NBA | Cleveland, OH
What a Cleveland Cavaliers contract really pays
Real 2026 take-home numbers for Cleveland Cavaliers players, from the NBA minimum up. Federal tax, Ohio tax, the jock tax, and the agent, all in.
At a glance
- Home games taxed by
- Ohio
- Top rate there
- 2.75%
- Rank for take-home
- 17 of 30
- NBA agent cap
- 4%
- Road duty days (est.)
- 31%
- Taxing places visited
- 19
Take-home by salary
| Salary | Taxes | Fees | Keeps |
|---|---|---|---|
| $1,357,763min | $566,747 | $92,888 | $698,128 (51%) |
| $5,000,000 | $2,201,049 | $275,000 | $2,523,951 (50%) |
| $15,000,000 | $6,690,214 | $775,000 | $7,534,786 (50%) |
| $40,000,000 | $17,916,524 | $2,025,000 | $20,058,476 (50%) |
Single, living in Ohio, max agent fee, 1% advisor fee, and $25K a year for a CPA and lawyer. Estimates for education.
Statement of earnings
$15M with the Cleveland Cavaliers
One season. Lives in Ohio. Single.
Top federal rate is 37% on taxable income over $640,600. Reduced by a credit for tax paid to Canada.
1.45% on every dollar, plus 0.9% on pay over $200,000. No cap.
6.2% on the first $184,500 only.
Your home state taxes all of your pay, minus a credit for tax you paid other states.
A local wage tax on pay earned at your home venue.
About 31% of your duty days are on the road. Road states and cities with an income tax each take a cut. Estimated across 19 taxing places your league visits.
Taken from the gross, before taxes. For team salary it is not deductible on your federal return.
Business manager, financial advisor, and similar percentage fees.
Multi-state returns, contract review, estate documents.
What you actually keep
$7,534,786
You keep
50%
Cleveland Cavaliers pay questions
Do Cleveland Cavaliers players pay state income tax?+
Yes. Ohio taxes the pay earned on duty days in the state, even for players who live somewhere else. The top rate is 2.75%. There is also a local income tax at the venue.
How much does a NBA minimum salary player on the Cleveland Cavaliers take home?+
On the NBA minimum of $1,357,763, a single player living in Ohio keeps about $698,128 after taxes and a 4% agent fee, or about 51%.
How does the Cleveland Cavaliers rank for take-home pay?+
At $15,000,000 a season, the Cleveland Cavaliers rank 17 of 30 NBA teams for what a player keeps, assuming he or she lives in the team's state. The top team on that list is the Dallas Mavericks.
KeepMyCheck is not affiliated with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the NBA, or its players association. Team names only describe where games are played.