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Hoops Rumors Glossary: Exhibit 9 Contract

By | at August 1, 2025 3:11 pm

When NBA teams are in the process of filling out their training camp rosters, the most common form of deal signed by players around the league is the Exhibit 10 contract. An Exhibit 10 contract can be converted into a two-way deal or puts a player in line to earn a bonus if he’s waived and then joins his team’s G League affiliate.

Many of those non-guaranteed training camps also include an Exhibit 9 clause in addition to – or in place of – Exhibit 10 language.

An Exhibit 9 clause protects an NBA team in the event that a player suffers a significant injury in training camp.

If a player on a standard non-guaranteed contract without an Exhibit 9 clause suffered such an injury, his club would be required to pay him his salary until he’s healthy enough to play or until the end of that season, whichever comes first. For example, a player on a non-guaranteed rookie minimum deal who sustained a season-ending ACL tear would be owed his full $1,272,870 salary.

If the injured player’s contract includes Exhibit 9 language, however, his team could waive him and only be on the hook for a one-time payment of $15K. That amount increased from $6K when the NBA completed its latest Collective Bargaining Agreement.

An Exhibit 9 deal, which is non-guaranteed and doesn’t count against the salary cap until the start of the regular season, can only be a one-year, minimum-salary contract. A team can carry up to six players on Exhibit 9 deals, but can’t sign a player to such a contract unless it has at least 14 players already under contract (not including two-way deals).

In most cases, if a team plans to have a player on a non-guaranteed contract participate in training camp and/or the preseason, his contract will include an Exhibit 9 clause in order to limit the club’s liability.

If a player signs a contract that includes Exhibit 10 language but not an Exhibit 9 clause, it’s usually a signal that he’s just being added for G League rights/bonus purposes and won’t actually be participating in training camp with his team. Conversely, an Exhibit 9 contract that doesn’t include Exhibit 10 language suggests the player will probably be taking part in camp but may not be a candidate to join his team’s G League affiliate if he’s waived.

So far this offseason, we’ve confirmed the contract details on a dozen Exhibit 10 contracts that have been officially signed and all 12 of them also include an Exhibit 9 clause. At least one contract – the Suns‘ deal with Jared Butler – is an Exhibit 9, but not an Exhibit 10.

An Exhibit 9 contract that also includes Exhibit 10 language can be converted into a two-way deal. In that scenario, the Exhibit 9 clause would become null and void, so the team would no longer have injury protection.

In the event that a player with Exhibit 9 language in his contract makes his team’s regular season roster, his deal would be converted to a standard non-guaranteed contract. The Exhibit 9 protection wouldn’t carry over into the regular season.

Note: This is a Hoops Rumors Glossary entry. Our glossary posts will explain specific rules relating to trades, free agency, or other aspects of the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement. Larry Coon’s Salary Cap FAQ was used in the creation of this post.

Earlier version of this article were published in 2014 and 2023.

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Hoops Rumors Glossary: Minimum Salary Floor

By | at July 31, 2025 11:09 am

The NBA’s salary cap primarily serves as a way to restrict the amount a team can invest in player salaries in a given year. However, because the league has a soft cap rather than a hard cap, there’s technically no specific figure that clubs are prohibited from exceeding once they go over the cap to re-sign players. As long as a team doesn’t use certain exceptions or acquire a player via sign-and-trade, that team doesn’t face a hard cap.

There is, however, a specific threshold on the lower end that teams must meet in each NBA season. The league’s minimum salary floor requires a club to spend at least 90% of the salary cap on player salaries. For instance, with the 2025/26 cap set at $154,647,000, the salary floor for this season is $139,182,000.

For the purposes of calculating whether a team has reached the minimum salary threshold, cap holds and international buyouts aren’t considered, but players who suffered career-ending injuries or illnesses are included in the count, even if they’ve since been removed from the club’s cap.

Under the NBA’s previous Collective Bargaining Agreement, the penalties levied against a team whose salary was below the minimum floor at the end of the season weren’t very harsh — the franchise was simply required to make up the shortfall by paying the difference to its players.

However, the current Collective Bargaining Agreement has made those penalties for teams below the minimum salary floor significantly more punitive.

A team is now required to reach the minimum salary floor by the start of the regular season, rather than the end of the regular season. A team whose salary is below the minimum floor at the start of the regular season won’t receive a share of the end-of-season luxury tax payouts.

Additionally, a team whose salary is below the minimum floor at the start of the season will have a cap hold added to its salary in order to reach the minimum floor. For instance, a team with a $134,182,000 salary on opening night in 2025/26 would have a $5MM cap hold added to its salary to reach the $139,182,000 floor and would be unable to immediately access that $5MM of cap room (that “frozen” room could eventually be unfrozen if the team increases its salary above the minimum floor).

At the start of the regular season, a team is assigned an “MTS threshold” figure, which is the lesser of the minimum salary floor or the team’s salary as of opening night. A team that dips below its “MTS threshold” at any time during the regular season would have until the end of the next day to get back above that threshold.

This happened to the Pistons during the 2024/25 season — they briefly dropped below the minimum salary floor when they waived Paul Reed‘s partially guaranteed $8MM contract in December and were required to get back above the floor by the end of the next day. They did so by signing Javante McCoy to a contract worth well above his minimum a little over 24 hours later.

A team that begins the season below the floor cannot reduce the shortfall amount it pays the NBA by spending on player salaries during the season. For example, a team that starts the season $5MM below the floor would pay the league $5MM at that time and wouldn’t recoup that money even if it moves above the floor during the season.

However, if that team’s salary ends up more than $5MM below the floor by the end of the season (ie. as a result of likely incentives not being earned), the club would owe the league an additional payment on top of that initial $5MM.

While the previous CBA called for a team that finished the season below the floor to pay the shortfall to its own players, the shortfall money is now sent to the NBA, which then redirects it to all players. That shortfall money will generally be disbursed to each player in the league in proportion to his salary for that season.

Based on the changes in the current CBA, it’s unlikely that we’ll see any team open a regular season below the minimum salary floor anytime soon — all of the incentives that teams had to remain below the floor into the season have been eliminated. A team operating below the floor on opening night wouldn’t be able to access all of its cap room, would forfeit an end-of-season tax payment, and wouldn’t even be able to award its shortfall amount exclusively to its own players.

The Nets are currently the only NBA team operating below the minimum salary floor for 2025/26 — it’s a safe bet they’ll rectify that sometime before the start of the season this October.

Note: This is a Hoops Rumors Glossary entry. Our glossary posts will explain specific rules relating to trades, free agency, or other aspects of the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement. Information from ESPN’s Bobby Marks and Larry Coon’s Salary Cap FAQ was used in the creation of this post.

Earlier versions of this post were published in past years.

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NBA Players Who Can Veto Trades In 2025/26

By | at July 29, 2025 9:19 am

No-trade clauses are rare in the NBA, since a player must meet a specific set of criteria in order to qualify for one. And even those players who become eligible may not have the leverage to demand a no-trade clause, which significantly limits a team’s flexibility in future trade negotiations.

To be eligible to negotiate a no-trade clause, a player must have at least eight years of NBA experience and has to have spent at least four years (not necessarily the most recent four years) with his current team. He also must be signing a free agent contract, rather than an extension.

[RELATED: Hoops Rumors Glossary: No-Trade Clause]

For the second consecutive season, multiple players will have no-trade clauses in their contracts during the 2025/26 league year. In addition to LeBron James, who got his no-trade clause when he signed his current contract in 2024, Damian Lillard negotiated a no-trade clause into his new deal with the Trail Blazers.

A year ago, it was James and Bradley Beal who had no-trade clauses, but Beal gave his up when he agreed to a buyout with the Suns this offseason.

Prior to 2024/25, the last time more than one player had an actual no-trade clause in his contract was in ’17/18, when three players – James (as a Cavalier), Dirk Nowitzki, and Carmelo Anthony – had them.

Although James and Lillard are the only players who have explicit no-trade clauses in their current deals, there are several others who will have implicit no-trade clauses in 2025/26, giving them the ability to veto trades during the current league year.

A player who re-signs with his previous team on a one-year contract – or a two-year deal with an option year – is given no-trade protection, unless he agrees to give up that protection when he inks his deal. That group doesn’t include players on two-way contracts, but it does include players who accept standard (non two-way) one-year qualifying offers.

A player who signs an offer sheet and then has that offer matched by his previous team also has the ability to veto a trade for a full calendar year.

With those criteria in mind, here are the players who must give their consent if their teams want to trade them during the ’25/26 league year:

Players with a no-trade clause:

Players whose offer sheets were matched:

  • None

Players who re-signed for one year (or two years, with a second-year player/team option):

If any player who re-signed for one year approves a trade during the 2025/26 league year, he’ll have Non-Bird rights at season’s end instead of Early Bird or full Bird rights.

Any player who approves a trade will retain his veto ability on his new team, and would have to consent to any subsequent deal during the 2025/26 season.

The following players were re-signed to one-year contracts (or two-year deals with an option year), but have agreed to forfeit their right to veto a trade in 2025/26:

Giving up the right to veto a trade was introduced as an option in the 2023 Collective Bargaining Agreement.

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2025/26 Non-Guaranteed Contracts By Team

By | at July 28, 2025 9:40 am

As the NBA regular season approaches and teams reduce their rosters from the 21-player offseason limit to the 15-man regular season max, the best way to determine which players will survive preseason cuts is to consider their contracts. Players with guaranteed salaries for 2025/26 are far more likely to earn spots on 15-man rosters than players whose contracts aren’t fully guaranteed.

Keeping that in mind, we’re using the space below to keep tabs on the players on each NBA team who don’t have fully guaranteed contracts. The players listed here have non-guaranteed salaries, partially guaranteed salaries, or Exhibit 9 or Exhibit 10 contracts, which essentially function like non-guaranteed deals.

Unless otherwise noted, these players are on minimum-salary contracts. Some players on this list have partial guarantees, which we’ve also mentioned below.

Not all of these players will be waived before the regular season begins, so we’ll maintain this list for the next several months, up until January 10, 2026. That’s the day that all players still under contract will have their salaries fully guaranteed for the rest of the 2025/26 season.

[RELATED: Early NBA Salary Guarantee Dates For 2025/26]

Only players who have formally signed contracts are listed below, so if a player has reportedly reached an agreement with a team on a non-guaranteed deal, we’ll add him to our list when that deal becomes official and we confirm the details.

Without further ado, here’s the full list of players without fully guaranteed salaries for 2025/26, broken down by team:

Updated 1-10-26 (6:17 am CT)

Atlanta Hawks

  • None

Boston Celtics

  • None

Brooklyn Nets

  • None

Charlotte Hornets

  • None

Chicago Bulls

  • None

Cleveland Cavaliers

  • None

Dallas Mavericks

  • None

Denver Nuggets

  • None

Detroit Pistons

  • None

Golden State Warriors

  • None

Houston Rockets

  • None

Indiana Pacers

  • None

Los Angeles Clippers

  • None

Los Angeles Lakers

  • None

Memphis Grizzlies

  • None

Miami Heat

  • None

Milwaukee Bucks

  • None

Minnesota Timberwolves

  • None

New Orleans Pelicans

  • None

New York Knicks

  • None

Oklahoma City Thunder

  • None

Orlando Magic

  • None

Philadelphia 76ers

  • None

Phoenix Suns

  • None

Portland Trail Blazers

  • None

Sacramento Kings

  • None

San Antonio Spurs

  • None

Toronto Raptors

  • None

Utah Jazz

  • None

Washington Wizards

  • None
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Hoops Rumors Glossary: Base Year Compensation

By | at July 19, 2025 1:27 pm

The term “base year compensation” no longer shows up in the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement and hasn’t since 2011. A relic of past agreements, the base year compensation rule was intended to prevent teams from signing free agents to new contracts that were specifically intended to facilitate salary-matching in trades.

While the base year compensation rules have, for the most part, been adjusted and/or removed from the CBA, there’s still one situation where they apply. Teams have to take them into account when completing sign-and-trade deals.

The BYC rules apply to a player who meets all of the following criteria in a sign-and-trade:

  • He is a Bird or Early Bird free agent.
  • His new salary is worth more than the minimum.
  • He receives a raise greater than 20%.
  • His team is at or above the cap immediately after the signing.

If the player meets those criteria and is included in a sign-and-trade deal, his outgoing salary for matching purposes is considered to be his previous salary or 50% of his new salary, whichever is greater. For the team he is being signed-and-traded to, his incoming figure for matching purposes is simply his new full salary.

Here are a couple specific examples to help make things a little clearer:

Let’s say the Warriors want to sign-and-trade Jonathan Kuminga this offseason. The likely salary gap between his current contract and his next one make him a good example of a base year compensation player. Kuminga is a Bird free agent, his new salary will be well above the minimum, and Golden State is an over-the-cap team. Having made $7,636,307 in 2024/25, Kuminga figures to receive a raise significantly higher than 20% — there’s a reasonable chance his next deal will start above $20MM. So he’ll meet the BYC criteria.

In a scenario where he signs a deal with a $25MM starting salary as part of a sign-and-trade, Kuminga’s salary for matching purposes from the Warriors’ perspective would be $12.5MM, which is 50% of his new salary (that amount is greater than his previous salary). From his new team’s perspective, Kuminga’s incoming figure would be his actual salary, $25MM.

On the other hand, if Kuminga were to get a starting salary worth $15MM from a new team, his outgoing salary for matching purposes would be $7,636,307, the amount he made in 2024/25, because that figure would be higher than 50% of his new salary ($7.5MM).

Often, a team acquiring a player via sign-and-trade doesn’t have the cap room to sign the player outright, or else there would be little incentive to negotiate a sign-and-trade. That means salary-matching is required, which can be complicated by base year compensation rules.

In the first Kuminga scenario outlined above, where his first-year salary is $25MM, the Warriors wouldn’t be able to take back more than $21,027,000 in salary in exchange for the forward due to the league’s matching rules. That’s calculated by accounting for 50% of Kuminga’s new salary ($12.5MM), plus the expanded traded player exception buffer amount ($8,527,000) for this season.

That maximum incoming number would dip to $12.5MM if the Warriors’ team salary is above the first tax apron or if they want to retain the ability to operate above the first apron later in the season, since taking back a dollar more than 100% of that $12.5MM figure would mean using the expanded traded player exception and would hard-cap them at the first apron for the rest of 2025/26.

However, in order to take on $25MM in incoming salary, Golden State’s hypothetical trade partner – assuming they’re also over the cap – would have to send out at least $16,473,000 in order to account for the league’s salary-matching rules themselves.

In other words, the gap that the base year compensation rules create between the salary-matching figures from the two teams’ perspectives could complicate sign-and-trade talks, requiring the two clubs to include additional pieces or get a third team involved to make the numbers work.

Four players have been signed-and-traded so far this offseason, but only one – Nickeil Alexander-Walker – met all of the base year compensation criteria. He was a Bird free agent earning more than the minimum whose team was over the cap, and he got a substantial raise in the sign-and-trade deal sending him from Minnesota to Atlanta, from $4,312,500 to $15,161,800.

Because the Hawks were able to acquire Alexander-Walker using a sizable traded player exception, the base year compensation rules didn’t really complicate those trade talks, since no salary-matching was required. But it’s worth noting that because of those BYC rules, the new trade exception the Timberwolves created in the move isn’t worth Alexander-Walker’s $15,161,800 salary — it’s worth 50% of that amount, $7,580,900.

The base year compensation rules are designed to prevent teams from circumventing the cap by giving a free agent an inflated single-year salary in a sign-and-trade solely for matching purposes.

The base year compensation concept doesn’t surface all that often, due to the specific criteria that must be met. However, it looms large over sign-and-trade attempts involving free agents who receive significant raises, reducing the likelihood of teams finding a deal that can be legally completed.

Note: This is a Hoops Rumors Glossary entry. Our glossary posts will explain specific rules relating to trades, free agency, or other aspects of the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement. Larry Coon’s Salary Cap FAQ was used in the creation of this post.

Previous versions of this post were published in past years.

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2025/26 NBA Contract Extension Tracker

By | at July 18, 2025 7:29 am

Four NBA free agents – Naz Reid, Kyrie Irving, Myles Turner, and Julius Randle – have signed contracts worth at least $100MM since the start of July. However, the most lucrative deals completed since the new league year began weren’t free agent deals at all — they were contract extensions.

Extensions, of course, don’t involve adding a new player to the roster. By extending a contract, a team ensures that a current player will remain locked up for multiple years to come. Although a contract extension may not change the club’s short-term outlook on the court, it can have a major impact on that team’s salary cap situation for the next several seasons.

Rookie scale extensions are one form of contract extension. Former first-round picks who are entering the fourth and final year of their rookie deals are eligible to sign those up until the day before the 2025/26 regular season begins. Rookie scale extensions have become more common than ever in recent years — there were 11 signed in both 2021 and 2022, followed by a record 14 in 2023 and 11 more in 2024.

[RELATED: Players Eligible For Rookie Scale Extensions In 2025 Offseason]

While they used to be rarer than rookie scale extensions, veteran extensions are happening more frequently these days too. The league’s 2017 Collective Bargaining Agreement expanded the rules for eligibility and created some additional incentives for star players to sign new deals before they reach free agency, and the 2023 CBA has further incentivized veteran extensions. During the 2024/25 league year, a whopping 27 veteran extensions were signed, up from 17 in ’23/24.

The deadline for a veteran extension for a player who isn’t in the final year of his current contract is the day before the regular season tips off. However, a player eligible for a veteran extension who is on an expiring deal can sign a new contract throughout the league year, all the way up to June 30, the day before he becomes a free agent.

