The NBA In-Season Tournament has proven to be a great addition to the regular season. The Indiana Pacers had an exceptional run to the Finals defeating the likes of the Boston Celtics and the Milwaukee Bucks during the knockout stages. However, Tyrese Haliburton and Co. witnessed an end to their Cinderella run as the Los Angeles Lakers grabbed a huge 123-109 win to secure the inaugural NBA Cup.
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The first ever In-Season Tournament Champions: Your Los Angeles Lakers pic.twitter.com/qst33lhZm2
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) December 10, 2023
Going undefeated from start to end, the LeBron James-led Los Angeles Lakers had a solid performance in the first edition of the In-Season Tournament. By virtue of lifting the NBA Cup, the members of the Purple & Gold will also receive a hefty cash prize.
The NBA allotted $10,875,000 as the cash prize pool for the winners of the In-Season Tournament. Each of the 14 Lakers players, along with head coach Darvin Ham, were rewarded with $500,000 ($7.5 million total). The three two-way players were awarded $250,000 each ($750,000 total). Lastly, each of the seven assistant coaches received $375,000 each ($2,625,000 total). But how does that compare to the LA side’s Western Conference Finals earnings?
The Purple & Gold also received a large sum of money for their run to the Western Conference Finals during 2023 playoffs. Despite suffering an embarrassing 4-0 sweep in the series against the Denver Nuggets, each player on the team received $1,672,779 – $402,479 for the first round, $478,902 for the second round, and $791,398 for the Conference Finals.
Members of the Los Angeles Lakers will have to forfeit more than 50% of their winnings
Unfortunately, the Los Angeles Lakers will have to part ways with a majority of their earnings. Due to the taxation policies of the state of California, after paying federal and state income tax, players will be left with less than 50% of the bounty. For players who won $500,000, they’ll only be receiving $231,000 of the total sum.
The two-ways players on the team will be the ones who will most benefit from this $250,000 bonus. Collin Castleton, Alex Fudge, and D’Moi Hodge are all currently earning $559,000 per player. By winning the In-Season Tournament, these three players have gotten a 45% hike on their salaries.
The Lakers will use the In-Season Tournament as a source of motivation going ahead. The Purple & Gold have had a solid roster for the past couple of seasons, but weren’t able to translate it into championships.
They currently are placed 5th in the West with a 14-9 record. With momentum on their side, LeBron James and co. will certainly try to rise up a few spots in the standings in the coming weeks.
