The In-Season Tournament has been deemed quite the success ever since its introduction in 2023-24. A major factor in why this is the case is the elusive $500,000 cash prize for each player on the team that hoists the NBA Cup in Las Vegas at the end of the tourney. Devin Booker confirms that his Suns rookies are incredibly motivated by the aforementioned money.
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It makes sense as to why rookies who were drafted outside of the lottery would want to ‘dig and claw’ their way to Vegas. Ryan Dunn and Oso Igodharo might play as though they’ve been in the league for a while but their contracts certainly don’t reflect this.
Given the fact that Igodharo is set to earn $1,157,153 in 2024-25 and Dunn a bit more at $2,530,800 since he was drafted in the first round, an extra $500k wouldn’t be all too shabby. “Ryan and Oso tell me they need their $500,000,” said Booker.
“Ryan and Oso tell me they need their $500,000.” Suns guard Devin Booker.
“We just talked about it earlier a couple of times.” Oso Ighodaro.
“Yeah, yeah. I need that $500,000. That would be nice.” Ryan Dunn.
Players on NBA Cup championship team receive $514,970. #Suns #NBACup pic.twitter.com/lFEecVeyX9
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) December 3, 2024
“Yeah, yeah, I need that $500,000. That would be nice,” was a sentiment Dunn shared to the media earlier today. Oso echoed his fellow rookie’s stance on the matter, saying, “We just want to win and that’s definitely an added incentive so why not go for it.”
It isn’t just rookies who need that $500k. Players on 10-day contracts, two-ways, or even veteran minimums would all benefit from receiving that kind of money. The exact amount is $514,970.
Taxes on the prize however, will reduce the amount by quite the significant amount. The amount that’s deducted depends on which team wins and which state its’ players earn their salaries from. States like Arizona have significantly lower income tax rates than ones like California.
So, while the cash prize would be decreased due to these taxes, having some extra cash would certainly help both Dunn and Igodharo out quite a bit.
How can the Suns advance to the knockout round?
The Suns are in West Group B and are tied for the best record in the group with OKC at 2-1. They however lead the group due to them having a +19 point differential while the Thunder are merely a point away with a +18 PD.
Tonight’s games between the Suns-Spurs and Thunder-Jazz are crucial for both teams. The Suns, Spurs, and Thunder have the potential to win West Group B if they each win and the other two lose. The Suns and the Thunder winning would bring them to the same record (3-1) and their fate would be decided by their respective point differentials.
If the Suns were to lose and the Thunder win, they would automatically be leapfrogged by both OKC and San Antonio, knocking them out of the tournament. Hence why Booker claimed tonight’s game was a “must-win” from the perspective of the NBA Cup.
