Rookie Scale Salaries For 2025 NBA First-Round Picks
With the NBA’s salary cap set at $154,647,000 for the 2025/26 league year, the rookie scale has been set as well. The rookie scale locks in the value of contracts for first-round picks.
In each NBA league year, rookie scale amounts are assigned to each first-round slot, from No. 1 through No. 30. Teams can sign their first-rounders to as little as 80% of that rookie scale amount, or up to 120% of that figure.
While that rule theoretically affords teams some flexibility, first-round picks almost always sign contracts worth 120% of their rookie scale amount, and unsigned first-rounders have a cap hold worth 120% of their rookie scale amount.
Listed below are the salary figures that represent 120% of the rookie scale amounts for 2025’s first-round picks. If a first-round pick signs a rookie scale contract in 2025/26, it will be for the amount below, unless he accepts a deal worth less than the maximum allowable 120% (in which case, we’ll update these numbers).
These salary figures will only apply if the player signs in 2025/26. If a player doesn’t sign an NBA contract this year, his rookie contract will look a little different in future seasons.
Rookie scale contracts are guaranteed for the first two years, with team options on the third and fourth years.
Here’s the 2025 breakdown:
| No. |
2025/26 | 2026/27 | 2027/28 | 2028/29 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $13,825,920 | $14,517,480 | $15,208,680 | $19,178,145 | $62,730,225 |
| 2 | $12,370,320 | $12,989,040 | $13,607,760 | $17,172,993 | $56,140,113 |
| 3 | $11,108,880 | $11,663,880 | $12,219,840 | $15,445,878 | $50,438,478 |
| 4 | $10,015,680 | $10,516,560 | $11,017,560 | $13,937,213 | $45,487,013 |
| 5 | $9,069,840 | $9,523,080 | $9,976,560 | $12,640,302 | $41,209,782 |
| 6 | $8,237,640 | $8,649,600 | $9,061,680 | $11,490,210 | $37,439,130 |
| 7 | $7,520,040 | $7,896,240 | $8,271,960 | $10,505,389 | $34,193,629 |
| 8 | $6,889,200 | $7,233,720 | $7,578,240 | $9,639,521 | $31,340,681 |
| 9 | $6,332,520 | $6,649,560 | $6,966,000 | $8,874,684 | $28,822,764 |
| 10 | $6,016,080 | $6,316,680 | $6,617,160 | $8,436,879 | $27,386,799 |
| 11 | $5,715,120 | $6,001,080 | $6,286,920 | $8,342,743 | $26,345,863 |
| 12 | $5,429,520 | $5,701,200 | $5,972,760 | $8,230,463 | $25,333,943 |
| 13 | $5,157,960 | $5,416,080 | $5,673,840 | $8,107,917 | $24,355,797 |
| 14 | $4,900,320 | $5,145,360 | $5,390,640 | $7,983,538 | $23,419,858 |
| 15 | $4,655,040 | $4,887,720 | $5,120,400 | $7,849,573 | $22,512,733 |
| 16 | $4,422,360 | $4,643,520 | $4,864,920 | $7,462,787 | $21,393,587 |
| 17 | $4,201,080 | $4,411,200 | $4,621,200 | $7,098,163 | $20,331,643 |
| 18 | $3,991,320 | $4,190,520 | $4,390,320 | $6,752,312 | $19,324,472 |
| 19 | $3,811,560 | $4,002,000 | $4,193,040 | $6,457,282 | $18,463,882 |
| 20 | $3,658,800 | $3,841,680 | $4,024,440 | $6,205,686 | $17,730,606 |
| 21 | $3,512,520 | $3,688,320 | $3,864,000 | $6,155,352 | $17,220,192 |
| 22 | $3,372,240 | $3,540,600 | $3,709,320 | $6,101,831 | $16,723,991 |
| 23 | $3,237,480 | $3,399,480 | $3,560,880 | $6,042,813 | $16,240,653 |
| 24 | $3,108,120 | $3,263,400 | $3,418,800 | $5,979,481 | $15,769,801 |
| 25 | $2,983,320 | $3,132,360 | $3,282,000 | $5,910,882 | $15,308,562 |
