How Much Prize Money the NBA Champion Oklahoma City Thunder Receive
By Ben McKimm - News
Published: 23 June 2025
Share Copy Link
Readtime: 3 min
Every product is carefully selected by our editors and experts. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Learn more. For more information on how we test products, click here.
Players on the NBA Championship winning Oklahoma City Thunder will divide USD$12.4 million ($828,000 per player) in prize money for winning the title. While it's true that there is no set amount of prize money given out to the winners of the NBA Championship, there's a USD$34.7 million Player Playoff Pool of funds made up of ticket sales to incentivise regular season success and playoff wins.
Every team that makes the playoffs receives a portion of the Player Playoff Pool money, and the more wins they have in the regular season, and the further they advance in the postseason, the more money they get.
The team with the best overall record in the regular season is given the largest cut of the pie before the playoffs even start. This is why the NBA Championship winning OKC Thunder will receive all of their USD$12.4 million ($828,000 per player). However, second round exits earn a set amount, conference finals earns slightly more, and those who make it to the finals earn even more. Play-in tournament teams don't get a slice of the pie.
Oklahoma City Thunder star Shaivonte Aician Gilgeous-Alexander, also known by his initials SGA | Image: Supplied
While this sum of money would be life-changing to most people walking the earth, NBA players are the highest paid athletes in U.S. professional sports.
NBA Finals MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is about to sign the largest contract in NBA history, valued at five-year USD$380 million, so a few hundred thousand wouldn't change his life. However, other players on the team, including Branden Carlson (USD$496,519), Jaylin Williams ($2,019,699), and Dillon Jones ($2,622,360) would all love a slice of the Player Playoff Pool of funds.
It pays to win, and players who's teams only made the seventh- and eighth-seeds during the regular season have a max potential playoff earning of $719,000 if funds are divided evenly amongst the team.
The NBA leads when it comes to postseason payouts amongst major sports.
NFL maxes out at $357,000 per player during the playoffs.
MLB maxes out at $477,000 per player during the playoffs.
When looking at the numbers broken down by Marca and NBC Sports it paints a full picture for just how much money the teams take home for winning games in the NBA Playoffs this season.
NBA Champion: $4,775,940
$4,775,940 First round: $6,439,658 ($402,479 per player)
$6,439,658 ($402,479 per player) Conference semifinals: $3,831,216 ($478,902 per player)
$3,831,216 ($478,902 per player) Conference Finals: $3,165,594 ($791,398 per player)
$3,165,594 ($791,398 per player) Losing team in the NBA Finals: $3,164,731
The regular season also has a big part to play:
Best overall record: $777,840
$777,840 Best record in conference: $1,361,206 ($680,603 each)
$1,361,206 ($680,603 each) Second-best record in conference: $1,094,078 ($547,039 each)
$1,094,078 ($547,039 each) Third-best record in conference: $816,729 ($408,364 each)
$816,729 ($408,364 each) Fourth-best record in conference: $641,862 ($320,931 each)
$641,862 ($320,931 each) Fifth-best record in conference: $534,822 ($267,411 each)
$534,822 ($267,411 each) Sixth-best record in conference: $364,782 ($182,391 each)
Finally, it's the teams job to determine how they divide the bonus, but still, it pays to win in the NBA.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News.com.au
3 hours ago
- News.com.au
NBA world says same thing about Josh Giddey after OKC Thunder championship
Josh Giddey has sent a message of total class after watching his former Oklahoma City Thunder teammates win the NBA Championship in euphoric scenes on Monday (AEST). In the first NBA Finals Game 7 since 2016, the Thunder took advantage of a heartbreaking serious injury to Indiana franchise star Tyrese Haliburton to win the decider 103-91 on their home court. It must have been a rollercoaster of emotions for Giddey, watching his former team go all the way just 12 months after he was shipped off to the Chicago Bulls. Giddey has thrived since joining the Bulls and is reportedly set to sign a staggering $46 million per-year deal with the iconic franchise. However, that all seems somewhat insignificant when watching his former team take the league by storm this season. Giddey shared an Instagram story with a photo of OKC's triumph, writing: 'Congrats to the guys' with three love hearts. It was all class from the Aussie point guard, who also shared his heartbreak at Haliburton's Achilles injury in the first quarter that proved a cruel blow for the Indiana Pacers. HaliðŸ˜'ðŸ˜'ðŸ˜'ðŸ˜' — josh giddey (@joshgiddey) June 23, 2025 The man OKC replaced Giddey with, Alex Caruso, turned out to be a pivotal piece in the Thunder's championship puzzle. The 31-year-old, who one of the league's best defender's in 2023 and 2024, was sent to OKC by the Bulls in a straight swap for Giddey. Caruso had the third most steals in NBA Finals history as he won his second NBA championship following his 2020 title with the Los Angeles Lakers. OKC Thunder general manager Sam Presti paid tribute to OKC's entire squad including Caruso, who at 31 years of age is by far the oldest player in the Thunder's rotation. 'Age is a number,' an emotional Presti said about his young squad that shapes as the NBA's next dynasty. 'Sacrifice and maturity is a characteristic and these guys have it in spades. It's a privilege to work with these guys. 