BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – MARCH 06: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics brings the ball up court during the first quarter of the game against the Utah Jazz at TD Garden on March 06, 2020 in Boston, Massachusetts. 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 Omar Rawlings/Getty Images)
Missing out on an All-NBA Team selection can have massive financial repercussions, as Jayson Tatum and Donovan Mitchell are about to find out.
The NBA announced its 2020-21 All-NBA First, Second and Third Teams on Tuesday night. Notably absent from the list are Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum and Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell.
Getting snubbed from an All-NBA nod can hurt more than just a player’s ego. For both Tatum and Mitchell, it hits the wallet too. Both players are eligible for a contract extension in 2021-22 at the rookie maximum of 25 percent of the salary cap. Per their current contracts, had they been named to an All-NBA Team, Tatum and Mitchell could have received an extra $33 million.
All-NBA snub costs Tatum and Mitchell $33 million
Look, Tatum and Mitchell aren’t exactly hurting for cash, and there are bigger problems in the world. But these guys were both deserving of an All-NBA selection and it sucks to see young players get snubbed in favor of established stars. All due respect to Jimmy Butler and Paul George, but they should not have made the list ahead of Tatum and Mitchell. Notably, Tatum finished with the most votes of any player who did not make the All-NBA list.
Mitchell and Tatum each had career-best years in their fourth NBA seasons, averaging 26.4 points apiece. Tatum accomplished historic scoring feats down the stretch and Mitchell lead the Jazz to the best record in the NBA. A nice bonus for their efforts would have been fitting, but instead, NBA media voting just robbed two of their brightest young stars of $33 million.