How being selected for the All-NBA team makes Anthony Edwards, Luka Dončić and others richer

BOSTON – Luka Dončić, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Anthony Edwards and Tyrese Haliburton were among 15 NBA stars who all received league honors on Wednesday, but their awards come with massive financial rewards.

The first, second and third All-NBA teams were announced before Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals. Dončić, who plays for the Dallas Mavericks in the series, was named to the first team along with Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo, Oklahoma City's Gilgeous-Alexander, reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokić of Denver and Boston's Jayson Tatum.

Edwards from Minnesota, who is also in the West final, Anthony Davis from the LA Lakers, Kevin Durant from Phoenix, Kawhi Leonard from the LA Clippers and Jalen Brunson from New York were named to the All-NBA second team. The third team consists of Haliburton of Indiana, Stephen Curry of Golden State, LeBron James of the LA Lakers, Domantas Sabonis of Sacramento and Devin Booker of Phoenix.

Dončić and Gilgeous-Alexander will get richer thanks to something known in league circles as the “Jayson Tatum Rule.”

Due to length of service (six years for both players), neither player is eligible for a contract extension this summer, but they will be next year. Each player must have been on All-NBA teams in at least two of the last three seasons through the summer of 2025, a requirement to qualify for the maximum allowable contract extension..

Dončić's The contract extension would be worth $346 million over five years. Gilgeous-Alexander's deal would be $294 million more Period.

In the case of Haliburton and Edwards, the huge rookie contracts they signed last summer will increase in value by about $40 million. Both signed five-year, $204 million contract extensions that, by league rule, would be increased if they were voted All-NBA for the first time.

Haliburton has overcome injuries this season to ensure he played at least 65 regular-season games to qualify for All-NBA honors.

“Apparently, “We know the financial benefit it has for me,” Haliburton said Wednesday in Boston before the All-League selection was announced. “And I think that's just the fruits of my labor. It would be cool to see that appreciation reflected in my game.”

Antetokounmpo, who finished second in the NBA in scoring (30.4 points per game), made the All-NBA first team for the sixth consecutive year, joining only legend Jerry West in also earning that honor during his career.

Dončić, the league's leading scorer with 33.9 points per game and second in assists (9.8), is in first placefirst team for the fifth time in a row. Dwight Howard, George Gervin and George Mikan are the others to do so in so many consecutive seasons.

Jokić, who is now a three-time NBA MVP after winning the award two weeks ago, and Gilgeous-Alexander, Second alongside Jokić in the MVP vote, the players were unanimously elected to the first team. Dončić received 98 of a possible 99 first-team votes from the panel of NBA writers and commentators, while Antetokounmpo received 88 votes.

Tatum, whose Celtics beat the Pacers 1-0 in the Eastern Conference finals, received 65 first-team votes, Brunson 37. It is Jokić's fourth consecutive first-team selection and Tatum's third consecutive selection.

James, 39, extended his league record for consecutive seasons on an All-NBA team to 20. Durant made the All-NBA list for the 11th time in his career and Curry made his 10th selection..

The This year, voters were able to make their selections without any positional restrictions, which is a change from the past. The team ended up with two guards (Dončić, Gilgeous-Alexander), two forwards (Tatum, Antetokounmpo) and a center (Jokić) on the first team, but in years past, voters had to decide whether Jokić or Joel Embiid would make the first team at center.

That wasn't a problem this season, as Embiid was ineligible after failing to reach the 65-game limit.

The NBA Awards season is now complete. Here's a look at the other winners:

Defensive player: Rudy Gobert from Minnesota

Beginner: Victor Wembanyama from San Antonio

Most Improved: Tyrese Maxey from Philadelphia

Sixth man: Naz Reid from Minnesota

Clutch Players: curry

Trainer: Mark Daigneault of Oklahoma City

Pure defensive and pure rookie teams were also announced this week.

— Eric Nehm contributed to this story.

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(Photo: C. Morgan Engel / Getty Images)