| 26 | $2,884,560 | $3,028,560 | $3,172,920 | $5,720,775 | $14,806,815 |
| 27 | $2,801,280 | $2,941,440 | $3,081,840 | $5,559,639 | $14,384,199 |
| 28 | $2,783,880 | $2,923,560 | $3,062,640 | $5,528,065 | $14,298,145 |
| 29 | $2,763,960 | $2,902,080 | $3,040,320 | $5,487,778 | $14,194,138 |
| 30 | $2,743,800 | $2,880,960 | $3,018,480 | $5,448,356 | $14,091,596 |
2025’s first-round picks:
- Cooper Flagg (Mavericks)
- Dylan Harper (Spurs)
- VJ Edgecombe (Sixers)
- Kon Knueppel (Hornets)
- Ace Bailey (Jazz)
- Tre Johnson (Wizards)
- Jeremiah Fears (Pelicans)
- Egor Demin (Nets)
- Collin Murray-Boyles (Raptors)
- Khaman Maluach (Suns)
- Cedric Coward (Grizzlies)
- Noa Essengue (Bulls)
- Derik Queen (Pelicans)
- Carter Bryant (Spurs)
- Thomas Sorber (Thunder)
- Yang Hansen (Trail Blazers)
- Joan Beringer (Timberwolves)
- Walter Clayton (Jazz)
- Nolan Traore (Nets)
- Kasparas Jakucionis (Heat)
- Will Riley (Wizards)
- Drake Powell (Nets)
- Asa Newell (Hawks)
- Nique Clifford (Kings)
- Jase Richardson (Magic)
- Ben Saraf (Nets)
- Danny Wolf (Nets)
- Hugo Gonzalez (Celtics)
- Liam McNeeley (Hornets)
- Yanic Konan Niederhauser (Clippers)
Checking In On Top Remaining NBA Free Agents
The NBA’s free agent period officially opened less than 40 hours ago, but the list of this year’s top available players has already been pretty picked clean, with 35 of the players from our list of 2025’s top 50 free agents having already agreed to terms with a team.
Here are the players from our list remain available:
- Josh Giddey, G, (Bulls RFA)
- Jonathan Kuminga, F, (Warriors RFA)
- Cam Thomas, G, (Nets RFA)
- Quentin Grimes, G, (Sixers RFA)
- Deandre Ayton, C (waivers)
- Chris Paul, G
- Russell Westbrook, G
- Al Horford, C
- Malcolm Brogdon, G
- Moritz Wagner, F/C
- Chris Boucher, F/C
- De’Anthony Melton, G
- Amir Coffey, G/F
- Precious Achiuwa, F/C
- Ryan Rollins, G
While four of our top 10 free agents are still on the board, all four are restricted, which means it may take some time for their situations to play out. Sign-and-trades are always a possibility, but few clubs are in position to make an aggressive play for any of these restricted free agents, as Brian Windhorst of ESPN pointed out during a TV appearance on Tuesday evening (Twitter video link).
“If this isn’t the worst market for restricted free agents in the last generation, I don’t want to see it,” Windhorst said. “There’s just no money out there for cap space, and sign-and-trades are very tough to pull off…with restricted free agents, because the team that has the rights isn’t motivated to play ball.”
There have essentially been no rumors linking Giddey, Thomas, or Grimes to any rival suitors since free agency began, so there’s still a widespread expectation that those three players will ultimately end up returning to their current teams.
That may happen with Kuminga too, but there has certainly been more chatter about alternative landing spots for the Warriors forward. Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link) checked in on Kuminga’s market late on Tuesday night, suggesting that the Heat, Bulls, Pelicans, and Kings are still being monitored as teams to watch for the 22-year-old, despite an apparent absence of traction on any of those fronts so far.
