How are basketball players paid

Everyone knows that NBA players make a lot of money. The NBA has some of the highest-paid athletes in the world with an average player salary of $6 million per season.

Players like James Lebron and Kevin Durant are the highest-paid in the league due to their skills and value-added to their team. Steph Curry had a salary of $37 million in the 2018-2019 season, and by the end of the 2021-2022 season, it will be $45 million.

Their lifestyles, big contracts, and even yearly salaries are all easily accessible by anyone with Google. However, as much as people know about what pro athletes get paid, few understand just how they get paid.

Below, I will look at the entire payment process for NBA athletes. That will reveal how all different players get their checks, the reasons the system exists in the way that it does, as well as why they get paid in the way they do.

How Do NBA Players Get Paid?

Every NBA player, from a max contract superstar to a modest bench player, starts with a salary. Once that occurs, they are guaranteed access to that money thanks to a clause in the Collective Bargaining Agreement that says they get paid no matter what happens in the regular season.

They receive their money in the form of either checks or direct deposit (based on their preference) and it comes straight from the organization. The current Bargaining Agreement allows for this transaction, which cuts down on any extra confusion.

How Often Do NBA Players Get Paid?

While being an NBA player may not be a job in the most conventional sense, they do get their paychecks like most other jobs in America. That means twice a month, or every two weeks. In that way, they do not get paid on a weekly basis. They typically have to wait for every other.

However, in some special cases, players can receive money in a slightly different way. Sometimes that’s due to external factors, but irregularities mostly occur when a player receives exceptional circumstances pay.

That includes things like signing bonuses, loans, or advances.

If a player does get an advance for one reason or another, they can only receive it after July during the season they requested it. Minimum salary players have a cap on how much they can earn in that way.

Do NBA Players Only Get Paid During the Season?

As surprising as it might seem, NBA players do not stop getting paid once the season ends. While it might be intuitive to think they would only receive their money during their time on the court, that could not be further from the truth.

Rather, NBA players continue to get their bi-weekly checks throughout the entire year. It makes much more sense for the organization as a whole because they have more time to secure the money. It also gives the players a more set schedule and knowledge of what to expect.

What Do NBA Players Earn for Playoff Games?

Another factor to consider when it comes to NBA payments, is the playoffs.

Obviously, not every team goes to the postseason. As such, playoff games are not added into initial salaries. Rather, the NBA designates a small pool of money that the teams can divvy up among their players.

While the amount is typically small, an extra bonus is always nice. Some players might also have a playoff incentive in their contract, which can cause them to earn a little bit more. In these cases, postseason players get a game-by-game paycheck rather than a standard one.

Do NBA Players Get Signing Bonuses?

Athletes, especially NBA players, have plenty of ways to raise their initial contract. While endorsement deals and extensions both do a good job at that, they are also able to earn more money through signing bonuses.

A signing bonus is a lump sum that an athlete can earn when they first sign their contract. Such a bonus can never be tied to a renegotiation, but it is a key part of many athletes’ deals. It can act as an incentive to join a team or help shore up other parts of the contract.

In the NBA, a signing bonus can be no more than 15 percent of a player’s total contract.

Typically, only big name players get signing bonuses. However, due to the salary cap or external situations, lower level players can collect them from time to time. Rookies with a lot of promise, such as high draft picks, can earn a big bonus too.

How Much Do NBA Players Get Taxed?

Taxes for NBA players, due to the nature of their job, are not straightforward. First, they have to take into account where they live, then they have to take into account the so-called “jock tax” they get from being in the league.

Every player in the NBA pays a federal tax on their salary. If they make the league minimum, they pay in the second-highest tax bracket. If they make more than $1 million, they pay into the highest. They then pay their state taxes based on where they live (not where they play).

After that’s done, everyone in the league is subject to a 3 percent “jock tax” that exists to charge people who earn money in a state but do not live there.

Once everything gets tallied up, athletes then get whatever’s left.

FAQs

This section looks at, and answers, some of the largest questions you might have about NBA contracts.

Do NBA Players Get Paid Every Two Weeks?

Yes. As with so many other jobs they get their paychecks bi-weekly on the 1st and the 15th of every month. That stays constant even when the regular season ends.

Do NBA Players Get Paid Hourly?

No. Every player in the league, from max contracts all the way down, gets their money in the exact same way. They earn their salary (and paycheck amount) based on their contract and bonuses.

