While some players may want the NBA to resume the 2019-20 season so they can have a sense of normalcy amidst the novel coronavirus pandemic and others are hopeful they can make a run at the finals, Kevin Durant has a totally different reason to be in favor of basketball coming back — regardless of whether or not he plays.
The Brooklyn Nets (30-34) were the seventh-ranked team in the Eastern Conference when play came to a halt in March, holding a half-game lead over the Orlando Magic (30-35). At one point, it looked like ninth-ranked Washington Wizards might be able to sneak their way into the playoffs, but they trailed the Magic by 5.5 games when play stopped. Even if the NBA has games that count before starting the 2020 Playoffs, the Nets and Magic should still be safe — barring some sore of play-in round.
So long as the Nets make the first round of the playoffs, Durant will make $1 million, as Bobby Marks of ESPN points out. However, that money isn’t a lock if the league decides to have a play-in round, as Marks explains:
Durant theoretically could miss out on the bonus if Brooklyn is knocked out in a play-in tournament or group play scenario. The language in Durant’s contract states that Brooklyn must reach Round 1 of the playoffs. It’s unclear if the league would consider a group play stage to be equivalent for bonus purposes.
Kyrie Irving also has money to make in bonuses, but he’ll have to get back on the floor to get that cash, and the league would need to have a few regular season games, as well. Irving had eight $125,000 bonuses, one of which he reached (free-throw percentage), and two (3-pointers made per game and offensive rating) that were within striking distance.