NBA Players Will Lose $480 Million From The League’s Escrow System

ByJoey Heldon July 7, 2025inArticles›Sports News

The 2024-25 NBA season is officially in the books. The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Indiana Pacers in an exciting seven-game NBA Finals. We saw the next generation of stars get selected in the NBA Draft. And the league put the finishing touches on its accounting reports for the season.

Basketball-related income (BRI) came in at $10.25 billion, per Sportico . That sounds like a staggering number, but it’s actually below the projections the league was hoping to reach. As a result, players will only make 90.9% of their salaries from the 2024-25 season, forfeiting a collective $480 million .

Buckle up, because we’re about to do a little math.

Nikola Jokic (L) and Stephen Curry are among the players most impacted by the escrow. (Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images)

The NBA has had an escrow system in place since 1999, ranging from 8% to 10%. The league’s collective bargaining agreement currently gives players 51% of BRI, with the escrow typically split between players and owners. However, the surge in the league’s salary cap over the past decade or so led to players receiving 100% of the escrow for three straight seasons, from 2014-15 through 2016-17.

Then, COVID-19 hit in March 2020, shutting down the league for over four months. The escrow was raised to 25%, with a “ten-and-spread” system set for the following three years, hoping to even out any remaining irregularities between player and team earnings.

This year, 91% of the escrow will go to teams, with the remaining 9% returning to the players. That means players will walk away with 90.9% of their original 2024-25 salaries.

So, Stephen Curry , the highest-paid player in the NBA last season at $55.8 million, will forfeit $5.1 million of that salary. Former MVPs Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid will give up $4.7 million apiece, while the former Phoenix Suns duo of Bradley Beal and Kevin Durant will give up $4.6 million and $4.5 million, respectively. However, with the way the Suns’ season went, maybe fans in Phoenix think that’s a fair trade.

In the grand scheme of things, these players should be okay. They all have off-the-court endorsement deals and partnerships that will likely more than make up the difference. Still, it’s a tough pill to swallow—imagine learning in the middle of summer that you had to give back about 9% of your earnings from the past year. That would feel crummy, no matter how much money you had to return.

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Next Season The Phoenix Suns Will Pay Just Four Players A Ridiculous Amount Of Money

ByJoey Heldon June 28, 2023inArticles›Sports News

Earlier this year, the Phoenix Suns shook up the NBA with a massive trade to acquire Kevin Durant . The move didn’t result in postseason success, as the team never fully gelled and lost to the eventual champion Denver Nuggets in the second round.

Now, the Suns are back at it again. They traded Chris Paul , Landry Shamet, multiple second-round picks and a pick swap to the Washington Wizards in exchange for Bradley Beal , Isaiah Todd, and Jordan Goodwin.

The Suns, a team that reached the NBA Finals in 2021, are clearly trying to win a championship before their window closes. Beal joins Durant, Devin Booker , and Deandre Ayton to create an impressive group of stars. Although it’s going to cost the Suns a LOT of money to field this roster.

Bradley Beal (L) shooting over Devin Booker. (Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

All four players are on max contracts. This upcoming season, the Suns will owe Durant (about $47.6 million), Beal (about $46.7 million), Booker (about $36 million), and Ayton (about $32.4 million). All together, next season these four will earn a collective…

$163 million

Adding to the complexity, the upcoming collective bargaining agreement will impose strict penalties on teams that go over the second apron of the luxury tax. That threshold currently sits at $179.5 million. To avoid going past that number, the Suns will have to figure out a way to split about $16.5 million between ten players.

This isn’t a one-year issue, either. Beal still has $207 million and four years remaining on his contract. Durant has about $149.5 million over three seasons, plus a few extra million in likely incentives. Ayton will make a shade over $102 million in the next three seasons. Booker is in the final year of his deal, but at just 27 years old and still in his prime, the Suns will try to do all they can to retain him.

It’s almost a given that most of the Suns’ bench will consist of players on veteran minimum contracts. The only other players currently under contract are backup guard Cameron Paine; Ish Wainright, who averaged about 15 minutes per game last season; Goodwin, who was productive with the Wizards; and Todd, who’s played 135 minutes total in two seasons.

With the free agency period kicking off on June 30, the Suns probably have more moves to make. If it leads to the first championship in franchise history, all the spending will be worth it.

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The 12 Players On Team USA’s Roster Will Make Over Half A Billion Dollars Next NBA Season

ByJoey Heldon August 14, 2024inArticles›Sports News

The Olympics are fantastic for several reasons. We get to see terrific stories of athletes winning the first-ever medals for their nation, like Julien Alfred of St. Lucia and Thea LaFond of Dominica . We learn about the ins and outs of the host nation. We discover the rules of sports we may not have ever known before.

And, of course, we get to see the best athletes in the world competing at the highest level. That’s been apparent on the basketball court, where we’ve had tons of NBA talent participating across nations. It’s culminating with the United States facing France for the gold medal.

The French are represented by five current NBA players, including Victor Wembanyama , Rudy Gobert , Nicolas Batum, and Bilal Coulibaly. Evan Fournier is currently a free agent but was on an NBA roster last season.

