2024 NBA Conference finals prize money breakdown: How much will the winners get?

The NBA Conference finals are wrapping up this week, with the Boston Celtics having already defeated the Indiana Pacers in a four-game sweep. Meanwhile, the Dallas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves continue to battle it out in the West, with the Mavs eager to complete their own sweep. Of course, winning the conference finals doesn't only clinch a championship berth.

Teams who win the NBA Conference finals also earn their share of prize money. This year, the NBA's collective bargaining agreement (CBA) has allotted $27.5 million for postseason bonus money. This is broken up over the course of the postseason, with an increasing prize pool for winners.

Below you can see the breakdown of this prize money for teams who reach each of the postseason rounds, courtesy of TalkSport:

• Reaching first round: $402,000
• Reaching second round (Conference Semis): $478,000
• Reaching Conference finals: $791,000
• Reaching NBA Finals: $3.1 million
• Winning NBA championship: $4.7M

As you can see, the further teams make it into the postseason, the more money they earn. Teams who win the West and the East and make it to the finals win $3.1 million, while the NBA champions end up pocketing $4.7 million.

It's important to note that the prize money is awarded to teams, who then divide it up amongst players. In some cases, it may be split evenly, in other cases, starters may make more than bench players.

Looking at the NBA Conference finals as we prepare for the NBA Finals

As previously mentioned, this year's NBA Conference finals are still taking place. While the Boston Celtics, who finished with the best record in the NBA, have clinched the East and punched their ticket to the finals, things are still up in the air out West.

Although no team has been able to overcome a 3-0 deficit during the postseason, the Minnesota Timberwolves will try to do just that as they look to stave off elimination. Of course, on the flip side, the Mavericks will look to close the series out Tuesday night at home en route to an NBA Finals berth.

Whoever wins would not only secure the $3.1 million prize for reaching the NBA Finals, but also set themselves up for a best-of-seven series with the Celtics.

Looking at the Dallas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves' records against the Boston Celtics ahead of Game 4 of WCF

While the Minnesota Timberwolves could become the first team to overcome a 3-0 deficit in a postseason series, the odds don't seem to be in their favor. Over the years, 154 NBA teams have tried to come back from down 3-0 in a postseason series, but none have been able to do so.

Should the Timberwolves become the first and win their NBA Conference finals series, the team would then meet the Celtics in the finals. This season, the Timberwolves split their regular-season series with the Celtics, winning one game while losing another.

Similarly, the Dallas Mavericks also split wins with the Celtics, winning one game apiece during the regular season.