Very unexpected reason caused the NBA stars to take paycuts.
NBA players are set to forfeit more than $480 million from the league's escrow fund after basketball-related income (BRI) fell short of projections for the 2024–25 season.
According to a source familiar with the financial breakdown, who requested anonymity due to the confidential nature of the data, the NBA estimated BRI at $10.25 billion.
Under the terms of the collective bargaining agreement, 10 percent of player salaries are withheld each season to maintain a balanced 51-49 revenue split between players and team owners.
With the league failing to hit its revenue target, players will ultimately retain just 90.9 percent of their salaries from last season.
The highest-paid players in the league are experiencing the steepest losses. Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, who led the league in salary with $55.8 million, will see approximately $5.1 million redirected from the escrow fund. Other notable stars facing similar cuts include:
- Joel Embiid – $4.7 million
- Nikola Jokić – $4.7 million
- Bradley Beal – $4.6 million
- Kevin Durant – $4.5 million
For context, a player with a $20 million salary will take home about $18.2 million before taxes and agent fees.
Of the 10 percent withheld in escrow, roughly 91 percent is being returned to teams, with only 9 percent redistributed back to players, highlighting the significant revenue gap between projections and reality.
