Wesley Matthews: 'I Signed a Contract and Didn't Know What a Signing Bonus Was'

NBA player Wesley Matthews recently shared an amusing story from the early stages of his professional career, recounting how he signed a substantial five-year, $35 million contract without fully grasping the concept of a "signing bonus."

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He calls me. He’s like, ‘All right, we got a 5-year deal.’ I’m like, ‘We’re going the wrong way’

Matthews, who went undrafted in 2009, managed to secure a place in the NBA. Just a year later, he found himself negotiating a lucrative deal. He recalled his agent calling to inform him about the contract, saying, "Okay, we have a five-year deal." Matthews, initially confused, responded, "We're going the wrong way."

His agent then detailed the contract's financial aspects, including a figure of "35 million, 9.2 upfront." Matthews admitted he didn't understand what these numbers meant. When his agent explained that the $9.2 million was a signing bonus, Matthews still needed further clarification. "What does that mean?" he asked, to which his agent replied, "You get it when you sign, right? You get it in a few days."

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He’s like, ‘I got a 5-year deal. It’s like 35 million, 9.2 upfront.’ I’m like, I don’t know what any of this means.

The anecdote vividly illustrates the dramatic shift in Matthews' financial situation within a single season. He went from being an undrafted player, earning the league minimum in his rookie year, to securing a deal that paid him more than highly touted players like Blake Griffin and Steph Curry at the time.

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He said, ‘That’s a signing bonus.’ And I’m like, ‘What does that mean?’ He said, ‘You get it when you sign, right? You get it in a few days.’