NBA Cup prize money: How much do the winners make? And the finalists?

What began as the NBA’s In-Season Tournament, now known as the Emirates NBA Cup, is firmly established and already in its third edition. A personal project of commissioner Adam Silver, this cup-style competition for the world’s best league is clearly here to stay. It is not Silver’s first bold initiative either. During the coronavirus pandemic, he introduced the play-in tournament, a move many initially believed would damage the competitive structure. Instead, it has become a core part of today’s NBA.

An NBA that continues to grow, expand, and reinvent itself, recently signing a new collective bargaining agreement that has delivered changes which, just a few years ago, were barely whispered about and are now a reality.

After the group stage, the tournament moves into knockout quarterfinals, hosted by the higher-seeded teams. The competition then culminates in Las Vegas, where the T-Mobile Arena stages the final. The Lakers lifted the trophy in the first edition, followed by the Bucks in the second.

The In-Season Tournament offers more than just bragging rights. There is a champion, a brand-new trophy, medals, an MVP award, and an All-Tournament team. To add even more incentive, there is also prize money. This matters even to players on multi-million dollar contracts. Damian Lillard, who won the tournament with the Bucks in 2024, pointed out that those at the top should consider teammates on lower salaries and less secure contracts. His former teammate Khris Middleton was even more blunt: “Even the richest man in the world wouldn’t turn down a little more money.”

Each player on the winning team receives $500,000. Players on the finalist team earn $200,000 each, semifinalists are guaranteed $100,000, and quarterfinalists take home $50,000 apiece.

Silver’s thinking here has not gone unnoticed by the players. While stars live comfortably and rarely face financial pressure, the league’s middle and lower tiers operate with far tighter margins. Their incomes and expenses can be wildly unbalanced, often shaped by the lifestyle and expectations surrounding American basketball. For many of them, the prize money makes a real difference. Something Adam Silver understands very well.

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