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LAS VEGAS — The monetary reward that comes with advancing through the NBA Cup fuels Jalen Brunson, but not for the reasons you might think.
The Knicks’ superstar guard has a lot of money. His NBA salary is enough to tend several generations of Brunsons. That’s not even including his endorsements. Any item Brunson wants to splurge on, he can. He doesn’t need to advance to the end or win the NBA Cup to do that.
The money fuels Brunson because of what it can do for other people in New York’s organization, people who are like you and me. Only the main-roster players and head coach get the $530,000 that comes with winning the NBA Cup — second-place finishers get, roughly, $212,000 and quarterfinalists get just north of $50,000.
Not every coach earns a cut of the pie, and only two-way players get a certain percentage. The trainers, massage therapists, nutritionists and even public relations staff don’t get anything. These are the people on the periphery who help make it so Brunson can play at a high level and earn enough money to take care of generations.
Those people matter to Brunson.
“We have a lot of guys and coaches who don’t make as much as some guys on this team, so it’s an added bonus for them as well,” Brunson said. “You’re not just playing for yourself, you’re playing for an entire team.”
So, as a player who is fortunate to make a lot of money, have you talked to other players in the same boat about taking care of those who don’t get money with your earnings?
“Yes, we have,” Brunson said during the NBA Cup media availability on Monday (not all players were made available to the media). “Thanks for ruining the surprise.”
For the vast majority of NBA players, $530,000 isn’t anything to sneeze at. For some, that can be anywhere from a quarter to half of the money players make each year. Yes, relatively speaking, that’s still a lot of money, but for someone like Tyler Kolek, a 2024 second-round pick, that money goes further than it would for someone like Karl-Anthony Towns.
Before taxes, Kolek makes just north of $2 million per season. After taxes, that number is almost cut in half, making the NBA Cup reward money a somewhat significant chunk of his annual salary.
Last season, when the Knicks made it to the quarterfinals of the NBA Cup, a benchmark that gave players just a little more than $50,000, Kolek used the extra income to get his mother a car for Christmas.
“Now, this time, my dad might want something,” he said.
Josh Hart is doing well for himself financially. He’s made $10 million per year over the last five seasons. However, the Knicks’ best run in the NBA Cup since it started has come at a good time for the veteran.
Back in September, Hart was robbed while staying in the Dominick Hotel in SoHo. Three watches and jewelry worth approximately $185,000 were stolen from his room.
“I’ll buy a watch,” Hart, an avid watch collector and wearer, said. “I got robbed in September with no gun. I lost three watches so I have to start replacing those. We’re in Vegas. If I put it on a hand of blackjack, I might be able to double it and get more watches.”
Towns has plans to donate his money to help the people of the Dominican Republic. Towns, who was born in New Jersey but plays internationally for the Dominican Republic because of his late mother’s roots, has earned approximately $300 million in NBA salary.
“Honestly, I’ll probably give it to the Dominican Republic,” Towns said. “They have ‘Go Sports’, ‘Go Ministries’ over there. I feel very confident knowing the money will go over there and take care of the kids in the D.R. I would love to win so I can give them more money and help the community over there.”
Some players said they’re not sure yet what they’ll do with the money. Mitchell Robinson said that he’s going to save his. “Maybe,” he later added. Mikal Bridges, jokingly, said that he might try to buy one of Mitchell Robinson’s trucks. OG Anunoby doesn’t know what he’ll do with his money.
However, NBA veteran Jordan Clarkson, who is currently on a vet-minimum deal, knows what he’s going to do with his earnings.
“I’m going to pay my rent, fa sho,” Clarkson said with a smile. “They can just have the whole thing.”
The NBA Cup might still be finding its bearings in how it should operate and how it’s perceived. However, one positive that’s hard to dispute is that, for some people, it brings about a life-changing opportunity. Yes, the rich get richer. Yet for those workers in the background, those lower-level coaches and even the players at the end of the bench who are fighting for their livelihoods each night, it’s just another example of how humanity in sports is worth cherishing.
“It’s a great opportunity, especially for the young guys,” Bridges said. “They’re just getting into the league. This is a way to make some money. I think it’s really good for them.”