December 11, 2025<\/a><\/p>\nA lot of this discussion is tongue-in-cheek. Bane will earn $36.7 million this season (good for about 91 Paragon boats). There are seven players on the four Cup title contenders who will earn at least $30 million this season, and four more whose contract extensions kick in next year, putting them over that $30 million annual threshold (Orlando\u2019s Paolo Banchero and Oklahoma City\u2019s Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams will all make north of $40 million starting next season).<\/p>\n
\u201cHalf a million dollars is a lot of money regardless if you make what I make or whatever the case may be,\u201d said Williams, the Thunder star who is in the last year of a contract paying him $6.6 million this year before the five-year, $240.7 million extension he signed over the summer kicks in. \u201cThat\u2019s, you know, I mean that\u2019s enough money to like get you going to play hard.\u201d<\/p>\n
Prize money has risen each year for the Cup, with total winnings for Cup champion players reaching $530,000 this year. The league minimum salary for rookies on full NBA contracts is $1.6 million, and for veterans with at least 10 years of experience, it\u2019s more than $3.3 million. Players on two-way contracts, which means they split time between the NBA and G League, earn $636,000. For them, a Cup championship would mean doubling their salary.<\/p>\n
\u201cJ Will (Jaylin Williams) reminds us the exact dollar amount every single day of what it would be to win,\u201d Jalen Williams said of his teammate Jaylin, a role player on the Thunder who is making $8.4 million.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re excited,\u201d said the Knicks\u2019 Mikal Bridges, who will earn $24.9 million this season, of his younger teammates. \u201cEspecially the ones who aren\u2019t playing and putting the work in every single day. They\u2019re holding us accountable, make sure we lock in so they can get some money, too.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Thunder are Cup semifinalists for the second consecutive year, which means they have experience with playing for \u2014 and spending \u2014 the extra dough. Oklahoma City reached the Cup finals last year before falling to the Milwaukee Bucks in the championship, which meant each player earned an extra $206,000.<\/p>\n
Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said his wife donated the money but didn\u2019t know to whom. His teammate, Luguentz Dort, said he gave some of his winnings to family and friends and the rest to his charitable foundation, the Maizon Dort Foundation, which he said will get the majority of what he wins this week.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a good position to be in,\u201d Dort said. \u201cWe get to play in a tournament like this, and we get a nice reward, so I\u2019m excited.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Magic\u2019s Tyus Jones, who is making $7 million this season, said he would invest the prize money. That\u2019s what Jalen Williams said, too, though he acknowledged that was his answer because \u201cmy financial team is going to watch\u201d the interview.<\/p>\n
Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama, who will return for Saturday\u2019s game against the Thunder after a month out of action with a calf strain, will, this summer, likely sign a max contract extension worth $300 million. Asked whether the prize money was a motivating factor for him in Las Vegas, he cracked, \u201cpoor Victor needs more money\u201d in a mocking voice.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know what I am going to do with it,\u201d Wemby said. \u201cStacking money hasn\u2019t been a goal in my life.\u201d<\/p>\n
His teammate, promising rookie Dylan Harper, flashed a wide smile when he was asked about the prize money.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s a lot of money,\u201d Harper said, repeating the phrase a second time. Harper, the No. 2 pick in this year\u2019s draft, is making $12.4 million this season.<\/p>\n
\u201cGonna be a good Christmas, I can promise you that,\u201d Harper continued. \u201cI don\u2019t have anything set in stone, but I\u2019m probably gonna do a little shopping, Christmas presents for my family. Might be over the top.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut, I mean, we\u2019re coming here to win this money.\u201d<\/p>\n