'These guys represent at that is good at a young age. They prioritise winning, they prioritise sacrifice. This just unfolded very quickly. Last offseason, Presti recruited Caruso and centre Isaiah Hartenstein, bringing in players to bolster the Thunder's three-point shooting, defence and rebounding. The Thunder winning the title a year after his departure would be a tough pill to swallow for Giddey, and it seems everyone is saying the same thing about the 22-year-old point guard. One American sports writer posted on X: 'Josh Giddey has to be sick right now'. The Thunder traded Josh Giddey for Alex Caruso and won a championship The Bulls traded Josh Giddey for Alex Caruso and now get the right to pay him 30 million dollars a year It’s ok to like Josh Giddey and still admit the Bulls lost that transaction — Justin Talks Hoops (@J_Talks_Hoops) June 23, 2025 The Hartenstein and Caruso acquisitions are both all-time moves from Sam Presti. Addressed clear needs on the roster + added a veteran presence to a young group. — Esfandiar Baraheni (@JustEsBaraheni) June 23, 2025 Australian basketball legend Luc Longley, who won three championships with Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls in the 1990s, is backing Giddey to bounce back from getting traded. 'I don't feel a single bit sorry for Josh,' Longley told recently. Andrew Bogut, who won an NBA title with the Golden State Warriors, said the brutal nature of Giddey's benching by the Thunder in last season's playoffs would sting. 'I mean he essentially got benched and was somewhat told that 'we can't win with him in the line-up',' Bogut told 'He's been on record saying he'd rather it happened now than in year seven, eight, nine, ten — and work out the kinks at an earlier age. 'But to some young guys that could derail you, that could mentally screw you.' Giddey became a near triple double machine in the back-end of the NBA regular season and the Bulls are expected to re-sign him as they are urged to lean into a rebuilding around a young core. 'He's bounced back even better for it and now you know second half of the year for him was phenomenal,' Bogut said. 'Chicago's gonna have to have to pay him, I think. I don't think they have any choice with the way the (salary) cap is.' Longley added: ''With Josh, I hope that they build the right pieces with him and around him. And I do believe in his appetite for it. 'I think he is supremely motivated by things more than money. He is deeply competitive.' Meanwhile, Alex Ducas, who is on a two-way contract with the Thunder, has now become just the eighth Australian to win an NBA championship and is likely to be awarded with a championship ring by team officials as a member of the support staff.
Man of Many
4 hours ago
- Man of Many
How Much Prize Money the NBA Champion Oklahoma City Thunder Receive
By Ben McKimm - News Published: 23 June 2025 Share Copy Link Readtime: 3 min Every product is carefully selected by our editors and experts. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Learn more. For more information on how we test products, click here. Players on the NBA Championship winning Oklahoma City Thunder will divide USD$12.4 million ($828,000 per player) in prize money for winning the title. While it's true that there is no set amount of prize money given out to the winners of the NBA Championship, there's a USD$34.7 million Player Playoff Pool of funds made up of ticket sales to incentivise regular season success and playoff wins. Every team that makes the playoffs receives a portion of the Player Playoff Pool money, and the more wins they have in the regular season, and the further they advance in the postseason, the more money they get. The team with the best overall record in the regular season is given the largest cut of the pie before the playoffs even start. This is why the NBA Championship winning OKC Thunder will receive all of their USD$12.4 million ($828,000 per player). However, second round exits earn a set amount, conference finals earns slightly more, and those who make it to the finals earn even more. Play-in tournament teams don't get a slice of the pie. Oklahoma City Thunder star Shaivonte Aician Gilgeous-Alexander, also known by his initials SGA | Image: Supplied While this sum of money would be life-changing to most people walking the earth, NBA players are the highest paid athletes in U.S. professional sports. NBA Finals MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is about to sign the largest contract in NBA history, valued at five-year USD$380 million, so a few hundred thousand wouldn't change his life. However, other players on the team, including Branden Carlson (USD$496,519), Jaylin Williams ($2,019,699), and Dillon Jones ($2,622,360) would all love a slice of the Player Playoff Pool of funds. It pays to win, and players who's teams only made the seventh- and eighth-seeds during the regular season have a max potential playoff earning of $719,000 if funds are divided evenly amongst the team. The NBA leads when it comes to postseason payouts amongst major sports. NFL maxes out at $357,000 per player during the playoffs. MLB maxes out at $477,000 per player during the playoffs. When looking at the numbers broken down by Marca and NBC Sports it paints a full picture for just how much money the teams take home for winning games in the NBA Playoffs this season. NBA Champion: $4,775,940 $4,775,940 First round: $6,439,658 ($402,479 per player) $6,439,658 ($402,479 per player) Conference semifinals: $3,831,216 ($478,902 per player) $3,831,216 ($478,902 per player) Conference Finals: $3,165,594 ($791,398 per player) $3,165,594 ($791,398 per player) Losing team in the NBA Finals: $3,164,731 The regular season also has a big part to play: Best overall record: $777,840 $777,840 Best record in conference: $1,361,206 ($680,603 each) $1,361,206 ($680,603 each) Second-best record in conference: $1,094,078 ($547,039 each) $1,094,078 ($547,039 each) Third-best record in conference: $816,729 ($408,364 each) $816,729 ($408,364 each) Fourth-best record in conference: $641,862 ($320,931 each) $641,862 ($320,931 each) Fifth-best record in conference: $534,822 ($267,411 each) $534,822 ($267,411 each) Sixth-best record in conference: $364,782 ($182,391 each) Finally, it's the teams job to determine how they divide the bonus, but still, it pays to win in the NBA.
News.com.au
5 hours ago
- News.com.au
‘For the 1ST Time' – OKC NBA CHAMPIONS!
NBA: The Oklahoma City Thunder are NBA Champions for the first time ever, after knocking over the Indiana Pacers in game seven.
