The NBA is reportedly withholding 25 percent of player paychecks beginning Friday, and while this will obviously affect every player, it will also have a unique affect on some of the highest paid players in the league.
Per ESPN's Bobby Marks, six of the league's 10 highest-paid players have already been fully paid in advance for the 2019-20 season. The list includes Kevin Durant, as well as LeBron James, Stephen Curry, John Wall, Blake Griffin, and Paul George.
But these players will not avoid the coronavirus economic impact. Per ESPN, the players paid in advance for this season will have their salary deductions come out of next season's paychecks, starting in either October or November.
So just how much will Durant have to give up per paycheck?
SNY calculates that Durant, who signed a four-year deal worth a bit over $164 million this past offseason, would owe $387,000 per paycheck next season, based on his season salary being divided into 24 paychecks and then 25 percent being deducted.
Potentially, though, that number could be even higher.
The current calculations are based off the 25 percent pay cut, but the outcome of what happens with the 2019-20 season could change things drastically.
Per ESPN, if the rest of the regular season is canceled and the league returns to play by going straight into the playoffs, players likely will see the 25 percent paycheck reduction increase as high as 40%. And if the league cancels the entire season and postseason, players are projected to lose more than $1 billion in total salary.
Some teams in states where lockdown restrictions are lessening are beginning to reopen their practice facilities, but the NBA still has not announced any formal plans to restart the season. One idea that has been discussed, though, is what NBA commissioner Adam Silver has called a "campus environment," with all games being played in one or two destinations, like Disney World or Las Vegas.
No matter what the league ultimately decides, though, the financial ramifications of the coronavirus pandemic remain severe.