2014-15 NBA Trade Kickers

On occasion, teams give players a bonus in their contract, which triggers only when the player is traded.

Currently 34 players have trade kickers, ranging from $600,000 to a maximum of 15 percent of the remaining contract.

It is the team trading away the player that is responsible for paying the bonus — unless the contract was signed prior to the 2011 Collective Bargaining Agreement (Toronto Raptors’ Amir Johnson and Cleveland Cavaliers’ Anderson Varejao), which is then paid by the acquiring franchise.

Players will not receive their bonus if they are already over the NBA’s maximum salary.  For example, should the Utah Jazz choose to trade Gordon Hayward, who was recently signed to a maximum salary for the 2014-15 season at $14.75 million, his 15 percent trade kicker would have no effect.  Hayward, like most free agents signed this summer, cannot be traded until December 15 and isn’t likely to be dealt at all this season.

Chandler Parsons, of the Dallas Mavericks, received a near maximum contract at $14.70 million.  While he also has a 15 percent trade bonus in his contract, he would only receive $46,000 (technically $92,000 over two seasons), which would push him up to the max in 2014-15.

Meanwhile, a player like Steve Nash of the Los Angeles Lakers would earn his full 15 percent kicker if dealt, increasing his salary from $9.70 million to $11.16 million.

The following players have trade kickers in their contracts: