Month: June 2025

NBA Minimum Salaries For 2025/26

An NBA team that has spent all its cap space and doesn’t have any of its mid-level or bi-annual exception available still always has the ability to sign a player to a minimum-salary contract, unless that club is right up against its hard cap.

Teams with cap room or with access to the non-taxpayer mid-level exception will have a little more flexibility to sign players to longer-term minimum-salary contracts. However, teams without cap room and without any other exceptions on hand can still use the minimum salary exception to add as many players as roster limits and the hard cap allow, for contracts of up to two years.

[RELATED: Values of 2025/26 mid-level, bi-annual exceptions]

Undrafted free agents and second-round picks are often recipients of minimum-salary contracts, but there are plenty of veterans who end up settling for the minimum too. Because a player’s minimum salary is determined by how much NBA experience he has, many veterans will earn more than twice as much money as a rookie will in 2025/26 on a minimum-salary contract.

Listed below are 2025/26’s minimum salary figures, sorted by years of NBA experience. If a player spent any time on an NBA club’s active regular season roster in a given season, he earned one year of experience. So any player with zero years of experience has not yet made his NBA debut.

These figures represent approximately a 10% increase on last season’s minimum salaries, since that’s the amount of the NBA’s salary cap increase for 2025/26.

Here’s the full breakdown:

Years of Experience Salary
0 $1,272,870
1 $2,048,494
2 $2,296,274
3 $2,378,870
4 $2,461,463
5 $2,667,947
6 $2,874,436
7 $3,080,921
8 $3,287,409
9 $3,303,774
10+ $3,634,153

Because the NBA doesn’t want teams to avoid signing veteran players in favor of cheaper, younger players, the league reimburses clubs who sign veterans with three or more years of experience to one-year, minimum-salary contracts. Those deals will only count against the cap – and against a team’s bank balance – for $2,296,274, the minimum salary for a player with two years of experience.

For instance, Mason Plumlee, who has 12 seasons of NBA experience, will reportedly sign a one-year, minimum-salary contract with the Hornets, who will only be charged $2,296,274 for Plumlee’s contract. He’ll earn $3,634,153, but the NBA will make up the difference. This rule only applies to one-year contracts, not to multiyear deals.

If a player signs a minimum-salary contract after the regular season begins, he’ll earn a prorated portion of the amount listed above.

Those figures listed above also only apply to players who are signing new contracts in 2025/26. Players who are in the second, third, or fourth year of a minimum-salary deal will be earning a slightly different predetermined amount.

For example, Knicks big man Ariel Hukporti – who signed a minimum-salary contract last season and now has one year of NBA experience – will earn a $1,955,377 salary in the second year of his contract, less than than the $2,048,494 he would receive if he were signing a new minimum deal this fall. That’s because his second-year salary is based on a 5% raise over last season’s minimum salary for a player with one year of experience, whereas the cap rose by 10%.

Here’s what multiyear minimum-salary contracts signed in 2025/26 will look like:

Experience
2025/26 2026/27 2027/28 2028/29
0 $1,272,870 $2,150,917 $2,525,901 $2,735,698
1 $2,048,494 $2,411,090 $2,616,754 $2,830,685
2 $2,296,274 $2,497,812 $2,707,612 $3,068,140
3 $2,378,870 $2,584,539 $2,934,742 $3,305,598
4 $2,461,463 $2,801,346 $3,161,876 $3,543,059
5 $2,667,947 $3,018,158 $3,389,014 $3,780,524
6 $2,874,436 $3,234,968 $3,616,151 $3,799,340
7 $3,080,921 $3,451,779 $3,634,152 $4,179,277
8 $3,287,409 $3,468,962 $3,997,570 $4,179,277
9 $3,303,774 $3,815,861 $3,997,570 $4,179,277
10+ $3,634,153 $3,815,861 $3,997,570 $4,179,277

Technically, a minimum-salary contract could cover five years for a player with full Bird rights, but in actuality, that never happens.

While some second-round picks and undrafted free agents will sign three- or four-year minimum-salary contracts, a minimum deal exceeding two years is rare for a player with more than a year or two of NBA experience under his belt.


Data from RealGM was used in the creation of this post.

Values Of 2025/26 Mid-Level, Bi-Annual Exceptions

The salary cap for the 2025/26 NBA league year has officially been set, with the league announcing that the cap will be $154,647,000, a 10% increase on last year’s number.

Under the league’s current Collective Bargaining Agreement, the values of the mid-level, room, and bi-annual exceptions are tied to the salary cap and the percentage that it shifts in a given year. Here’s how that math works:

  • Non-taxpayer mid-level exception: Worth 9.12% of salary cap.
  • Taxpayer mid-level exception: Increases at the same rate as the salary cap.
  • Room exception: Worth 5.678% of the salary cap.
  • Bi-annual exception: Worth 3.32% of the salary cap.

Listed below are the maximum annual and total values of each of these exceptions, along with a brief explanation of how they work and which teams will have access to them. For more information, check out glossary entries on the mid-level exception and the bi-annual exception.


Mid-Level Exception (Non-Taxpayer):

Year Salary
2025/26 $14,104,000
2026/27 $14,809,200
2027/28 $15,514,400
2028/29 $16,219,600
Total $60,647,200

The non-taxpayer mid-level exception is the primary tool available for over-the-cap teams to add free agents. As long as a team hasn’t dipped below the cap to use cap space and doesn’t go over the first tax apron ($195,945,000) at all, it can use this MLE, which runs for up to four years with 5% annual raises.

This exception can also be used to acquire players via trade or waiver claim.


Mid-Level Exception (Taxpayer):

Year Salary
2025/26 $5,685,000
2026/27 $5,969,250
Total $11,654,250

This lesser form of the mid-level exception is capped at two years and can only be used to sign free agents, not to acquire players via trade or waiver claim. It includes a maximum raise of 5% for the second season.

This exception is essentially available to teams who expect their total salaries to fall between the first tax apron and the second apron ($207,824,000). It’s not available to teams above the second tax apron, so a team that does use it becomes hard-capped at that second apron. A team that uses more than $5,685,000 of its mid-level exception will be hard-capped at the first apron.


Room Exception:

Year Salary
2025/26 $8,781,000
2026/27 $9,220,050
2027/28 $9,659,100
Total $27,660,150

Although this is also a mid-level exception of sorts, it’s colloquially known as the “room” exception, since it’s only available to teams that go below the cap and use their cap room.

If a club goes under the cap, it loses its full mid-level exception, but gets this smaller room exception, which allows the team to go over the cap to sign a player once the team has used up all its cap space.

The room exception can be used to sign players for up to three years, with 5% annual raises. It can also be used to acquire players via trade or waiver claim.


Bi-Annual Exception:

Year Salary
2025/26 $5,134,000
2026/27 $5,390,700
Total $10,524,700

The bi-annual exception, as its name suggests, is only available to teams once every two years. Of the NBA’s 30 clubs, only two – the Rockets and Clippers – used it in 2024/25, so they won’t have access to it in ’25/26. The league’s other 28 teams could all theoretically use it this season.

Still, even if a team didn’t use its BAE in ’24/25, that club doesn’t necessarily have access to it for the coming year. As is the case with the non-taxpayer MLE, this exception disappears once a team goes under the cap to use room. It’s also not available to teams over the first tax apron — using the BAE creates a hard cap at that apron.

The BAE can be used to sign players for up to two years, with a 5% raise after year one. It can also be used to acquire players via trade or waiver claim.

Free Agency Rumors: Monk, Pistons, Westbrook, Yabusele, Clippers

The Pistons may be pursuing a trade for Kings guard Malik Monk, reports Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (via Twitter). Dennis Schröder is expected to sign with Sacramento and could get there via a sign-and-trade deal that sends Monk to Detroit.

With Schröder expected to join the Kings and Malik Beasley‘s NBA future up in the air due to a gambling-related investigation, the Pistons have been scouring the trade and free agency markets for ball-handling, scoring, and shooting. The club already agreed to sign Caris LeVert and also has interest in free agent sharpshooter Duncan Robinson, as Fischer confirms (Twitter link).

Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal reports (via Twitter) that the Kings have been shopping Monk in the hopes of finding point guard help, and previously made an offer to the Hawks for Kobe Bufkin and Georges Niang, which Atlanta declined.

We have more free agent rumors from around the league:

  • The Knicks are unlikely to pursue Russell Westbrook with one of their remaining guard spots, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Post (via Twitter). It had previously been reported that there was mutual interest between the two sides, but with Jordan Clarkson set to sign with New York after clearing waivers, the pathway to playing time for Westbrook would be limited.
  • Sixers big man Guerschon Yabusele appears increasingly unlikely to remain in Philadelphia, reports Tony Jones of the Athletic (via Twitter). The skilled French forward had a strong season in his return to the NBA after six years in the EuroLeague. He is expected to be pursued by the Spurs, per Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News (Twitter link), while Jones adds (via Twitter) that the Nuggets are another team to keep an eye on.
  • Jones also reports (via Twitter) that the Sixers have been trying to trade center Andre Drummond and his $5MM expiring salary, though it’s unclear whether that would change the team’s outlook for Yabusele.
  • Neither Amir Coffey nor Ben Simmons seems likely to return to the Clippers, according to Law Murray of The Athletic, who suggests they could probably get better offers elsewhere. Simmons is seeking a deal worth more than the veteran’s minimum, Murray notes.

Gary Trent Jr. Remains With Bucks On Two-Year Deal

July 8: Trent’s new contract is now official, per NBA.com’s transaction log.


June 30: Free agent guard Gary Trent Jr. has agreed to a two-year, $7.5MM deal to remain with the Bucks, ESPN’s Shams Charania tweets. The second year includes a player option.

It’s slightly above the veteran’s minimum, so Milwaukee will apparently use its Non-Bird rights, which allows a team to re-sign a player for up to 120% of his previous salary or 120% of the league’s minimum salary (whichever is greater).

Trent played on the veteran’s minimum this past year despite being at least a part-time starter for Toronto the previous three seasons.

By getting a player option, Trent positions himself for another shot at free agency next summer when more teams are expected to have cap space.

Still just 26, Trent has been in the league since 2016. In his first season with the Bucks, he appeared in 74 games, making nine starts. He averaged 11.1 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.0 steal per game.

Trent made 43.1 percent of his shots, including a near career-high 41.6 percent from deep. Of the 8.9 shots he took per game, a majority (5.9) were beyond the three-point arc.

After Damian Lillard went down with an Achilles injury, Trent had two huge offensive games in the playoffs. He scored 37 points in Game 3 against Indiana and 33 in Game 5 during Milwaukee’s first-round loss.

NBA Maximum Salaries For 2025/26

Now that the NBA has set its salary cap for the 2025/26 league year at $154,647,000, we have a clear idea of what maximum-salary contracts will look like for the coming season.

Listed below are the maximum-salary contracts for players signing contracts that start in 2025/26.

The first chart shows the maximum salaries for a player re-signing with his own team — a player’s previous team can offer five years instead of four, and 8% annual raises instead of 5% raises. The second chart shows the maximum salaries for a player signing with a new team.

These figures will apply to a number of players who signed maximum-salary contract extensions that will go into effect in 2025/26: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard, Jimmy ButlerAnthony Davis, Jayson Tatum, Jamal Murray, Donovan Mitchell, Cade Cunningham, Evan Mobley, Scottie Barnes, and Franz Wagner.

They’ll also apply to anyone who signs a maximum-salary contract with his own team as a free agent in ’25/26.

A player’s maximum salary is generally determined by his years of NBA experience, so there’s a wide gap between potential earnings for younger and older players.

In the charts below, the “6 years or less” column details the maximum contract for a player like Barnes or Wagner, as well as what a free agent like Josh Giddey is eligible for.

The “7-9 years” column applies to players like Murray and Mitchell, as well as Cunningham and Mobley, who both qualified for a Rose Rule rookie scale extension.

The “10+ years” column applies to the league’s most experienced vets, including Antetokounmpo, Lillard, Butler, and Davis, along with those who qualified for the super-max, like Tatum.

Here are the maximum salary figures for 2025/26:


A player re-signing with his own team (8% annual raises, up to five years):

Year 6 years or less 7-9 years 10+ years
2025/26 $38,661,750 $46,394,100 $54,126,450
2026/27 $41,754,690 $50,105,628 $58,456,566
2027/28 $44,847,630 $53,817,156 $62,786,682
2028/29 $47,940,570 $57,528,684 $67,116,798
2029/30 $51,033,510 $61,240,212 $71,446,914
Total $224,238,150 $269,085,780 $313,933,410

A player signing with a new team (5% annual raises, up to four years):

Year 6 years or less 7-9 years 10+ years
2025/26 $38,661,750 $46,394,100 $54,126,450
2026/27 $40,594,838 $48,713,805 $56,832,773
2027/28 $42,527,925 $51,033,510 $59,539,095
2028/29 $44,461,013 $53,353,215 $62,245,418
Total $166,245,525 $199,494,630 $232,743,735

It’s worth noting that none of the maximum-salary figures listed above will apply to extension-eligible players whose new contracts will start in 2026/27.

This group includes maximum-salary rookie scale extension candidates like Paolo Banchero and Jalen Williams. It also includes players who signed max extensions in previous years that will begin in ’26/27, such as Joel Embiid and Bam Adebayo

The exact value of those players’ contracts will depend on where the cap lands for 2026/27, which won’t be officially announced until next June.

Free Agent Rumors: Kings, Schröder, Horford, More

Finding a point guard was a top priority for the Kings when free agency opened on Monday. According to NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter link), the team arranged meetings via Zoom with both Dennis Schröder and Russell Westbrook.

Sacramento was also planning to meet with Malcolm Brogdon, sources tell Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link), who notes that the Wizards would be willing to accommodate a sign-and-trade deal involving Brogdon.

The Kings may end up adding more than one point guard, with Schröder looking like a lock to be one of them. Reports leading up to free agency indicated the two sides would likely agree to a two-year deal worth the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception, and Fred Katz of The Athletic (Twitter link) has since reported that Schröder will reach an agreement to sign with Sacramento.

Here are a few more free agent rumors from around the NBA:

  • Al Horford is commanding a lot of attention, reports HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto (via Twitter). Scotto says that the Warriors, Knicks, Nuggets, Lakers, and Cavaliers have all expressed interest in luring Horford away from the Celtics since free agency opened, but Boston is also interested in retaining him, especially after losing Luke Kornet earlier in the day to the Spurs.
  • After agreeing to sign Tyus Jones to be the team’s backup point guard, Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press hears that reserve big man Moritz Wagner is expected to return to the Magic (Twitter link). Orlando declined its team option on Wagner over the weekend, but retained his Bird rights. Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel echoes Reynolds’ report (via Twitter), saying that expects Wagner to re-sign with the Magic.
  • The Warriors feel good about their chances of re-signing restricted free agent forward Jonathan Kuminga, according to ESPN’s Marc Spears (Twitter video link). Spears says the money Kuminga and his representatives are looking for does not seem to be on the market this summer, which could result in him remaining in Golden State.

Jordan Clarkson Signs With Knicks

July 7: Clarkson has officially signed with the Knicks, according to the NBA’s transaction log.


June 30: Jordan Clarkson will sign with the Knicks after he clears waivers, reports NBA insider Chris Haynes (via Twitter).

The Knicks had been expected to target Clarkson since news broke that he would be waived by the Jazz, writes Steve Popper of Newsday Sports (Twitter link). The veteran guard agreed to a buyout with Utah and was officially waived earlier today.

Ian Begley of SNY (Twitter link) confirms Popper’s report, saying that Clarkson had been considered a priority signing for the Knicks. Stefan Bondy of the New York Post reported (via Twitter) that the deal would likely be for the veteran’s minimum, around $3.6MM.

Clarkson averaged 16.2 points and 3.7 assists per game for the Jazz last season while shooting 36.2% from three. He played a career-low 37 games, with his season impacted both by injuries and by Utah’s tanking efforts.

The 2021 Sixth Man of the Year has been in Utah for over five years, with his best statistical season occurring in 2022/23, when he averaged 20.8 points, 4.4 assists, and 4.0 rebounds per contest. While he holds a career average of 2.9 assists per game, he became a better play-maker with the Jazz, whose point guard rotation was up-and-down during his tenure. He has averaged 4.5 assists to 2.7 turnovers over his last three seasons.

Clarkson brings a much-needed dose of ball-handling off the bench to the Knicks, whose reliance on star point guard Jalen Brunson at times left the team vulnerable to intense ball-pressure. A capable shot-creator, Clarkson will pair with fifth-year guard Miles McBride to firm up the Knicks’ depth as they look to build on last year’s Eastern Conference Finals run.