Do NBA Players Get Paid While Injured?

As long as they got injured in a sports-related way, all NBA players get paid while injured. They have guaranteed contracts, which means they get their money no matter what. In fact, some players have made millions without seeing the court. They may lose some bonuses, however.

Do NBA Players Get Paid If They Don’t Play?

Yes.

As mentioned, NBA players always get the guaranteed part of their contracts regardless if they play the games or not. They might not reach some incentives, but they still get their base pay.

Final Words

Figuring out the way NBA players get their money is not as simple or as straightforward as it might seem. Their payment schedules are tricky, the taxes can be tough to discern, and it can be hard to figure out the way incentives, injuries, or bonuses play into everything.

The NBA has an organized system of issuing out payments to players. Players are paid through paychecks and those who are willing to get an advance can negotiate that in their contracts. Signing bonuses are also offered to motivate players to join certain teams. On the 1st day and 15th day of each month, each player gets a certain amount of money according to the terms dictated on their contracts.

Still, once you understand the basics, it’s easy to see how all of the pieces work together. Everything in the NBA is calculated.

The way the players receive their payments is yet another example of that.

How do NBA Players get Paid? – Basketball Noise

The NBA is one of the richest and most profitable leagues in the world. With that, comes the enormous daily transactions that are made throughout the association during the regular season and beyond.

The NBA has the highest minimum contracts in American sports, paying each player nearly $1 million per year. In comparison, the MLB (Major League Baseball) and NHL (National Hockey league) have minimum contracts at roughly $500,000, and the NFL (National Football League) comes in at just over $450,000.

Outside of minimum deals, there is no limit on what players can make on a yearly basis. With players collecting such large amounts of money annually, one must wonder how do NBA players Get Paid? NBA Players get paid on the 15th of every month with a majority of NBA players getting direct deposits from their team.

Currently, Golden State Warriors’ Steph Curry is the highest paid player in the league, taking home an astounding $40.

2 million in salary per year. Oklahoma City Thunder’s Chris Paul is second on that list at $38.5 million, and the top three is rounded out by Houston Rockets’ Russell Westbrook at $38.1 million for a year’s work.

The Salary Process

According to the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) since 2017, players receive their pay cheques on the first and 15^th of every month. Unfortunately, the bargaining agreement does not stipulate on whether these payments are physical cheques or direct deposits. The CBA also lists the processes of bonuses, escrow and advances, but these are also not specific in the nature for how they are distributed.

Former NBA player Jalen Rose revealed on his podcast that players receive direct deposits for their earnings, but surprisingly, this isn’t the case for all players.

The Variations of Pay

It would be expected that players would have a direct deposit for their salary given the dollar amount, but the process isn’t as straight forward as it seems.

Legally, a direct deposit isn’t a requirement for all states. In states like New York and California, employees (players) must agree to receive their salary via direct deposit.

As most players make multi millions a year, it is anticipated they would have bank accounts to receive these type of payments, but there are a lot of players that prefer to cash their cheques immediately. Some may view this as financially irresponsible, but this is their right by law.

As currently constructed, the CBA allows players to receive up to 80% of their salary before November 1^st, which in typical seasons would be just after the start of the regular season. An example of this was the late great Kobe Bryant, who made headlines as he received a $24.3 million cheque for 80% of his salary in 2013.

It’s important to note that NBA guidelines allow players to receive incredibly large individual cheques if they earn a high enough salary.

The NBA also takes steps to ensure players don’t spend their salary all at once, as in addition to the 80% guaranteed salary limit, the league also puts a 50% limit on base salary cheques for the lesser earning players. We put together a video of the most paid players in the NBA.

How often to players get paid?

The frequency of player payments throughout the league varies from situation to situation and player to player.

In general, players are paid on a bi-weekly basis during the regular season. Although it’s believed most are paid this way, players can absolutely negotiate a different payment structure from a procedure standpoint.

From monthly, half yearly or all at once, player’s and their agents have the ability to negotiate a payment structure that suits their lifestyle and financial objectives.

Like we’ve established, Bryant agreed quite a unique payment structure to receive 80% of his salary in one lump sum, and ultimately, it is a case by case scenario in the association.

How about Bonuses?

The difference, however, is player bonuses are usually dictated on the time in which these agreements are activated.

