thunder in the NBA Cup final on Tuesday. A welcome half-million dollars for the entire Milwaukee workforce, but in very variable proportions. Between the high-paid stars of the squad and the players still on rookie contracts, this jackpot does not have the same impact.
For the MVP of the NBA Cup, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Damian Lillard, this reward is only a drop in the bucket in their annual emoluments, to the tune of 1.02% increase in remuneration. That’s even less than the amount each of the 82 regular season games earns them, about $595,000 per game.
« It’s life-changing money » nevertheless considers Giannis Antetokounmpo. “ With $500,000 you can pay cash for one house, or two houses. It’s a joke we have in the locker room. We say that we play for the young guys in the squad because this money will mean a lot to them. But it’s going to be something for everyone, because it’s a lot of money. »
Damian Lillard wants to give gifts to the little hands of the franchise
Damian Lillard assured that he would keep part of this half-million dollars for “ the staff, all the staff who come every day and work all day, even when we go home. » « I will try to do something to help them. »
« It takes a lifetime to earn $500,000 for those from where I come from, so I don’t take any amount lightly » assures Bobby Portis, who obtains a bonus of almost 4% on his annual remuneration.
For other players on the Bucks squad, this bonus significantly changes their annual salary. The contracts close to the veteran minimum of Delon Wright, Taurean Prince or Gary Trent Jr will be inflated by 16.65%, 16.73% and 19.13%. The increase is even greater for players under rookie contracts like AJ Green (23.57%) or Andre Jackson Jr (26.43%), who played an important role in the Bucks’ victory.
For “two-way contracts”, who only receive half of the bonus in accordance with the collective agreement, it is more than 40% of a financial “gift”. “ It’s crazy » estimated AJ Green before the meeting. “ But that shouldn’t make you play harder. It really shouldn’t. »
« We played for a lot of money, when money comes into play, everyone plays hard » Thunder player Jalen Williams preferred to laugh at a press conference. Small consolation all the same for the losers of the evening, they each leave with 205,988 additional dollars in their pockets.
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