The Bucks players who benefited the most from NBA Cup prize money

On By Littum

The Bucks‘ team salary this season is approx. $193 MM, which is above the second tax haven and far exceeds the $160.4 MM on Thunder‘s books.

But only two players on Oklahoma City’s roster are on minimum salary contracts, and only three of 15 Thunder players on standard deals are making less than $3MM this season. By comparison, Milwaukee has eight players with salaries under $3MM, plus a ninth earning just a hair over $3MM. Seven of those nine players earn their respective minimums.

While the $514,970 bonus for winning the NBA Cup could be a drop in the bucket for max-salary Bucks stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillardit represents a significant raise for the players in the bottom two-thirds of Milwaukee’s cap sheet, as well as players on two-way contracts, who will receive bonuses worth $257,485 apiece.

(RELATED: 2024 NBA Cup Prize Money Details)

The NBA Cup prize money results in at least a 17% raise for each of the following Bucks players whose 2024/2025 salaries are listed in parentheses:

Players receiving a $514,970 bonus:

  • Delon Wright ($3,003,427)
  • Prince of the Bull ($2,988,550)
  • AJ Johnson ($2,795,294)
  • Marjon Beauchamp ($2,733,720)
  • Gary Trent Jr. ($2,613,120)
  • AJ Green ($2,120,693)
  • Andre Jackson ($1,891,857)
  • Chris Livingston ($1,891,857)
  • Tyler Smith ($1,157,153)

Players receiving a $257,485 bonus:

The bonuses for Smith and the Bucks’ two-way players represent about a 44.5% increase on their respective base salaries.

None of this prize money counts toward the salary cap, so the Bucks’ team salary cap, tax and playoff purposes remain unchanged, as do the team salaries of Oklahoma City and the other six clubs that reached the knockout round in the IST. Their prize sums are as follows:

  • Oklahoma City Thunder: $205,988 per player ($102,994 for two-way players)
  • Atlanta Hawks and Houston Rockets: $102,994 per player ($51,497 for two-way)
  • Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks and Orlando Magic: $51,497 per player ($25,749 for two-way)