For example, if a player has a bonus for making an NBA All-Star team, that bonus will likely be paid during All-Star break. If a player has a bonus for making an All-NBA Team, that bonus will usually be paid after the regular season and so on and so forth.

Additionally, if a player has a sign on bonus for joining a franchise, that bonus is usually paid immediately after committing to the organization via any way the player chooses. Like all things, players can of course negotiate how and when these bonuses are paid despite their timing. On the rare occasion, player bonuses can even be agreements outside of monetary value.

There was no education on personal finance, nor was there any guidance when making financial decisions.

Nowadays however, players have become money savvy and financially educated to maximise their earnings. Smarter investments and researched decision making have become common practice, as players understand the importance of being financially secure beyond their playing days.

Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young tracks his spending and prefers to pay less with fast food than dining at expensive restaurants, Klay Thompson leans on the money mistakes he made as a rookie to drive his decisions now, and ex scoring machine Gilbert Arenas had to live like a college student to avoid debt during his career.

Furthermore, the NBA introduced the “Rookie Transition Program” in 1986, which encourages new players to spend their money wisely.

Although rookie contracts are more than most people will make in their lifetime, this program is particularly important considering they are the lowest paid players in the league, and usually have no experience on handling significant amounts of money.

All in all, the NBA make transactions in a variety of ways every single day. With player contracts becoming so diverse across the league, there aren’t many things players can’t do to influence how and when they receive their salary.

Forbes named the highest paid NBA players

American Forbes named the highest paid NBA players of the 2020/21 season. LeBron James topped the ranking for the seventh time, his earnings this year will break another record The top five of last year's rankings have retained their positions this season as well.

For the seventh year in a row, LeBron James remains the highest paid player in the NBA, based on off-court contracts. He is expected to earn an NBA player-record $95.4 million, including approximately $64 million from advertising and other projects. Half of the athlete's advertising revenue is provided by a contract with Nike. According to Forbes, James is the highest paid athlete in team sports in the United States.

The most expensive sponsorship deals in the NBA. Forbes rating

Second place goes to Stephen Curry with $74.4 million in revenue, of which $40 million comes from his sponsorship contracts and other projects. For example, in December, sportswear manufacturer Under Amour launched the Curry brand, within which it will present shoes, clothing and accessories for various sports. The contract is valued at $20 million a year, but the amount could rise if the brand becomes popular.

Kevin Durant is back in third place with $65.2 million. Russell Westbrook is fourth with $58.1 million and James Harden rounds out the top 5 with $50 million.

NBA investor: Basketball player who raised $125 million in real estate

NBA salaries have been cut by 20% this season due to the pandemic, but third-party contracts keep basketball's biggest stars among the highest paid athletes in the world. The top ten NBA players in the 2020/21 season are expected to earn a total of $558 million..5 million per player. That's more than double the average baseball player's salary and three times the average football player's salary. This season, 44 NBA players were supposed to receive a salary of at least $25 million, but due to salary cuts, 34 such athletes remained.

10 highest paid NBA players 2019. Forbes rating

10 photos

Marina Dulneva

Author

#NBA #Forbes rating #basketball #sports

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How much players earn in different leagues. Europrobasket study

The Europrobasket academy has released a comprehensive study on how much money foreigners earn in the top European championships. "Interception" carefully translated everything.

Important:

1) the amounts are in dollars, not in euros, as usual;

2) believe it or not, it's up to you, but the authors of the work say that in the process of preparation they talked with many agents, coaches and team members.

Average salary in Europe:

Spain. The strongest teams play in the ACB League, many Spanish clubs play in European competitions. Accordingly, there are the best salaries, and the budgets of Real Madrid and Barcelona exceed $40 million. On average, players in Spain make from 250 to 500 thousand per season, but there are exceptions: for example, Nikola Mirotic with his $ 4 million a year or Sergio Yull, Walter Tavares, Corey Higgins - they all earn about $ 2 million.

Turkey. Two teams from the Turkish championship play in the Euroleague, several more clubs in the Eurocup and the Champions League. The country has some of the highest salaries and almost half of the clubs have budgets in excess of $10 million. Leaders can get big money, for example: Shane Larkin - $ 3.7 million, Nando de Colo - 2.4 million, Jan Vesely - 2.2 million. At the same time, on average, foreigners earn 250-500 thousand in the league.

Russia. Some of the highest paid players in Europe play here. For example, Alexei Shved ($4 million last season, this amount may differ), Mike James and Nikola Milutinov (2.5 million each). But the average salary in the United League is about 200-450 thousand dollars per year.

