After the Thunder punched their ticket to the 2024 NBA Cup championship, rising star Jalen Williams could be heard exclaiming, “Just give me my money!” at the end of teammate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s postgame interview.
On Tuesday, Oklahoma City and Milwaukee will meet for the second-ever NBA Cup (formerly In-Season Tournament) title. In addition to the NBA Cup trophy, each winning team member will receive the grand monetary prize that comes with being a Cup champion.
For a second year, the NBA Cup has brought an added intensity to early-season NBA games. In addition to the fanfare, bright courts and added attention, players were incentivized by the bonuses they would receive if their team was one of eight to advance to the Knockout Rounds. With each win, those bonuses increased.
How much money will players receive in the NBA Cup? Here is a rundown of the prize money earned during this year’s tournament.
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NBA Cup prize money
Players earn prize money based on how far their teams advance in the NBA Cup, per the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Each player on the eight teams that advanced to the quarterfinals receives at least $50,000. The payouts increase with every win, and each player of the NBA Cup-winning team receives $500,000.
The payouts are as follows:
- Win championship: $500,000 per player
- Reach championship game: $200,000 per player
- Reach semifinal game: $100,000 per player
- Reach quarterfinal game: $50,000 per player
NBA Cup MVP and the All-Tournament team will be selected based on players’ performance during Group Play and the Knockout Rounds.
Payouts extend to each coaching staff, too. Head coaches receive the same amount as players and assistant coaches receive an additional share of the pool money which equals 75 percent of the head coach’s total payout.
MORE: Understanding the NBA Cup format in 2024
What NBA Cup prize money means for players
Similar to Year 1 of the tournament, players have been vocal about the prize money being a motivating factor.
With each member of the championship team’s roster receiving the grand prize, the $500,000 is a bigger bonus for some players than others. One NBA game check is worth roughly 1/92nd of a player’s listed annual salary. And while 1/92nd of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s maximum salaries are significant, players on lesser contracts will receive major boosts.
Take Bucks guard Gary Trent Jr. and injured Thunder center Jaylin Williams, for example. Each player is making just over $2.0 million this season. For a player of that stature, a win in the NBA Cup championship would be a 2,400% increase from what they typically earn in one game.
Regardless of the outcome, the biggest winners are the players on two-way contracts. Per the Collective Bargaining Agreement, a two-way contract is valued at half the rookie minimum, or $578,577. The semifinalists add $200,000 to that total while champions will nearly double their annual salary.
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