Portland Trail Blazers big man Jusuf Nurkic, unfortunately, saw his excellent season cut short on March 25, when he suffered a broken leg against the Brooklyn Nets. But even though he won't be able to suit up again this season, he's still getting bonuses.
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Due to an incentive clause in his contract, Nurkic is set to earn an extra $1.25 million by appearing in 70 games and the Trail Blazers winning 50 games. Via ESPN:
After playing in 79 games last year, Nurkic has to appear in 70 games or more and have the Trail Blazers win 50 games to earn $1.25 million. The bonus is deemed unlikely on the cap sheet because Portland won 49 games last season.
Nurkic earning the bonus would cause the Blazers' tax bill to increase from $12.6 million to $14.7 million.
Despite going down with the season-ending injury, the durable Nurkic had already played in 72 games, passing that benchmark. With Wednesday's 116-89 win over the Grizzlies, the Blazers hit the 50-win plateau -- which equals big bucks for Nurkic.
While Nurkic would obviously prefer to still be on the court, this is a pretty nice way to boost his spirits. It's also great news for the Trail Blazers, who hadn't won 50 games in a season since 2015. Plus, they need to close the season strong in order to not only hold on to the No. 4 seed in the West but also potentially catch the Houston Rockets for the No. 3 seed.