According to Fischer, Miami has also been linked to potential forward trade targets like DeMar DeRozan and John Collins; Chicago still has Giddey’s own restricted free agency to resolve, and Golden State appears to have “moved away” from past trade interest in Nikola Vucevic; New Orleans doesn’t have an obvious path to make a realistic offer for Kuminga; and while Sacramento would have interest in sending out Malik Monk as part of a sign-and-trade, no momentum has developed there.
With those top four RFAs in limbo for the time being, Ayton – who will clear waivers at 4:00 pm Central time on Wednesday – may be the most intriguing option on the board. According to Fischer, a number of front offices around the NBA expect the former No. 1 overall pick to end up with the Lakers, but the Pacers have also shown interest, as did the Bucks before they agreed to a surprising deal with Myles Turner. Indiana, notably, is the team that signed Ayton to a maximum-salary offer sheet in free agency three years ago, and the same decision-makers are still running that front office.
Paul and Westbrook are two of the most accomplished NBA point guards of the last two decades. Paul is known to want to play close to his home in Los Angeles, so while the Bucks are among the teams that have expressed interest in him, per Chris Haynes on NBA TV (Twitter video link), a team like the Clippers or Suns may be a more realistic landing spot. Haynes adds that he thought Westbrook would land with the Kings, but as long as Monk remains on Sacramento’s roster, that looks like a long shot.
It’s worth noting there’s one big name who was not on our pre-free-agency top 50 because he has only become available since then: Damian Lillard.
The Bucks haven’t officially waived Lillard yet, but he’s expected to reach the open market in the near future, and according to Eric Nehm, Sam Amick, and Joe Vardon of The Athletic, many teams – including the Lakers, Celtics, and Warriors – have reached out and registered interest in signing him even while he recovers from his Achilles tear.
Still, Jamal Collier of ESPN hears that there’s no guarantee that Lillard will sign anywhere for the 2025/26 season, which he’ll likely miss most or all of. He’s reportedly expected to remain based in Portland while doing his rehab work.
Among the other names in the back half of our top 50, Horford is the most intriguing. He has been linked to several teams, including – most consistently – Golden State. The Warriors are still a leading contender to land the veteran big man, per Fischer.
Finally, we should mention Malik Beasley, who ranked 15th on our initial top-50 list before word broke that he was under investigation for gambling allegations. Beasley was reportedly discussing a three-year, $42MM deal with Detroit prior to that news, but it’s hard to imagine any team signing him until that legal situation is resolved, which is why we took him off our list entirely. Since that investigation was reported, a pair of follow-up reports have detailed Beasley’s financial issues, though it’s crucial to note that he doesn’t currently face any charges.
All of the free agent deals agreed upon so far can be found within our 2025 free agent tracker. The full list of free agents still available can be found right here (or here, if you prefer to sort by team rather than by position/type).
NBA 2025 Free Agency: July 1 Recap
After a number of this year’s top free agents came off the board on Monday or in the days leading up to June 30, the Bucks nearly singlehandedly made sure there was still plenty of NBA news to talk about on Tuesday.
Milwaukee agreed to terms on two-year deals with big man Jericho Sims and veteran wing Gary Harris. They also agreed to a deal that will send Pat Connaughton to the Hornets.
But the main event for the Bucks was reaching a four-year, $107MM contract agreement with Myles Turner, the starting center for the division-rival Pacers for the past decade. After the deal between Turner and the Bucks was reported, we spent about 10 minutes wondering how the over-the-cap club was going to pull off the move before another bombshell dropped: Milwaukee was waiving injured star Damian Lillard with two years left on his contract and stretching the $112.6MM owed to him across the next five seasons in order to help create the cap room necessary to sign Turner.
It’s a shocking move that will allow the Bucks to land one of the summer’s top free agents in the short term while potentially creating major cap-related complications in the long term.
Given that the front office is dead-set on building a contender around Giannis Antetokounmpo, it wasn’t ideal that one report referred to the two-time MVP as “not pleased” about Lillard being waived just over two months after tearing his Achilles.
