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 Butler, Anthony 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.
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