Quick Answer: Generally, no. When an NBA player is suspended for misconduct, they do not receive their salary for the games they miss. The exact amount of money lost depends on the length of the suspension. However, players placed on "Administrative Leave" during an active investigation often continue to receive their pay until a final verdict is reached.
Do Suspended NBA Players Still Get Paid? The Financial Reality
In the high-stakes world of professional basketball, player conduct is taken very seriously. A common question among fans and analysts is do suspended NBA players still get paid when they are forced to sit on the sidelines? The answer lies deep within the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). To understand the financial impact, you must distinguish between a suspension without pay and administrative leave. This distinction determines whether a player loses millions of dollars or keeps his salary.
When a player violates league rules—whether it is an on-court altercation, substance abuse policy violation, or off-court legal trouble—the league or the team can issue a suspension. The NBA operates under a "no play, no pay" system for disciplinary actions. This ensures that consequences are not just reputational but also financial. We will break down the math, the exceptions, and the massive amounts of money involved.
How Suspension Pay Cuts Are Calculated
The NBA does not simply take a random amount of money. There is a strict mathematical formula agreed upon by the players' union and the league. When asking do suspended NBA players still get paid, you must look at the length of the ban. The Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) splits suspensions into two distinct categories: those under 20 games and those over 20 games.
- Suspensions of Less Than 20 Games: For shorter bans, the penalty is 1/145th of the player's base salary for every game missed. This calculation is based on the number of days in a standard season.
- Suspensions of 20 Games or More: For major offenses, the penalty is steeper. The player loses 1/110th of their salary for each game. This higher rate is designed to punish serious infractions more severely.
- Playoff Suspensions: Missing a playoff game is costly. It creates a complex scenario where game checks are calculated differently, but the financial loss remains significant.
- Team-Imposed Suspensions: Sometimes the team, not the league, suspends a player. These are usually for "conduct detrimental to the team" and have caps on how much salary can be withheld.
- Preseason Games: Players can be suspended for preseason games. While their base salary is usually safe, they may lose per diem or exhibition bonuses depending on their specific contract clauses.
- Signing Bonuses: Generally, signing bonuses are paid upfront and are protected from suspension forfeiture, though specific "clawback" clauses can exist in rare contracts.
In short, the longer the suspension, the faster the money disappears. This tiered system ensures that a player involved in a minor scuffle loses less per game than a player involved in a major scandal.
The "Administrative Leave" Exception
There is one major scenario where the answer to do suspended NBA players still get paid is "Yes." This occurs during "Administrative Leave." When a player is accused of a serious crime or a major violation of the domestic violence policy, the league may need time to investigate.
- The Investigation Phase 📌The NBA places the player on paid administrative leave. This removes them from the court and team activities but keeps their checks clearing. This is done to avoid punishing a player financially before a verdict is reached.
- Legal Precedents 📌This policy aligns with standard labor laws. Until guilt is proven or the league concludes its own investigation, stripping salary could lead to legal action against the NBA.
- Retroactive Penalties 📌If the investigation concludes that the player is guilty, the league can suspend them without pay retroactively. However, they usually issue a new suspension moving forward rather than asking for the "leave" money back.
- Player Association Protection 📌The NBPA (National Basketball Players Association) fights hard to ensure players are paid until due process is complete.
- Public Perception📌 While fans may be angry that an accused player is still earning millions, the league prioritizes legal safety over public opinion during the early stages of a scandal.
- Indefinite Status 📌Administrative leave can last for weeks or even months depending on the speed of the legal system or the internal investigation.
- Josh Giddey / Miles Bridges Examples 📌Recent years have seen various approaches to how the league handles allegations, balancing the "innocent until proven guilty" concept with brand protection.
- Conversion to Suspension 📌Once a ruling is made, the status immediately shifts from "Paid Leave" to "Unpaid Suspension."
Understanding this exception is crucial. It explains why you might see headlines about a player facing legal charges still collecting their paycheck.
Where Does the Forfeited Money Go?
If the player does not get the money, who does? A common misconception is that the team owners pocket the savings. This is not entirely true. The NBA has a specific system for handling forfeited salary to ensure teams do not are not incentivized to suspend players just to save money.
- Charitable Donations The withheld salary is collected by the league and split between charitable organizations. One half goes to the NBA's chosen charities.
- Players Association Charities
This system ensures that bad behavior benefits the community through charity, rather than benefiting the team owners directly.
Team-Imposed vs. League-Imposed Bans
The source of the suspension changes the rules. Most major suspensions come from the NBA League Office (Adam Silver). However, individual teams can also suspend players. When asking do suspended NBA players still get paid, you must identify who issued the punishment.
Teams typically suspend players for "Conduct Detrimental to the Team." This includes fighting with teammates, skipping practice, or insubordination. Under the CBA, a team can usually suspend a player for a reasonable amount of time without pay. However, the player has the right to appeal this through arbitration.
For example, if a player throws soup at a coach, the team might issue a one-game suspension. That player loses 1/145th of their salary. However, teams cannot suspend players indefinitely to avoid paying them. The union watches these team-issued bans very closely to prevent abuse of power.
High-Profile Examples of Lost Earnings
To understand the magnitude of these financial losses, we can look at recent history. The amounts of money lost by superstars answer the question do suspended NBA players still get paid with a resounding "No." The losses can be staggering.