But Lillard, at least, didn’t seem to mind, with another report describing him as “elated” to get to have control over his future while still getting paid by the Bucks.
Here are several more of the major headlines from July 1, along with links to our stories:
Free agent deals
- Duncan Robinson, Pistons agree to three-year, $48MM contract to be completed as a sign-and-trade deal sending Simone Fontecchio to Heat (story)
- Dennis Schröder, Kings agree to three-year, $45MM contract (story).
- Tre Mann, Hornets agree to three-year, $24MM contract (story).
- Guerschon Yabusele, Knicks agree to two-year, $11.7MM contract (story).
- Sandro Mamukelashvili, Raptors agree to two-year, minimum-salary contract (story).
- Josh Minott, Celtics agree to two-year, minimum-salary contract (story)
- Eric Gordon, Sixers finalize one-year, minimum-salary contract (story).
- Tim Hardaway Jr., Nuggets agree to one-year, minimum-salary contract (story).
- Larry Nance Jr., Cavaliers agree to one-year, minimum-salary contract (story).
Other top headlines
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder agree to four-year, super-max extension (story).
- Jakob Poeltl, Raptors agree to extension that will add $84MM over three new years after 2026/27 opt-in (story).
- Grizzlies‘ Jaren Jackson Jr. to undergo procedure on turf toe (story).
- Mike Brown reportedly considered frontrunner for Knicks‘ head coaching job (story).
- Kings to trade Jonas Valanciunas to Nuggets for Dario Saric (story).
- Clippers to waive Drew Eubanks, who will sign with Kings (story).
- Mavericks expected to sign head coach Jason Kidd to contract extension before season (story).
- Nuggets to hire J.J. Barea as assistant coach (story).
Cavs Re-Sign Luke Travers On Two-Way Contract
The Cavaliers have re-signed forward Luke Travers on a two-way contract, according to the NBA transactions log.
Travers received a qualifying offer and apparently accepted that offer to remain on a two-way deal. The qualifying offer is equivalent to another one-year, two-way deal, with a portion (approximately $85K) guaranteed.
Drafted 56th overall in 2022, Travers played 12 games with the NBA club this past season, averaging 1.0 points and 1.7 rebounds in 7.3 minutes. Travers was an Australian draft-and-stash prospect and joined the Cavs on a two-way deal last offseason, though he has been part of their Summer League team for three seasons.
Travers appeared in 21 regular season games with the G League’s Cleveland Charge, averaging 17.0 points, 9.9. rebounds, 7.0 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.2 blocks in 34 minutes per game.
The Cavs now have a pair of players on two-way contracts, with Travers joining Nae’Qwan Tomlin.
Eric Gordon Re-Signs With Sixers On One-Year Deal
The Sixers have officially re-signed veteran guard Eric Gordon, according to team press release. It’s a one-year, veteran’s minimum deal worth $3.6MM, Sixers beat reporter Derek Bodner tweets.
Gordon declined his $3.47MM option in order to become a free agent but there was reported interest in a reunion and it has come to fruition.
Turning down that option and re-signing on a one-year, minimum-salary deal is a win-win for Gordon and the Sixers. He’ll earn a slightly higher minimum salary ($3.63MM) by inking a new contract, and because the deal just covers one year, the NBA will reimburse the team for a portion of that salary, meaning Philadelphia’s cap hit will be just $2.3MM.
Gordon, who turns 37 on Christmas Day, is coming off an injury-marred season. He posted career-low averages of 6.8 points and 19.7 minutes per game, though he shot it well from three-point land (40.9%). He only appeared in 39 games before undergoing season-ending arthroscopic right wrist surgery on Feb. 26.
Gordon has appeared in 925 regular season games during his career, which began in 2008 with the Clippers. He’s averaged 15.3 points during his career and never averaged fewer than 11 points per game until this past season.
