The Knicks‘ team salary this season is nearly $208MM, which is the second-highest figure in the NBA, behind only the Cavaliers ($228MM+). However, five of the 14 players on New York’s standard roster are on minimum-salary contracts, while a sixth is earning just slightly above the minimum.
So while the $530,933 bonus for winning the NBA Cup may be a drop in the bucket for the highest-paid players on the Knicks’ roster, like Karl-Anthony Towns ($53.1MM), OG Anunoby ($39.6MM), and Jalen Brunson ($34.9MM), it represents a significant pay raise for the players on the lower half of the Knicks’ cap sheet, as well as the players on two-way contracts who will receive bonuses worth $265,467 apiece (50% of the full prize share).
[RELATED: Details On NBA Cup Prize Money For 2025]
The NBA Cup prize money results in at least a 14% raise for each of the following Knicks players, whose 2025/26 base salaries are noted in parentheses:
Players receiving a $530,933 bonus:
Jordan Clarkson ($3,634,153)- Landry Shamet ($3,080,921)
- Pacome Dadiet ($2,847,600)
- Tyler Kolek ($2,191,897)
- Ariel Hukporti ($1,955,377)
- Mohamed Diawara ($1,272,870)
Players receiving a $265,467 bonus:
- Tosan Evbuomwan ($636,435)
- Trey Jemison ($636,435)
- Kevin McCullar Jr. ($636,435)
The bonuses for Diawara and the Knicks’ two-way players represent a raise of more than 40% on their respective base salaries.
None of this prize money will count against the salary cap, so the Knicks’ team salary for cap, tax, and apron purposes remains unchanged, as do the team salaries for San Antonio and the other six clubs who made the knockout round of the NBA Cup. Their prize money is as follows:
- Spurs: $212,373 per player ($106,187 for two-way players)
- Magic and Thunder: $106,187 per player ($53,094 for two-ways)
- Heat, Raptors, Lakers, and Suns: $53,093 per player ($26,547 for two-ways)
Great for team morale.
Aww those nice bonuses 😊
hey let’s not pretend like even the 2-way players who are earning what many Americans have to have a serious corporate executive job to earn, are somehow charity cases… many people in this country make less in a year than an NBA player makes on a 10 day contract… I would feel much better about this NBA cup stunt if the players were actually playing on behalf of a charity, and it would show a much better feeling for the average fan of the league
They only work for 5-10years before they are unemployed. It’s different. Plus it’s more than a 40hr job. But yea they are all paid well. Just the lower end, which is most players not as much.
Now that Tosan got his bonus. It’s time to release him and add Dink Pate on a two way before they lose him
The Westchester Knicks are 1-13. Dink Pate is shooting 36 FG% and 29 3PT%, and is averaging 4 turnovers per game. At the G-League level.
I will never understand the fascination some have for starting the clock on a player who is years away from being years away.
Before they lose him??? No team is running to sign him. He has shown absolutely nothing.
Don’t compare pro sports and money to the regular man’s everyday 9-5 job.
It’s not a good comparison or analogy.
They’re in the top 1% in the world at what they do.
Who, working a 9-5, is at the top of what they do in the world… that anyone cares about?
What 9-5 has 17,000 fans paying to watch?
It’s just an unreasonable comparison that literally makes no sense to even attempt to compare the two in making an analogy.
Why do you care what they make. Takent in a Capitalist society gets paid. Taylor Swift doesn’t bother you. Corporate honchos that make 20-40 mill don’t bother you. Civil workers who milk the system with overtime don’t bother you. Only athletes bother you huh …..
Drop it. They make that kind of money because millions of people CHOOSE to watch and follow what they do. Just like movie stars and other performers. Stop the bleeding heart stuff.
Silver got a long standing boo while walking on the court—he seemed confused, took a double take and couldn’t process it.
Am I supposed to be excited that the millionaires get even more money?
You can have whatever emotion or lack of emotion that you want. It is a free country.
At least you could try, that’s a given, right?
Only point in winning is making money otherwise winning is meaningless, right?
Diawara should get Yabu something nice for X-mas. Without Yabu coming to the NYK, and putting in that hard cap, Diawara is a 2-way player.
Nobody gives a F what you think. Talent makes money. I don’t care who it is. Talent is god given and nurtured by man. Why is it an issue. Go pray your kids have talent. Athletes are special. Just that simple. 436 players are on rosters in NBA. Thats less than my elementary school. Why would there be any bleeding hearts for that. Or animosity, hate, jealous envy. Just wasting your time. Don’t watch.