
Derby see off Oxford to keep play-off hopes alive
Derby County secures a vital 1-0 win over Oxford United, keeping play-off dreams alive.
Dillon Brooks earned a $1 million bonus this season after the Phoenix Suns made the playoffs, despite the bonus being labeled 'unlikely' when added to his contract. The Suns had missed the postseason the previous year.
How Dillon Brooks earned an unlikely $1M bonus this season originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Somewhere in Dillon Brooks' contract, there was a $1 million bonus if the Phoenix Suns made the playoffs.
When this clause was added, the Suns were not a playoff team. They had missed the postseason last season. The bonus was labeled as "unlikely" under NBA rules.
ESPN's Bobby Marks found out about it on Saturday after the Suns made the playoffs.
The $1 million bonus is on top of his $21.1 million salary this year. He signed a four-year $86 million deal with Memphis in 2023. This offseason he came to Phoenix in the Kevin Durant trade with Houston.
Many thought he was a salary filler in that deal. Brooks is averaging 20.2 points per game this season. This is the scoring year of his career at 30.
He was healthy enough to play in the play-in game against Golden State on Friday. The Suns won that game. Secured their playoff spot.
The unlikely label is an NBA accounting term. If a bonus is tied to a result the team did not achieve in the season, the league calls it unlikely. This means it does not count against the cap when the contract is signed. The Suns took a chance on Brooks for a season, and now the team has to pay.
Dillon Brooks qualified for the $1 million bonus by having a clause in his contract that activated when the Phoenix Suns made the playoffs.
The bonus was considered 'unlikely' because it was added to his contract when the Suns were not projected to be a playoff team.
Before Brooks' bonus, the Phoenix Suns had missed the playoffs the previous season, making their playoff qualification uncertain.

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Whether Phoenix does well in the playoffs is another question. Brooks has spent the entire season proving people wrong. Now he is a million dollars richer because of it.