Minimum-salary contracts are among the types of deals that can be officially completed during the July moratorium, which is why the 76ers were able to formally announce Gordon’s new contract.
Western Notes: Kidd, Collins, Bailey, Harper
The Mavericks are expected to extend head coach Jason Kidd‘s contract again before the start of next season, Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line report (via Substack). Kidd received an extension after last season and general manager Nico Harrison indicated last week that Kidd would remain the team’s head coach next season.
Of course, the Knicks were interested in talking to Kidd about their head coaching vacancy. Although the Mavericks denied the Knicks’ request to speak to their head coach, there has been persistent speculation that Kidd would wind up in New York unless he received an extension.
Here’s more from the Western Conference:
- Jazz big man John Collins picked up his $26.5MM option last week. That probably means he’ll remain on Utah’s roster entering next season, according to Tony Jones of The Athletic, who tweets that there doesn’t seem to be much of a market for Collins, who averaged 19.0 points and 8.2 rebounds this past season, but he was limited to 40 games and didn’t return after suffering a left ankle sprain on March 12.
- Jazz lottery pick Ace Bailey didn’t work out for the team amid reports that his preferred destination was Washington. Bailey expressed surprise when Utah drafted him but he claims he never considered not reporting to the club. “Not at all,” Bailey said in a press conference on Sunday, per Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune. “I mean, just blessed to be in this position. Not a lot of people sit in these chairs and have great teammates as I got on (here). So I’m just blessed to be here.”
- No. 2 overall pick Dylan Harper, Bailey’s teammate at Rutgers, predicts the Spurs will make the postseason next season, according to ESPN’s Michael C Wright. “That’s going to change really quick,” Harper said of San Antonio’s recent struggles. “We’re going to make the playoffs. I think for the Spurs fans and everyone else, our group is very exciting. There’s a lot to look forward to. The sky’s the limit for this group we’ve got.” Harper could become the team’s third consecutive Rookie of the Year Award winner. “I don’t think I feel no pressure [to win ROY], but I definitely want to keep that going,” Harper said. “That’s definitely a goal of mine.”
Free Agency Notes: Turner, Lillard, Kuminga, Clarkson, Beasley
According to Gregg Doyel of The Indianapolis Star (subscription required), the Pacers offered up to $95MM over four years for Myles Turner before he agreed to sign with the Bucks. Earlier reporting suggested Indiana didn’t go above roughly $60MM over three years.
Doyel shares that tidbit within a column defending the Pacers and castigating Turner’s camp for referring to Indiana’s “aversion to the tax” in leaks to ESPN, portraying the four-year, $95MM bid as a strong offer. Given the slant of the piece, it’s worth taking the report with a grain of salt.
Even if the Pacers did get up to $95MM, that offer would have come in quite a bit below the $107MM deal Turner is getting in Milwaukee and would also fall well short of the going rate for quality starting centers in recent years — Jarrett Allen and Jakob Poeltl have gotten $30MM and $28MM annually on their most recent extensions, for example. Even Naz Reid, who has been a reserve in recent years, received $25MM per year over the weekend.
Here are a few more notes and rumors related to free agency:
- During a TV appearance on ESPN (Twitter video link), Marc J. Spears of Andscape says star point guard Damian Lillard intends to rehab his Achilles tear in Portland to be close to his family, whether or not he signs with a team in the near future. Spears also says that at least 10 clubs – including the Warriors (Twitter link via Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN) – have touched base with Lillard since word of his release broke, and adds that there’s “speculation” the 34-year-old could be back around the All-Star break. Given that Lillard just sustained the injury in late April, that timeline feels a little aggressive to me, but it sounds like he might aim to make it back before the end of the 2025/26 season.
- There’s very little money available on the open market for this summer’s top restricted free agents, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst stated during a TV appearance (Twitter video link). Windhorst went on to say that it might be in the Warriors‘ and Jonathan Kuminga‘s best interests to work out a deal and possibly revisit the trade market down the road. K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network (Twitter video link) says he hasn’t heard “any traction” about a sign-and-trade deal to the Bulls, who have been rumored as a potential suitor for Kuminga.
