
via Imago
Jan 2, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Shake Milton (20) warms up prior to the game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

via Imago
Jan 2, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Shake Milton (20) warms up prior to the game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
“They’re not gonna ask me to come in and get 25 shots and have all these isolations, so it’s just about doing what you do well,” Shake Milton said at the NBA Draft Combine. His words reflected a deep understanding of his role in the NBA. It felt like he knew that his value wouldn’t come from scoring alone but from his ability to knock down shots and disrupt on defense.
Despite critics questioning his defensive commitment, he remained focused on proving his worth as a pesky, active defender. That mentality, rooted in hard work and self-awareness, has shaped his steady rise today through the league. So, let’s explore how that mindset translated into his NBA career and the contracts that have followed.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
What is Shake Milton’s contract with the Lakers? Exploring all his NBA contracts.
After spending most of his time on the East Coast, looks like Shake Milton has found his home on the West Coast. On December 29, 2024, he was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, marking a key moment in his career. But he is part of a sign-and-trade deal that sent him to the Purple and Gold team. Here’s how, before joining the Lakers, he had a brief stint with the New York Knicks in March 2024, where he signed a 3-year, $9.16 million contract. Ok, you are confused, right? But let’s clear it out for you about the sign-and-trade.
It’s basically a strategy that allows a team to sign a player to a contract and then quickly trade him to another team. In Milton’s case, after signing with the Knicks, he was quickly moved to the Brooklyn Nets on July 2024, before being traded again to the Lakers. Here’s the main key, this deal allowed the Lakers to add a talented player without needing to clear cap space.
Now talking about the contract, following the trade, the hooper signed a contract with the Lakers, which included $2.87 million in guaranteed money and an average annual salary of $3.05 million. The first year of the contract, that is the 2024–25 season, will see him earning a base salary of $2.87 million. But, in the coming years, his salary will see a rise to $3 million in 2025–26 and $3.29 million in 2026–27.
However, if you see from the Lakers’ side, acquiring Milton will help them strengthen their bench and add another scoring option. After years of proving himself across various teams, he now has a chance to make a significant impact on a team with high aspirations, marking a crucial chapter in his growing NBA journey.

What’s your perspective on:
Is Shake Milton's journey a testament to perseverance, or just the harsh reality of the NBA?
Have an interesting take?
Ok, now let’s get into his earlier contracts. In 2018, Milton’s NBA journey began when the Dallas Mavericks selected him in the second round of the draft. But rather than finding his first home in Dallas, he was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers. In Philly, the young guard’s potential began to surface. He signed a two-way contract with the team in 2018, spending his time between the NBA team and their G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats.
As a year went on, his game improved. In 2019, before the start of the 2019–2020 season, he secured a more permanent spot with the 76ers, signing a four-year deal worth just under $5 million. Isn’t it his big break? However, as all NBA careers flow, Milton’s time with the 76ers eventually came to an end. By 2023, he entered free agency and quickly found a new shelter with the Minnesota Timberwolves. His time was short but impactful. For instance, once he had a standout performance in a game against the Memphis Grizzlies, where he scored 17 points, but there again came a trade. This time, the hoopster found himself traded to the Detroit Pistons on February 7, 2024.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
But, again his time with this team was short-lived too. After just a few weeks, he agreed to a buyout on March 1, 2024. His contract was effectively voided, leaving him once again a free agent. It didn’t take long for the New York Knicks to scoop him up. On March 5, 2024, Milton signed with the Knicks, adding another chapter to his story. And then we know what happened.
As we know, NBA is an unpredictable world, but his resilience continued to shine. Now, with the Lakers, Milton is positioned to make a meaningful contribution to the NBA’s one of the most storied franchises, and this serves as a reminder that success in the NBA isn’t always immediate. However, now that we have covered a major part of our article, let’s get into knowing about his net and brand deals.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
What is Shake Milton’s net worth? How many brand deals does he have?
Where some hoopers are too open about their lives, some are not. And with Shake Milton’s case, he is not. So his net worth is not clearly known, but according to some online reports, it’s estimated at around $16.9 million. However, so far in the NBA, he has earned $12,621,934. The number climbs to $13,914,826 when factoring in his full contract earnings. Despite his growing success, as said, Milton keeps a low profile off the court. It surprises that being a hooper, he has only four posts on Instagram, and his social media presence is modest.
But wait, what will surprise you even more is that Milton has no reported brand deals or any paid brand partnerships. However, this speaks that his success, both financially and professionally, is a result of his hard work, patience, and consistency—traits that have driven him through every stage of his career.
Have something to say?
Let the world know your perspective.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Debate
Is Shake Milton's journey a testament to perseverance, or just the harsh reality of the NBA?