One former Nets player took issue with how Jimmy Butler reportedly felt about previous accounting errors in Miami amidst constant trade rumors.
During The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz on Jan. 14, insider Chris Haynes claimed that Butler and his inner circle were informed late last summer of a mistake that led to him not properly getting paid, which took the franchise more than a week to correct. Of course, this did nothing but add to Butler's increasingly strained relationship with the Heat, among many concerns, financial or otherwise.
"It took the team about 10 days for him to get his payment," Haynes said. "That's never happened."
The 35-year-old star was ultimately suspended by the organization for seven games on Jan. 3 due to multiple instances of conduct detrimental to the team following his public dissatisfaction and request for a trade, but it in no way came as a shock. With the future in Miami uncertain, this six-time NBA All-Star's saga has now become one of the most attractive talking points for pundits covering the Feb. 6 trade deadline.
Responding to Butler's ongoing dispute with the Heat, six-year NBA guard Nik Stauskas – who played 35 games in Brooklyn during the 2017-18 season – revealed that the Nets underpaid him for months upon joining the organization. The 2014 No. 8 overall pick recorded 6.7 points per game during his time in the league, with multiple other stops in Sacramento, Philadelphia, Portland, Cleveland, Miami and Boston.
"When I played for the Nets in 2018, my first two months I got paid less than what I was owed," Stauskas wrote on X. "Wasn’t until my mom pointed it out to the team, that they corrected it. Errors happen. That’s not a legitimate reason to have a bad relationship with the organization. Be a professional."
When I played for the Nets in 2018, my first two months I got paid less than what I was owed. Wasn’t until my mom pointed it out to the team, that they corrected it. Errors happen. That’s not a legitimate reason to have a bad relationship with the organization. Be a professional. https://t.co/6JXitin7d6
— Nik Stauskas (@NStauskas11) January 16, 2025
Storytime on X regarding the cup of coffee in Brooklyn didn't stop there, either.
His interactions detailed that the discrepancy was roughly 5-10 percent per check with the Nets, joking that he still hopes more cash was missed somewhere. Stauskas and Butler are on two completely different pay scales, though.
Stauskas also replied to a comment referring to his mom as 'the real MVP,' stating she never missed a dime and set him up for financial success. His agent didn't even catch the Nets’ negligence, regardless of a four-percent share. Providing fans more insight on X, he added that players can choose to receive payment bi-weekly throughout the course of the season or the calendar year.
"I always did calendar year," Stauskas explained. "Granted I never felt I was in a position to request otherwise."
On Dec. 15, 2017, Stauskas made his Nets debut with a team-high 22 points in a 120-87 road loss to the Toronto Raptors. While promising to start, the Mississauga, Ontario native went on to average just 5.1 points in 13.7 minutes per contest through his short stint with Brooklyn, nonetheless a consummate professional.
"Twenty-something in Toronto," Stauskas reflected on his introduction to the Nets. "Little hometown cooking… thought I was onto something."