Listed below are the players who have finalized contract extensions so far in 2025/26. This list, which can be found on the right-hand sidebar under “Hoops Rumors Features” on our desktop site (or on the “Features” page in our mobile menu), will be kept up to date throughout the ’25/26 league year, with more extension details added as we learn them.

Note: Projected values for maximum-salary extensions are based on a $165MM cap in 2026/27 and 10% annual increases in subsequent years. Since those contracts are based on a percentage of the cap, their official values will depend on exactly where the cap ends up in future league years.

Rookie scale contract extensions:

  • Paolo Banchero (Magic): Five years, maximum salary (story). Projected value of $239,250,000. Projected value can increase to $287,100,000 if Banchero makes an All-NBA team or is named MVP or Defensive Player of the Year. Includes fifth-year player option. Starts in 2026/27.
  • Jalen Williams (Thunder): Five years, maximum salary (story). Projected value of $239,250,000. Projected value can increase to $248,820,000 if Williams makes the All-NBA third team; $258,390,000 if Williams makes the All-NBA second team; or $287,100,000 if Williams makes the All-NBA first team or is named MVP or Defensive Player of the Year. Starts in 2026/27.
  • Chet Holmgren (Thunder): Five years, maximum salary (story). Projected value of $239,250,000. Starts in 2026/27.
  • Keegan Murray (Kings): Five years, $140,000,000 (story). Starts in 2026/27.
  • Christian Braun (Nuggets): Five years, $125,000,000 (story). Starts in 2026/27.
  • Jabari Smith Jr. (Rockets): Five years, $122,000,000 (story). Starts in 2026/27.
  • Dyson Daniels (Hawks): Four years, $100,000,000 (story). Starts in 2026/27.
  • Shaedon Sharpe (Trail Blazers): Four years, $90,000,000 (story). Starts in 2026/27.
  • Nikola Jovic (Heat): Four years, $62,400,000 (story). Starts in 2026/27.

Veteran contract extensions:

  • Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder): Four years, maximum salary (story). Projected value of $284,592,000 (super-max). Includes fourth-year player option. Starts in 2027/28.
  • De’Aaron Fox (Spurs): Four years, maximum salary (story). Projected value of $221,760,000. Starts in 2026/27.
  • Jaren Jackson Jr. (Grizzlies): Four years, $205,000,000 (story). Includes renegotiation (2025/26 salary increased from $23,413,395 to $35,000,000). $216,586,605 in total new money. Extension starts in 2026/27.
  • Luka Doncic (Lakers): Three years, maximum salary (story). Projected value of $160,380,000. Includes third-year player option. Starts in 2026/27.
  • Mikal Bridges (Knicks): Four years, $150,000,000 (story). Includes fourth-year player option and trade kicker (5.69%). Starts in 2026/27.
  • Devin Booker (Suns): Two years, maximum salary (story). Projected value of $145,345,200. Includes second-year player option. Starts in 2028/29.
  • Kevin Durant (Rockets): Two years, $90,000,000 (story). Includes second-year player option. Starts in 2026/27.
  • P.J. Washington (Mavericks): Four years, $88,762,440 (story). Starts in 2026/27.
  • Jakob Poeltl (Raptors): Three years, $84,084,000 (story). Exercised 2026/27 player option ($19.5MM base salary; $500K in incentives) as part of agreement. Third year is partially guaranteed for $5MM (partial guarantee can increased based on performance criteria). Includes trade kicker (5%). Starts in 2027/28.
  • Toumani Camara (Trail Blazers): Four years, $81,000,000 (story). Starts in 2026/27.
  • Herbert Jones (Pelicans): Three years, $67,580,892 (story). Includes third-year player option. Starts in 2027/28.
  • Daniel Gafford (Mavericks): Three years, $54,380,289 (story). Starts in 2026/27.
  • A.J. Green (Bucks): Four years, $45,000,000 (story). Starts in 2026/27.
  • Aaron Nesmith (Pacers): Two years, $40,389,440 (story). Includes trade kicker (7.5%). Starts in 2027/28.
  • Gui Santos (Warriors): Three years, $15,000,000 (story). Includes third-year player option. Starts in 2026/27.
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How Teams Are Using 2025/26 Bi-Annual Exceptions

By | at July 17, 2025 7:38 pm

The bi-annual exception is one of the tools available to NBA teams who are over the cap, giving those clubs the flexibility to offer free agents more than the minimum salary. In 2025/26, the bi-annual exception is worth $5,134,000 and can be used to offer a deal worth up to $10,524,700 over two years. It can also be used to acquire a player via trade if his contract fits into the bi-annual exception.

