The Brooklyn Nets included about $1 million in yearly performance-based incentives in maximum contracts for both Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. This allowed them the flexibility to sign DeAndre Jordan.
Both deals have player options in their fourth seasons, meaning Durant and Irving can hit free agency again in the summer of 2022.
Irving’s contract is especially interesting: eight separate incentives — $125,000 each, all deemed “unlikely” and thus not included in Irving’s current cap hit
Here is the bonus structure for Kyrie:
Via ESPN :
- He appears in at least 70 regular-season games.
- He appears in at least 60 regular-season games and averages fewer than 2.4 turnovers per game.
- He appears in at least 60 regular-season games and attempts at least 4.6 free throws per game.
- He shoots 88.5 percent or better from the foul line in the regular-season.
- He makes at least 2.8 3-pointers per game in the regular-season.
- He commits fewer than 2.1 fouls per game in the regular-season.
- Nets score at least 114 points per 100 possessions in the regular-season with Irving on the floor.
- The Nets allow 106 or fewer points per 100 possessions in the regular season with Irving on the floor.
Durant unlocks a $1 million bonus, raising his salary to the maximum, if any one of the following occur:
- The Nets make the playoffs.
- The Nets win 43 or more games.
- Durant plays in at least 50 regular-season games.
- Durant makes the All-Star team.
These bonuses are deemed “likely” to be reached and thus factor into Durant’s cap hit already.
What an interesting way to structure everything.
Through these complex series of transactions and incentives, the Nets opened up enough flexibility to sign both Irving and Jordan with cap room to spare.
This sounds more complicated than Rocket Science.
Geesh.
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