Italy. Few people expected this country to be so high in the ranking, but elite basketball players also play in the Italian championship. For example, Milan defender Sergio Rodriguez, who receives about $ 2 million, is the highest paid player this season. On average, the salaries of foreigners in Serie A range from 180 to 350 thousand dollars.

Germany. The German economy is the fourth largest in the world, so it's not surprising to see the Bundesliga in this ranking. Four championship teams at once have more than $10 million for the season, and the budget of one of them, Bayern, is as much as $25 million. 1 million

Greece. The economic crisis has played a role in the amounts that foreigners earn in this country. But the Greek league is played by top basketball players, and three teams have budgets over $10 million (including Olympiakos, which plays in the second division). The average salary here is from 150 to 250 thousand, although Nick Calathes received 2.25 million at Pao last season, and Kostas Sloukas now at Olya - 1.8 million.

Israel. Teams from here do not shine in Europe, and the money here is much lower. The exception is Maccabi, whose budget is $26.5 million, and point guard Scotty Wilbekin earns $1.7 million. But this is not the norm, but the norm - from 80 to 250 thousand dollars.

France. Only two teams from here have a budget of more than $10 million, but this is one of the most reliable countries in terms of payments - contracts are guaranteed by the French government. Interestingly, only 30% of clubs' budgets go towards paying players, while in the rest of Europe these expenses account for more than half of club budgets. On average, foreigners here earn from 80 to 200 thousand dollars a season. Two years ago, the highest paid ASVEL player was AJ Slaughter with a salary of 300 thousand.

Average salary in Asia:

China. The CBA is considered one of the richest leagues in the world, and most importantly, it is watched by more than 500 million people. This means that you can just come, play and build a business.

Stephon Marbury did just that: in six years with the Beijing Ducks, he earned $12 million and became such a star that a statue of him was erected in front of the former team's arena. He went into coaching before starting his own company and selling basketball shoes to kids who can't afford branded shoes. Bliss? Bliss. Legend and forever secured.

The average salary of a foreigner in the Chinese championship is from 1 to 3 million dollars. That is, 4-6 times higher than in the most wasteful country in Europe - Spain. Tracy McGrady, Gilbert Arenas, Steve Francis, Ron Artest received so much in China. But there are exceptions, for example, Lance Stevenson, who is paid 4 million by the Liaoning Flying Leopards. .

The difficulty is that teams are allowed to have only two foreign players. But there are 19 clubs in the CBA, so they're really spending a lot.

South Korea. The rules of the local championship provide for a limit on foreign players - there can be no more than two of them in each team. If there are two foreigners in the club, then the ceiling of their total salary is set at the level of 700 thousand dollars, and if there is one, then by 500 thousand. On average, a legionnaire in KBL receives 250-400 thousand dollars, which puts the Korean championship on the same level with Spain, Turkey and Russia in this indicator.

But this is official information. A whole scattering of Europrobasket sources indicates that, together with bonuses, salaries here can reach up to 800 thousand dollars, which means that only China pays more.

However, remember that if you want to play in Korea, get ready for 3-4 practices a day.

Japan. In 2016, two leagues were united here, and now the championship is flourishing. First of all, this concerns salaries: the local players in the season before last received an average of 147 thousand dollars, the players of the Japanese national team - about 417 thousand. Today, the highest paid Japanese - Yuki Togashi - earns $ 1 million.

Legionnaires in Japan receive an average of 120 to 300 thousand dollars. Life in this country is expensive, but teams tend to take care of all the expenses of their basketball players.

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Without the first violin. Russia loses to Italy for the second time in EuroBasket 2022 qualifiers They didn’t let us leave – and everything fell apart. Russia lost to Italy in the qualification for the European Championship The Russian team did not put the squeeze on Italy. It's okay - a ticket to the Euro is almost in your pocket Caught up, but not caught up.

The Russians lost to Italy Kirilenko: there was no leader in the national team who could take over the game in the match with the Italians Bazarevich: the Russian national basketball team must win the remaining matches of the European Championship selection Thomas Robinson joins Bahcesehir The Russian national team lost to the Italian team in the EuroBasket qualifier Kirilenko: Vorontsevich can play in any Euroleague club Vorontsevich: in matches for the Russian national team showed how I can play .

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