However, the bi-annual exception isn’t available to every team. Clubs that go below the cap in order to use cap room lose access to the exception. Additionally, using the BAE imposes a hard cap of $195,945,000 (the first tax apron) on a team. So if a club has surpassed the first apron – or wants to retain the flexibility to do so – it can’t use the bi-annual exception.

Finally, as its name suggests, the bi-annual exception can’t be used by a team in consecutive years. In 2024/25, two teams used the BAE — the Rockets (Aaron Holiday) and Clippers (Nicolas Batum). As such, the exception isn’t available to those clubs during the 2025/26 league year. They’ll be able to use it again next summer.

With all those factors in mind, here’s a breakdown of how teams are using – or not using – their respective bi-annual exceptions in 2025/26:

Available Bi-Annual Exceptions:

Unused:

  • Atlanta Hawks
  • Boston Celtics
  • Chicago Bulls
  • Dallas Mavericks
  • Denver Nuggets
  • Indiana Pacers
  • Miami Heat
  • Minnesota Timberwolves
  • New Orleans Pelicans
  • Oklahoma City Thunder
  • Orlando Magic
  • Philadelphia 76ers
  • Phoenix Suns
  • Portland Trail Blazers
  • Sacramento Kings
  • San Antonio Spurs
  • Toronto Raptors

Although all of these teams technically have the ability to use their bi-annual exceptions at some point in 2025/26, it’s more plausible for some than others.

For instance, the Timberwolves currently have just over $1.5MM in breathing room below the first apron, so using even a small portion of their bi-annual exception wouldn’t be an option until later in the league year unless they make a cost-cutting move.

Used:

Typically, about two to four teams in a given league year use the bi-annual exception, so this season is busier than usual in terms of BAE activity.

The Jazz, Wizards, and Hornets used the BAE to acquire a player in a trade, while the Lakers used theirs to sign a free agent and the Pistons used theirs to promote a player from a two-way contract. None of those clubs will have the exception available during the 2026/27 season.

Unavailable Bi-Annual Exceptions:

Went under cap:

  • Brooklyn Nets
  • Memphis Grizzlies
  • Milwaukee Bucks

These three teams forfeited their right to the bi-annual exception when they went under the cap and used space this offseason.

Over first apron:

  • Cleveland Cavaliers
  • Golden State Warriors
  • New York Knicks

In theory, cost-cutting moves by these teams could put them in position to use their bi-annual exceptions. In actuality though, that’s a long shot for some of them, especially for a team like the Cavaliers, whose team salary is well beyond the second tax apron.

Used last year:

  • Houston Rockets
  • Los Angeles Clippers

As noted in the intro, these are the two teams that used their bi-annual exceptions in 2024/25 and, as a result, won’t have them again until 2026/27.

Information from Sports Business Classroom was used in the creation of this article.

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2025/26 NBA Roster Counts

By | at July 16, 2025 10:35 am

Although NBA rosters are limited to 15 players during the regular season, teams are allowed to carry up to 21 players during the offseason. Expanded offseason rosters allow clubs to bring in players on contracts that aren’t fully guaranteed, giving those players a chance to earn a regular season roster spot or getting a closer look at them before sending them to their G League affiliate.

In addition to the usual 15-man rosters, NBA teams are permitted to carry up to three players on two-way contracts. Two-way deals essentially give clubs the NBA rights to three extra players, though they often spend much of the season in the G League rather than with the NBA team. While two-way players don’t count toward the 15-man regular season roster limit, they do count toward the 21-man offseason limit.

Over the course of the 2025 offseason and 2025/26 season, we’ll keep tabs on how many players are on each NBA team’s roster, breaking them down into a few groups. Here are the various categories you’ll find in our list:

  • Official: These players are officially under contract with a given team, with salaries that are guaranteed for the rest of the season.
  • 10-day: These players are signed to 10-day contracts, with the expiry dates of those contracts noted.
  • Two-way: These are players signed to two-way contracts. Unless otherwise noted, these deals are official. You can find a specific team’s two-way players right here.
  • Reported: These are players whose contract agreements have been reported but haven’t been made official. We’re expecting them to be finalized, though it’s possible that some will fall through or were reported erroneously.
  • Total: A team’s total roster count, taking into account all of the above. In some cases, this number may exceed 21, since not all of the players in the categories above are officially under contract.

