Despite 36-Day Stint With $2.1 Billion Team, Ex-NBA Star Reaps Kevin Garnett-Like Benefits ? Here?s Why

The tall and larger-than-life persona of Kevin Garnett helped shape the NBA for the better. He had a charisma that drew countless fans, and ?The Big Ticket? was no mere label ? instead it signified the unbelievable amount of business he generated for the league as well as the clubs that were lucky enough to host him. This Hall of Famer gave fans a reason to reach deep into their pockets to be able to watch them. Garnett?s legacy extended beyond the court and interestingly there is a similar tale with Andrew Nicholson.

Former NBA Player Still Banking

Concerning this league where careers rely on injuries or performance, Andrew Nicholson is an exceptional example. However, his last season in the NBA was 2016/17 when he was involved in just 38 regular games, featuring both the Brooklyn Nets and Washington Wizards. Notably, he averaged only 2.6 points and 1.6 rebounds.

The 33-year-old was off the hardwood for six years, but he?s still on the payroll of the Portland Trail Blazers. This is an indication that NBA contracts are complicated.

In 2016, the Washington Wizards paid him a whopping $26 million, indicating that they had confidence in him back then. Nevertheless, the Wizards finally traded him to the Brooklyn Nets who later transferred him to the Trail Blazers during the summer of 2017. It is here that things became interesting.

When he arrived in Portland, Nicholson was waived using the stretch provision that made his contract run until the 2023/24 season, amounting to a $2,844,430 salary every year. That is how teams spread the cap hit over the years into their salary. It is because such a financier tactic helped Portland manage their cap effectively yet Nicholson kept receiving checks for not playing in the NBA.

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Luckily, the Trail Blazers? books will be cleansed of Nicholson?s salary during the next summer. Nevertheless, we have the other side of the NBA story that makes us wonder about the legacy of contracts spanning more than a player?s court performance.

Nicholson’s Unconventional Journey

Nicholson?s NBA career had its ups and downs. He took the route through the Magic, Nets, and Wizards in his five-season stint in the league after being the 19th pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. His career stats show versatility as he averaged 6.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, and shot 46.7 percent from the field and 32.1 percent from three-point range in 285 regular season games.

Nevertheless, Nicholson?s best season occurred in his rookie year at the Magic when he demonstrated a promising prospect, averaging 7.8 points and 3.4 rebounds per game as well as shooting 52.7% in 75 games. It is a demonstration of the initial prospect that culminated in a multi-million dollar contract with the Wizards that made the unusual financial condition with the Trail Blazers possible.

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Andrew Nicholson?s story shows that Kevin Garnett can still benefit from an influential NBA career even if he stopped scoring baskets. It?s a reminder that the NBA is not only about the game but also the complicated financings that prop the league.