Bucks Re-Sign Taurean Prince

July 8: Prince is officially back under contract with the Bucks, according to a press release from the team.


June 30: The Bucks and free agent forward Taurean Prince have reached an agreement on a two-year, minimum-salary contract, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter links). The second year of the deal will be a player option.

Prince started 73 of the 80 games he played for the Bucks in 2024/25, averaging 8.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.9 assists in 27.1 minutes per night.

Prince’s ability to guard multiple positions on defense and knock down three-pointers on offense makes him a valuable rotation player on the wing. He made a career-high 43.9% of his attempts from beyond the arc in 2024/25.

Still, it’s worth noting that the 31-year-old struggled badly in the playoffs, scoring just six points on 2-of-10 shooting in 61 total minutes during the first-round series vs. Indiana. He lost his starting job after the first two games of the series and likely won’t be assured of reclaiming that role heading into training camp this fall.

Prince is the third Bucks free agent who has reached an agreement to re-sign with the team, joining Bobby Portis and Kevin Porter. However, Brook Lopez is leaving Milwaukee for the Clippers, so the club figures to be in the market for additional frontcourt help.

Hawks Sign Luke Kennard On One-Year Contract

July 8: The Hawks have made it official with Kennard, the team announced in a press release.

“We’re excited to add Luke to our group,” Hawks general manager Onsi Saleh said in a statement. “Luke is a great connector. He’s an elite shooter and proven play-maker with a high basketball IQ and team-first mentality. He fills multiple needs for us, and we believe he’s going to make our team better.”


June 30: The Hawks are signing free agent wing Luke Kennard on a one-year, $11MM contract, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports (via Twitter).

Quite a few teams were rumored to be interested in Kennard and he chose to go to the Hawks, who also agreed to a sign-and-trade on Monday to acquire another prominent wing, Nickeil Alexander-Walker.

The Hawks will use a majority of their mid-level exception to sign Kennard. The 29-year-old has long been regarded as one of the top 3-point shooters in the league. He has knocked down 43.8 percent of his 3s during his 460-game career.

Kennard appeared in 65 games with the Grizzlies this past season, the most action he’s seen since he played 70 games with the Clippers in 2021/22. He averaged 8.9 points, 2.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists while making 43.3 percent of his long-range shots in 2024/25.

Kennard will provide guard/forward depth to a Hawks team that’s clearly looking to move up in what appears to be a wide-open Eastern Conference.

Give Trae Young an assist: He helped recruit Kennard to Atlanta, Charania adds in another tweet.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker Heads To Hawks In Sign-And-Trade

July 6: The sign-and-trade deal sending Alexander-Walker to Atlanta is complete, according to press releases from the Hawks and Timberwolves.


June 30: Free agent guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker has agreed to a four-year, $62MM deal with the Hawks, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports (via Twitter).

The contract includes a fourth-year player option and a trade kicker, according to Charania (Twitter link).

The Hawks will acquire Alexander-Walker via a sign-and-trade using the $25MM trade exception created by last year’s Dejounte Murray trade, according to cap expert Yossi Gozlan (Twitter link). This will generate a trade exception for the Timberwolves worth half of Alexander-Walker’s starting salary.

The Timberwolves are also receiving cash considerations and a future second-rounder, Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic tweets. The pick is the Cavaliers’ 2027 second-rounder, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link).

By going the sign-and-trade route, Atlanta will be able to preserve its non-taxpayer mid-level exception and still has room under the luxury tax line to make use of it.

The Hawks were considered the frontrunners to acquire Alexander-Walker after the Timberwolves reached agreements with two of their other prominent players, Naz Reid and Julius Randle. According to insider Chris Haynes (Twitter link), Trae Young was instrumental in recruiting NAW to Atlanta.

Alexander-Walker emerged as one of the biggest names on the free agent market due to his three-and-D skills. He had a 23-point, six-assist outing against OKC in the Western Conference Finals.

The 26-year-old appeared in every regular season game this season, including 10 starts, averaging 9.4 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists. He made 38.1 percent of his threes and has knocked down 36 percent of them in his career. He now slots in as the Hawks’ sixth man, backing up Dyson Daniels at shooting guard.