Here are the NBA’s roster counts for 2025/26, which we’ll continue to update through the rest of the offseason and regular season:

Updated 3-25-26 (4:35 pm CT)

Atlanta Hawks

  • Official: 15
  • Two-way: 3
  • Total: 18

Boston Celtics

  • Official: 13
  • 10-day: 1 (Charles Bassey — runs through 4/3)
  • Two-way: 2
  • Total: 16

Brooklyn Nets

  • Official: 14
  • 10-day: 1 (Malachi Smith — runs through 4/3)
  • Two-way: 3
  • Total: 18

Charlotte Hornets

  • Official: 15
  • Two-way: 3
  • Total: 18

Chicago Bulls

  • Official: 15
  • Two-way: 3
  • Total: 18

Cleveland Cavaliers

  • Official: 15
  • Two-way: 3
  • Total: 18

Dallas Mavericks

  • Official: 15
  • Two-way: 3
  • Total: 18

Denver Nuggets

  • Official: 15
  • Two-way: 3
  • Total: 18

Detroit Pistons

  • Official: 15
  • Two-way: 3
  • Total: 18

Golden State Warriors

  • Official: 14
  • 10-day: 1 (Omer Yurtseven — runs through 4/3)
  • Two-way: 3
  • Total: 18

Houston Rockets

  • Official: 14
  • Two-way: 3
  • Total: 17

Indiana Pacers

  • Official: 15
  • Two-way: 3
  • Total: 18

Los Angeles Clippers

  • Official: 15
  • Two-way: 3
  • Total: 18

Los Angeles Lakers

  • Official: 15
  • Two-way: 3
  • Total: 18

Memphis Grizzlies

Note: The Grizzlies can temporarily exceed the usual roster limit because they’ve been granted multiple hardship exceptions.

Miami Heat

  • Official: 15
  • Two-way: 3
  • Total: 18

Milwaukee Bucks

  • Official: 15
  • Two-way: 2
  • Total: 17

Minnesota Timberwolves

  • Official: 15
  • Two-way: 3
  • Total: 18

New Orleans Pelicans

  • Official: 15
  • Two-way: 3
  • Total: 18

New York Knicks

  • Official: 15
  • Two-way: 3
  • Total: 18

Oklahoma City Thunder

  • Official: 15
  • Two-way: 3
  • Total: 18

Orlando Magic

  • Official: 15
  • Two-way: 2
  • Total: 17

Philadelphia 76ers

  • Official: 15
  • Two-way: 3
  • Total: 18

Phoenix Suns

  • Official: 15
  • Two-way: 3
  • Total: 18

Portland Trail Blazers

  • Official: 15
  • Two-way: 3
  • Total: 18

Sacramento Kings

  • Official: 15
  • Two-way: 3
  • Total: 18

San Antonio Spurs

  • Official: 15
  • Two-way: 3
  • Total: 18

Toronto Raptors

  • Official: 14
  • 10-day: 1 (Markelle Fultz — runs through 4/1)
  • Two-way: 3
  • Total: 18

Utah Jazz

Washington Wizards

  • Official: 15
  • Two-way: 3
  • Total: 18
21 comments Hoops Rumors Originals

Reported Signings That Aren’t Yet Official

By | at July 14, 2025 11:15 am

Most of the free agent deals and all of the trades that were reported during or before the July moratorium have since been officially finalized, but there are still a handful of signings that we’re waiting on. Here’s a quick breakdown of the reported free agent contracts that have not yet been formally completed and announced:

Brooklyn Nets:

The Nets are the only NBA team that still has cap room remaining, so they’re likely weighing their options for how best to use that space before officially cutting into it by signing Sharpe and/or Williams. It’s possible that one of those two contracts will eventually slot into the room exception in order to help Brooklyn maximize its cap space.

Dallas Mavericks:

The Mavericks are hard-capped at the second tax apron as a result of using their taxpayer mid-level exception to sign D’Angelo Russell. Signing Exum, even for the minimum (which will likely be what his new deal is worth), would push their team salary above that hard cap, which isn’t permitted. So Dallas will need to make a cost-cutting move before officially finalizing Exum’s deal. Former first-round pick Olivier-Maxence Prosper is considered a trade candidate.

Memphis Grizzlies:

The Grizzlies needed to finalize Cole Anthony‘s buyout and renegotiate Jaren Jackson‘s contract using cap room before making all of these moves, which can be completed without using cap space. Anthony’s buyout and Jackson’s renegotiation both happened over the weekend, so I’d expect Memphis to start officially finalizing these signings soon — perhaps even as soon as today.