Team USA’s 12 players are all NBA stars. And they’re also among the highest-paid in the league. Collectively, the players on the Team USA men’s basketball roster will make $503,631,169 in salary. Yep, these 12 guys will earn more than half a billion dollars in the upcoming season.

Here’s a breakdown of each player and what they’ll make.

Michael Reaves/Getty Images

Steph Curry , Golden State Warriors — $55,761,217

For much of the Olympics, people were wondering when Steph Curry would start regularly hitting shots. It took until the semifinals, but Chef Curry cooked—and it was impressive. He scored 36 points, including 9-of-14 on threes, and was the main reason Team USA was able to squeak by Serbia en route to the final. This upcoming season, he’ll be the highest-paid player in the NBA.

Joel Embiid , Philadelphia 76ers — $51,415,938

Joel Embiid was greeted with boos from the French crowd every time he touched the ball. He earned his French citizenship but opted to play for the United States. If any player would welcome being a villain, Embiid is that guy. He had some inconsistencies but hit a few key shots during the Olympics.

Kevin Durant , Phoenix Suns — $51,179,020

Kevin Durant became Team USA’s all-time leading scorer in this Olympics run. He went 8-for-9 during a shooting clinic in the first game and seemed openly upset when he finally missed a three-pointer in the next game. He won a pair of championships with the Golden State Warriors but has had less success in subsequent stops in Brooklyn and Phoenix. However, he’s still the second-highest earner in NBA history, behind only LeBron James.

Devin Booker , Phoenix Suns — $49,205,800

Devin Booker was perhaps the most unheralded player on all of Team USA. He was a consistent scorer in most games and put solid defensive pressure on opposing players. Booker is making slightly less than Bradley Beal , the third member of the Suns’ big three. Together, the group will cost about $150 million next season.

LeBron James , Los Angeles Lakers — $48,728,845

LeBron James was the floor general for Team USA, and when the team needed a big bucket down the stretch, he delivered. He’s also well on his way to becoming a billionaire thanks to his NBA-record career earnings and many endorsement deals, including a lifetime contract with Nike. He’s won four NBA titles and is the league’s all-time leading scorer—and he’s not done yet.

Anthony Davis , Los Angeles Lakers — $43,219,440

When he didn’t have to battle Nikola Jokic , Anthony Davis was a defensive stalwart for Team USA. The Lakers big man has been a critical element for the franchise alongside James. We keep thinking James will eventually retire and Davis will be the centerpiece, but for now, they’ll continue to be a dynamic duo. Davis is on a five-year deal; when it expires, his three-year, $186 million extension will kick in, paying him a whopping $62 million per season.

Tyrese Haliburton , Indiana Pacers — $42,176,400

Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers had a surprising postseason, reaching the Eastern Conference Finals as the No. 6 seed. Haliburton ultimately missed most of the conference finals with an injury, but there’s reason for optimism in Indiana. Haliburton primarily stayed on the bench with the Olympic team, but don’t feel too bad for him. He still inked a five-year, $260 million extension before the 2023-24 season.

Anthony Edwards , Minnesota Timberwolves — $42,176,400

Anthony Edwards was one of the viral stars of the Olympics, thanks to his fascination with table tennis star Lily Zhang . While he didn’t participate in a ping-pong challenge, he had a generally solid Olympics, wowing crowds with his athletic dunks and violent blocks. He’s also shaping up to be one of the faces of the NBA’s next generation. He also agreed to a five-year, $260 million extension before last season.

Jayson Tatum , Boston Celtics — $34,848,340

Jayson Tatum signed the largest contract in NBA history this summer (five years, $314 million), but that deal doesn’t kick in until the following season. This upcoming year, he’s actually one of the lowest-paid players on the USA roster. He was a healthy scratch from multiple games, despite being a key contributor to the Tokyo Olympics team. At least he’s getting some rest, since he had to play all the way into June to win his first NBA championship.

Bam Adebayo, Miami Heat — $34,848,340

Three seasons ago, Bam Adebayo signed the same deal as Tatum, a max extension at the time. This offseason, like Tatum, Adebayo signed another deal, but this one isn’t quite as large as his Eastern Conference rival. Adebayo’s new extension is worth $166 million over three seasons, but it won’t start until his current one ends after the 2025-26 season. He’s been a key component to the Miami Heat’s success, and despite limited offensive production, he served as a nice backline of defense for Team USA.

Jrue Holiday , Boston Celtics — $30,000,000

Jrue Holiday has been a lockdown presence in the league for years and still has one of the coldest passes in NBA Finals history. He brought that same defensive intensity for Team USA, even though he missed an early game with an ankle injury. After the Bucks traded him as part of the Damian Lillard deal, he ended up in Boston and won his second championship in four seasons. He agreed to a four-year, $135 million extension shortly before the playoffs.

Derrick White, Boston Celtics — $20,071,429

White is the lowest-paid player on Team USA, but he almost wasn’t on the roster at all. He came over as an injury replacement for Kawhi Leonard . He was a strong defensive presence for the team’s second unit, and he did some of the dirty work that Celtics fans were accustomed to during the season. In the NBA, White won his first championship a year and a half after being traded from the San Antonio Spurs. Last month, White inked a four-year, $126 million extension.

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