NBA Awards

Not Being On An All-NBA Team Cost Ja Morant $39M

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$39 million is a lot of money. To use the universally accepted metric of “how many Big Macs?”, that’s 7,543,520 Big Macs. It is also the bonus tied to Ja Morant’s supermax rookie extension that he signed last year with the Memphis Grizzlies. Morant’s contract totaled $192.2 million over 5 years. However, he could raise that figure by $39 million if he was named to an All-NBA team for the 2022-23 season. Last season, Morant was named to the All-NBA Second Team.

It didn’t matter which All-NBA team he made in 2022-23, he just had to earn those consecutive honors. Morant played 61 games in the regular season, putting up 26.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 8.1 assists per game. While his scoring took a slight dip, it was a massive increase in terms of assists. He was 11th in scoring and 5th in assists across the entire league.

Morant Misses Out On All-NBA Honors

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 28: Ja Morant #12 of the Memphis Grizzlies warms up before play against the Los Angeles Lakers in Game Six of the Western Conference First Round Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena on April 28, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

However, Morant watched as the All-NBA honors were announced on May 10 and didn’t see his name anywhere. Of the 100 ballots issued for All-NBA voting, Morant received 10 second-team votes and 14 third-team votes. Second-team honors was always going to be a long shot. that list ended up being comprised of Jaylen Brown, Jimmy Butler, Steph Curry, Nikola Jokić, and Donovan Mitchell. Despite this, there was a strong case for Morant to get third-team honors.

But as Morant failed to break into even the third team (De’Aaron Fox, LeBron James, Damian Lillard, Julius Randle, Domantas Sabonis), his $39 million incentive bonus is voided. And honestly, that’s just a little unfair. Sure he missed some games due to suspension, but he played a great season. Furthermore, it feels rigged against the player to hinge a bonus on something completely out of their control. Regardless, Morant will not receive his bonus based on not meeting his contractual obligation. How do you feel about the situation? Should Morant have gotten All-NBA honors? Let us know in the comments

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De’Aaron Fox Wins Clutch Player Of The Year, Twitter Reacts

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De’Aaron Fox is having himself a career season. The Kings guard can now add another accolade to his successful season. However, for this award, Fox is the first player to ever win the award. On Tuesday, it was announced that Fox became the NBA’s first Clutch Player of the Year. Being clutch is not something you work at becoming. It is already in your DNA. For Fox, fans knew he would be clutch going back to his college days at Kentucky. Now he has the hardware to show for it.

While the award is great, Fox has plenty of other things on his plate. Sacramento is looking to make quick work of the reigning champion Golden State Warriors. Fox has been one of the biggest reasons the Kings own a 2-0 series lead over the Warriors. The all-star guard continues to dazzle fans with his quickness. The Warriors have yet to find an answer to stopping Fox in each of the team’s first two matchups. But Fox is facing one of the most clutch players of all time in, Steph Curry.

De’Aaron Fox Makes NBA History

Fox’s regular season numbers in crunch time reflect his winning of the award. According to StatMuse, Fox was first in clutch points in the league. As well as first in clutch FG%, 1st in 4th quarter points, and the most clutch points since LeBron James in 2018 with 194. With those numbers, it would have been a robbery if anyone else had won the award. Having someone this clutch on your side should bring comfort to Kings fans. Fox has already proven to be a clutch player in his first playoff appearance.

The Kings are just two more victories away from moving on to the second round. But those victories will not come easy. It will take clutch performances from De’Aaron Fox and continued great games from names like Sabonis and Monk. The Kings want to show the league that they’re here to stay. Beating the Warriors will do just that. What are your thoughts on the newest NBA award? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section. For the latest NBA news, keep it right here with HNHH.

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