Minnesota Timberwolves:

It’s not entirely clear why the Timberwolves‘ two big deals for their power forwards have been delayed. My best guess is that Minnesota is waiting on a decision from another free agent on an offer that would use the team’s taxpayer mid-level exception.

In that scenario, the Wolves would want to get Reid’s and Randle’s first-year salaries as low as possible to ensure their team salary stays below a second-apron hard cap. If there’s not another non-minimum free agent incoming, the club could potentially increase Reid’s and Randle’s first-year salaries slightly. That’s just my speculation, however.

Many two-way deals and Exhibit 10 agreements around the NBA have also been reported and not yet finalized, but those won’t affect teams’ cap situations, so the ones above are the ones we’re keeping the closest eye on.

1 comment Brooklyn Nets Dallas Mavericks Hoops Rumors Originals Memphis Grizzlies Minnesota Timberwolves

How Teams Are Using 2025/26 Mid-Level Exceptions

By | at July 14, 2025 9:11 am

In addition to receiving more than $154MM in cap room and being allowed to surpass that threshold in order to sign players using Bird Rights or the minimum salary exception, each NBA team also receives a mid-level exception. The value of this exception varies depending on a club’s total team salary.

A team that goes under the cap to use its available cap room, for instance, receives a form of the MLE known as the room exception. An over-the-cap team receives the full mid-level exception, unless that team is also over the first tax apron ($195,945,000), in which case it gets a modest “taxpayer” version of the MLE. A team whose salary is over the second tax apron ($207,824,000) isn’t permitted to use its mid-level at all.

We detailed the exact values of each form of mid-level exception earlier this offseason, but here’s a quick breakdown:

  • Room exception: Can be used for contracts up to three years, with a starting salary worth up to $8,781,000.
  • Full/non-taxpayer mid-level exception: Can be used for contracts up to four years, with a starting salary worth up to $14,104,000.
    • Note: Though its name suggests otherwise, using the non-taxpayer mid-level exception doesn’t mean a team can’t or won’t be above the luxury tax line ($187,895,000) at season’s end; it simply means the team’s total salary can’t surpass the first tax apron ($195,945,000).
  • Taxpayer mid-level exception: Can be used for contracts up to two years, with a starting salary worth up to $5,685,000.

Now that most of the NBA’s teams have used up their cap space, it’s worth keeping an eye on which clubs still have part or all of their mid-level exceptions available, which we’ll do in the space below.

This list will be kept up to date throughout the 2025/26 league year, with new MLE deals added once those signings (or trades) are officially completed and we confirm the contract details.

Note: After the 2026 trade deadline, the value of the exceptions below will begin to prorate downward.

Here’s where things currently stand:

Mid-Level Exception:

Non-taxpayer: $14,104,000
Taxpayer: $5,685,000

Teams marked with an asterisk (*) technically have access to the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception but aren’t currently in position to use the entire thing without surpassing the first tax apron.

Atlanta Hawks

Boston Celtics

  • Used: $0

Charlotte Hornets

Note: Dieng and Jones were acquired in trades.

Chicago Bulls

Note: Ivey was acquired via trade.

Cleveland Cavaliers

  • Used: $0
  • The Cavaliers are operating above the second apron and don’t currently have access to a mid-level exception.

Dallas Mavericks

Denver Nuggets

  • Used: $0 *

Detroit Pistons

Golden State Warriors

  • Used: $5,685,000 (Al Horford)
  • The Warriors are operating above the first apron and can’t currently use more than the taxpayer portion of the MLE.

Houston Rockets

Indiana Pacers

Note: Brown was acquired in a trade.

Los Angeles Clippers

Los Angeles Lakers

Miami Heat

Minnesota Timberwolves

  • Used: $0

New Orleans Pelicans

New York Knicks

  • Used: $5,500,000 (Guerschon Yabusele)
  • The Knicks are operating above the first apron and can’t currently use more than the taxpayer portion of the MLE.

Oklahoma City Thunder

  • Used: $0 *

Orlando Magic

Philadelphia 76ers

Phoenix Suns

  • Used: $0 *

Portland Trail Blazers

Sacramento Kings

San Antonio Spurs

Toronto Raptors

Note: Jackson-Davis was acquired via trade.

Utah Jazz

Note: Anderson was acquired via trade.

Washington Wizards

Note: Russell was acquired via trade.

Room Exception:

Available: $8,781,000

Brooklyn Nets

  • Used: $0

Memphis Grizzlies

Milwaukee Bucks

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