Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards received another fine from the NBA on Tuesday, this time for his “inappropriate” and “obscene” taunts of Los Angeles Lakers fans in Game 1 of their Western Conference first-round playoff series. The incident will cost him $50,000.
Edwards leads the NBA in fine amount: $514,000, per Spotrac, a number that includes automatic fines for technicals and ejections. Because many of his offenses have involved foul language and gone viral on social media, he is widely portrayed as the face of NBA-issued punishment this season.
But other players, including Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis and Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid, have actually surrendered more salary to the league than Edwards. That is because suspensions without pay divert cash to the same place as fine money under the collective bargaining agreement.
Officials at the NBA and the NBA Players Association confirmed that under the current CBA, lost wages from suspensions without pay convert to charitable donations rather than remaining with the teams. Half of the funds go to a nonprofit selected by the NBPA and half go to a nonprofit selected by the NBA.
Portis’ 25-game unpaid suspension related to a positive test for the banned substance Tramadol forced him to give up more than $4 million in expected salary out of his $12.5 million annual salary.
Embiid served a three-game unpaid suspension for a locker room incident with a local reporter, which cost him about $1 million out of his $51.4 million annual salary. He also coughed up another $75,000 for making “obscene” gestures in a December win in Boston.
Edwards lost one game check this year when he received a one-game suspension for technical foul accumulation during the regular season. His annual salary is $42.2 million.
Embiid and the 76ers failed to reach the postseason, while Portis has rejoined Milwaukee’s rotation in a first-round series against the Indiana Pacers. Edwards’ Timberwolves already have flipped home court advantage in their set with the Lakers by winning Game 1 before sustaining a Game 2 defeat in LA.
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