As our two-way contract tracker shows, 70 of the 90 two-way slots available around the NBA are currently occupied, with 20 still open.
The NBA’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement permits teams to carry three players on two-way deals instead of just two, increasing the league-wide total to a maximum of 90 instead of 60. In other words, that total of 70 active two-way players is a new record, and it only figures to continue rising as the regular season nears.
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Here are a few details on this year’s two-way contracts and slots:
- A total of 64 two-way contracts have been signed during the 2023/24 league year. Two of those players who signed two-way deals – Knicks guards Trevor Keels and Duane Washington – were subsequently waived, but the other 62 are still under contract.
- A total of 13 two-way contracts carried over from last season, since they were for two years instead of one. Eight of those deals are still active. The other five? Nets forward RaiQuan Gray, Hornets forward Xavier Sneed, Lakers forward Cole Swider, and Wizards guard Quenton Jackson were waived, while Pelicans forward E.J. Liddell was converted to a standard deal, agreeing to a three-year contract with New Orleans.
- Three two-way qualifying offers remain on the table. Hawks guard Trent Forrest, Hornets guard Theo Maledon, and Timberwolves wing Matt Ryan still have the option of accepting those qualifying offers and returning to their respective teams on new two-way contracts. All three clubs have one two-way slot available, so no corresponding moves would be necessary to clear roster space.
- Of the 64 two-way contracts signed this year, seven have been for two years; the other 57 have been for just one year, putting those players on track for restricted free agency in 2024. The seven players who signed two-year deals are Hornets forward Leaky Black, Cavaliers guard Craig Porter Jr., Clippers forward Jordan Miller, Lakers forward Alex Fudge, Bucks guard Omari Moore, Timberwolves guard Jaylen Clark, and Knicks wing Jaylen Martin.
- The Warriors and the Pelicans are the only clubs with a pair of two-way openings. Every team is carrying at least one player on a two-way contract, and the other 28 besides Golden State and New Orleans are carrying at least two.
- In 2022, 14 players had their Exhibit 10 contracts converted to two-way contracts before opening night. If roughly the same number of Exhibit 10 conversions occur this fall, many of the 20 two-way slots that remain open may not be filled for a while. However, it’s worth noting that – since two-way deals feature such modest guarantees ($75K) and don’t count against the salary cap – teams typically don’t hesitate to shuffle players in and out of those slots. So there could still be plenty of turnover in the coming weeks beyond those 20 openings.