The NBA 2K League is once again raising the stakes, announcing a $1.4 million prize pool for season three on Thursday afternoon.
The league’s prize pools have steadily climbed since its inception, from an even $1 million in season one to $1.2 million in season two. The payout structure for this season goes:
- The Tipoff: $150,000
- The Turn: $230,000
- NBA 2K League playoffs: $900,000
- NBA 2K League 2020 Champion: $420,000 (from the playoff prize pool)
The league also announced its 2020 season schedule, which features team-hosted round robin weeks and rivalry matchups. The six round robin matchups will each have a prize pool of $20,000 with the winner of the championship game (the one game of the round robin that does not contribute to a team’s regular-season record) receiving $15,000.
The Ticket tournament has been moved to the end of the season. With the league playoff field expanded to 10 spots, the 14 teams outside playoff position at the end of the season will vie for the 10th and final spot during the Ticket, which no longer has an additional, monetary prize.
Base salaries in the league have changed slightly from the 2019 structure, with retained players netting an extra $500. All NBA 2K League players who competed in the 2019 season and were retained by teams prior to the 2020 draft will earn a base salary of $37,500. First-round selections in the 2020 draft will earn a base salary of $35,000. Players who were selected in the second round or later will earn a base salary of $33,000.