- Ja Morant (2023-2024) 👈 The Memphis Grizzlies star was suspended for 25 games for conduct detrimental to the league (gun video). Because the suspension was over 20 games, he lost 1/110th of his salary per game. The total loss was approximately $7.6 million.
- Kyrie Irving (2022) 👈 Suspended by the Brooklyn Nets for at least 5 games (it lasted 8) regarding the social media controversy. He lost hundreds of thousands of dollars per game during this team-imposed ban.
- Draymond Green (2023) 👈 Suspended indefinitely (ended up being 12 games) for striking Jusuf Nurkic. Green lost nearly $2 million in salary during this period.
- Ben Simmons (2021) 👈 This was a unique case. The 76ers withheld millions of dollars for his refusal to play/practice. A settlement was eventually reached, proving that "no play, no pay" can sometimes lead to legal battles.
- Miles Bridges (2022-2023) 👈 He missed an entire season. Since he was a restricted free agent and not under contract during the legal process, he was effectively unpaid for a full year, costing him millions in potential earnings.
- Ron Artest (Malice at the Palace) 👈 The most famous suspension in history. Artest was suspended for the remainder of the season (73 games + playoffs), losing roughly $5 million in 2004 money (worth much more today).
These examples illustrate that the NBA uses financial penalties as a primary deterrent. For a player on a maximum contract, a long suspension is a multi-million dollar event.
Can Players Appeal to Get Money Back?
Players do not always accept the financial hit without a fight. The NBPA (Players Union) exists to protect player rights. If a player feels a suspension is unjust or too long, they can file an appeal.
- The Arbitrator A neutral arbitrator reviews the case. If they rule in favor of the player, the suspension can be shortened.
- Restoring Salary If a suspension is reduced (e.g., from 10 games to 5 games), the league must refund the salary withheld for those 5 games.
- Escrow In disputed cases, the money might be held in escrow until a decision is made, ensuring it is available to be returned immediately.
- "Time Served" Sometimes, if an appeal takes a long time, the player serves the suspension. If they win the appeal later, they are reimbursed for the games they missed unnecessarily.
- Settlements In complex cases like Ben Simmons vs. the 76ers, both sides may agree to a confidential financial settlement to avoid a drawn-out legal war.
- Team Disputes Appeals for team-imposed suspensions are common, as the union wants to prevent teams from using suspensions just to save budget.
- Burden of Proof The burden is on the league or team to prove the misconduct warranted the specific financial penalty applied.
- Historical Success While rare, players have successfully reduced suspension lengths through appeals, saving themselves significant amounts of money.
Impact on Future Contracts and Guarantees
The financial pain of a suspension often extends beyond the immediate loss of game checks. Suspensions can trigger clauses in contracts that void future guarantees. This is the hidden cost that agents fear most.
Many NBA contracts include language that voids "guaranteed" money if a player is suspended for a specific type of behavior (like drug use or felonies). For example, if a player has $50 million remaining on a contract, a major suspension could technically allow the team to void the rest of the deal. While teams rarely use this "nuclear option" because it alienates players and agents, the threat exists.
Additionally, suspensions impact a player's ability to earn performance bonuses. If a player has a bonus for playing 65 games and they are suspended for 20, they mathematically cannot reach the bonus criteria. This is an indirect way that suspended players lose money.
The 65-Game Rule Factor
A new layer to the financial impact is the NBA's 65-game rule. To be eligible for major awards like MVP or All-NBA teams, a player must participate in 65 games. These awards often trigger "Supermax" contract eligibility.
- Suspension reduces game count.
- Ineligibility for All-NBA.
- Loss of Supermax eligibility.
- Potential loss of $40M+ in future salary cap space.
- Contract incentives missed.
- Legacy impact.
- Agent negotiation leverage lost.
Conclusion: In conclusion, the answer to do suspended NBA players still get paid is a definitive no for standard disciplinary suspensions. The "No Play, No Pay" rule is a cornerstone of the NBA's disciplinary system, costing players 1/145th or 1/110th of their salary per game.
However, nuances exist. Players on administrative leave pending investigation generally continue to receive their checks. Furthermore, successful appeals can restore lost wages. The system is designed to hit players where it hurts most—their wallets—while providing tax relief to teams and funding to charities. For an NBA star, good behavior is literally worth millions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Do NBA players get paid while on administrative leave?
A: Yes. Administrative leave is usually paid. It is used when the league is investigating a serious allegation but has not yet made a ruling on guilt.
Q: How much money does a player lose per game when suspended?
A: It depends on the length of the suspension. If suspended for less than 20 games, they lose 1/145th of their salary per game. If 20 games or more, they lose 1/110th per game.
Q: Does the NBA team keep the unpaid salary?
A: No. The team does not keep the cash. The forfeited money is donated to charities chosen by the NBA and the Players Association.
Q: Do suspended players still count against the salary cap?
A: Yes, the player's salary usually still counts against the cap, but the team receives a credit that reduces their luxury tax bill by the forfeited amount.
Q: Can a team void a contract if a player is suspended?
A: In extreme cases, yes. Most contracts have clauses allowing termination for moral turpitude or criminal acts, but teams rarely use this power.
Q: Do injured players get paid?
A: Yes. Unlike suspended players, injured players continue to receive their full salary as long as the injury occurred during basketball activities.