Grip on Sports: There is a bit of money to be made in the NBA these days

A GRIP ON SPORTS • There are some mornings when preparing this feature is really hard. Like this morning. But there is always something to look into. Like this morning. Read on.

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• Willie Nelson once famously sung about not letting your babies grow up to be cowboys. Doctors, lawyers and such were preferable.

How about basketball stars?

If you’re wondering why we would say that, you haven’t been paying attention to the NBA lately.

Yes, playing in the league is hard. Many players deal with more than 100 physically demanding games each season (including preseason and playoffs). Then there is the private jets, the limos, the fame. But there is also a huge upside.

That was illustrated again yesterday, with a couple of examples on the Golden State Warriors.

There is Steph Curry’s new contract with the Warriors. It will pay him the paltry sum of $201 million over the next five years. It’s a record, surpassing the one agreed to by Blake Griffin ($175.74 million over five years) hours earlier.

But at least Curry and Griffin are getting that money for playing basketball.

Klay Thompson hit the jackpot just for wearing a shoe.

It was reported yesterday Thompson, the former WSU star, agreed to an extension of $80 million over 10 years with Anta, a China-based shoe company.

When Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott began pushing his Asia initiative while Thompson was at WSU, who knew it would pay off this well.

Not for the conference, mind you, but for a conference alum.

It makes one wonder about those days, when Thompson was sharing a house in Pullman with some teammates and friends, eating a lot of Top Ramen and playing video games, if he dreamed of this.

You know, caressing the NBA championship trophy at center court while wearing Chinese shoes as $100 bills rain down from the rafters.

That’s every boy’s dream, really.

• The Utah Jazz made a trade yesterday. It was reportedly made, in part, to show free agent Gordon Hayward the team was serious about improving.

The Jazz sent a No. 1 pick next season to Minnesota for Ricky Rubio, one of the premier point guards in the league.

The unintended, and local, consequence may be felt by this year’s No. 2 pick, Gonzaga’s Nigel Williams-Goss, as his road to the NBA just got a bit tougher.

Though the numbers game in Salt Lake City probably won’t change. The purchase of Rubio indicates last year’s point guard, George Hill, probably won’t be re-signed, meaning Williams-Goss still must prove he’s better than the Shelvin Macks of the world to make the team.

And that concludes our NBA report for the day.

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WSU: The Cougars received a commitment from a 2018 running back yesterday, but it may not be one to take to the bank. After all, Max Borghi had already committed to Colorado. … Around the Pac-12 yesterday, Washington’s basketball assistants will all be getting the same pay. … Don’t expect massive improvement in the Oregon defense next season.

Gonzaga: When it comes time to prepare the what-I-did-during-summer-vacation essay, Killian Tille and Rui Hachimura (dunking, right) will have plenty to write about. So did Jim Meehan in this story about the duo. … The Zags were longshots to attract coveted 2018 recruit Taeshon Cherry. The five-star wing announced yesterday he was committed to USC. … Speaking of the NBA (and we were above), former GU forward Domantas Sabonis was part of yesterday’s biggest trade, the one in which Paul George ended up in Oklahoma City.

EWU: The Eagles cut ties with a football player who was arrested recently. Nina Culver has more in this story.

Indians: Mark it down. Some day, maybe even today, the Spokane Indians will win a road game this season. It just wasn’t yesterday, as they lost 8-2 at Boise, their eighth consecutive road loss. … Around the Northwest League, Tri-City lost for a second consecutive night, Everett fell to Hillsboro and Eugene won on the road.

Chiefs: A Spokane player will spend next week in Toronto at camp.

Mariners: The losing streak is over. Dave Nichols’ Mariners Log is back. Coincidence? The links are available there.

Sounders: Seattle picked up a Dutch defender, who will be added when the transfer window opens July 10. … Real Salt Lake’s home winning streak is over.

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• Hope there was enough for you today. This is the deadest of the dead times, though next week may even be worse. Oh joy. Until later …