- As first reported by Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link), veteran guard Jordan Clarkson gave up the exact amount of his minimum salary (roughly $3.6MM) when he agreed to a buyout with the Jazz, Hoops Rumors has confirmed. That will reduce his cap hit on Utah’s books from about $14.3MM to roughly $10.7MM, and he’ll make up the difference when he signs his new contract with the Knicks.
- In another troubling report on free agent sharpshooter Malik Beasley, who is under federal investigation for gambling allegations, Robert Snell of The Detroit News takes a deep dive into court records that paint a picture of Beasley’s financial issues in recent years. According to Snell, Beasley owed debts to his landlord, barber, and dentist, and pledged his current and future NBA contracts as collateral last August when he signed a deal with a Florida firm for a bridge loan.
Jaxson Robinson To Sign Exhibit 10 Deal With Cavs
Undrafted rookie Jaxson Robinson has agreed to an Exhibit 10 contract with the Cavaliers, Jon Chepkevich of Draft Express tweets.
The well-traveled Robinson played for four Division I teams during his college career. He suited up for Texas A&M, Arkansas and BYU before winding up at Kentucky last season.
He started 24 games for the Wildcats, averaging 13 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 28 minutes per game. He shot 43.2 percent from the field and 37.6 percent on 3-point tries.
Robinson’s season was cut short by an injury. He suffered a torn ECU tendon in his right wrist during a practice collision in February and underwent surgery in early March.
Exhibit 10 contracts are non-guaranteed but include bonuses of up to $85K if the player is waived and then spends at least 60 days with his team’s G League affiliate. In Robinson’s case, that G League team would be the Cleveland Charge. Exhibit 10 contracts can also be converted into two-way deals, so Davis will try to make his case for a promotion during Summer League and training camp.
Trentyn Flowers Accepts Two-Way QO From Clippers
Clippers forward Trentyn Flowers has accepted the two-way qualifying offer tendered to him over the weekend, sources tell Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).
Flowers logged just 27 total minutes in six games at the NBA level as a rookie in 2024/25, but played a more significant role in the G League. In 42 outings last season with the San Diego Clippers, L.A.’s NBAGL affiliate, Flowers registered averages of 17.7 points and 5.0 rebounds per contest while connecting on 47.5% of his field goal attempts and 38.5% from distance.
Accepting the qualifying offer from the Clippers locks in a $85K partial guarantee for Flowers, but his two-way deal doesn’t count against the cap and teams often juggle those roster spots during the offseason, so it’s not a lock that he’ll open the season on the 18-man roster.
For now though, Flowers joins fellow Clippers Patrick Baldwin and Seth Lundy in occupying the club’s three two-way slots.
Mike Brown Considered Frontrunner For Knicks Job
Former Cavaliers, Lakers and Kings head coach Mike Brown is considered the favorite to become the Knicks‘ head coach, according to Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line.
The New York Post reported on Monday that Brown would be the first candidate to receive a second interview. Brown has been in New York for the past two days, according to The Stein Line. They also report that the Knicks have been telling free agents since the market opened on Monday that their lengthy search to replace Tom Thibodeau is nearing an end.
However, Brown still needs a solid endorsement from Knicks owner James Dolan before he’ll get the job.
Taylor Jenkins, Micah Nori and James Borrego are also known to have interviewed for the head coaching position. Jenkins was let go by the Grizzlies late in the regular season. Nori is one of the Timberwolves top assistants, while Borrego is New Orleans’ associate head coach after a stint as the Hornets head coach.
One scenario that the Knicks are considering is hiring Brown as their new head coach and adding Borrego as Brown’s top assistant.
The Stein Line has also hears that Rick Brunson, father of Knicks star Jalen Brunson, is expected to remain part of the Knicks’ coaching staff, as well as some of Thibodeau’s other assistants.