It’s no secret that NBA players make BANK. 💰💰💰
But, what is the NBA minimum salary?
It depends on the number of years of experience a player has, and whether or not they are considered “full-time” NBA players.
For the 2023-2024 season, full-time rookies can make as little as $1,119,563 per year, while 10-year vets can make as little as $3,196,448 per year.
Read on to learn more details, including:
- Minimum salary based on experience
- Veteran minimum salaries
- Rookie salary scale
- Lowest paid players in the NBA
- 10-day contracts; Two-way contracts
- and more…
Let’s get started!
NBA minimum salary (2023-2024)
The lowest salary a full time NBA player can make in 2023-2024 is $1,119,563.
Only rookies, or players with no NBA experience can be paid this amount.
What about non-rookies?
They get paid according to the official “Minimum Annual Salary Scale” found in the latest Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). See below:
NBA Minimum Annual Salary Scale
| Contract Year → Experience ↓ | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | Year 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1,017,781 | ||||
| 1 | 1,637,966 | 1,719,864 | |||
| 2 | 1,836,090 | 1,927,896 | 2,019,699 | ||
| 3 | 1,902,133 | 1,997,238 | 2,092,344 | 2,187,451 | |
| 4 | 1,968,175 | 2,066,585 | 2,164,993 | 2,263,403 | 2,361,812 |
| 5 | 2,133,278 | 2,239,943 | 2,346,606 | 2,453,270 | 2,559,934 |
| 6 | 2,298,385 | 2,413,304 | 2,528,221 | 2,643,140 | 2,758,060 |
| 7 | 2,463,490 | 2,586,665 | 2,709,839 | 2,833,013 | 2,956,189 |
| 8 | 2,628,597 | 2,760,026 | 2,891,458 | 3,022,889 | 3,154,319 |
| 9 | 2,641,682 | 2,773,765 | 2,905,850 | 3,037,934 | 3,170,018 |
| 10+ | 2,905,851 | 3,051,144 | 3,196,438 | 3,341,730 | 3,487,023 |
Salary Cap Increases
The above “Minimum Annual Salary Scale” amounts increase (or decrease) along with the salary cap each season.
For example, the salary cap for the 2023-2024 season increased by about 10%, so the minimum salaries also increased by 10%. A rookie (i.e. 0 years NBA experience) will have a minimum salary of $1,119,563 (increase over baseline amount of $1,017,781).
Note: Players are credited with a “year of service” if they are listed as active or inactive for at least one day during a regular season (including if they are on 10-day or Two-Way contracts).
Let’s look at another example for NBA vets:
NBA Veteran Minimum Salary Example
E.g. What is the minimum salary for a 5 year NBA veteran?
If a player with 5 years of NBA experience signs a 1 year minimum contract, he will be paid $2,133,278.
If he signs a a multi-year contract, he will be paid an increasing amount every year. For example, in the 3rd year of his 5-year contract, he would be paid $2,709,839 (i.e. 7 years of experience; contract Year 3).
Veteran Minimum Salary Cap Reimbursement
To prevent teams from only signing young, cheap players, the league actually reimburses teams for signing NBA veterans (3 or more years experience) to short term minimum contracts (1 year, 10-day, or Rest-of-Season contracts).
Teams are reimbursed for any amount over the two-year minimum salary (i.e. $1,836,090).
For example, if a 10-year veteran signs a one year minimum deal, then his total contract is $2,905,851. The team will only have to pay him $1,836,090, and the league will pay the remaining $1,069,761.
What is the minimum NBA rookie salary?
First round draft picks (i.e. picks #1 to #30) get paid according to the official “Rookie Salary Scale”. Here are the baseline amounts from the latest CBA:
Rookie Salary Scale (2023 CBA)
| Pick | 1st Year Salary |
|---|---|
| 1 | 9,212,600 |
| 2 | 8,242,700 |
| 3 | 7,402,200 |
| 4 | 6,673,700 |
| 5 | 6,043,500 |
| 6 | 5,489,000 |
| 7 | 5,010,800 |
| 8 | 4,590,500 |
| 9 | 4,219,600 |
| 10 | 4,008,600 |
| 11 | 3,808,200 |
| 12 | 3,617,900 |
| 13 | 3,436,900 |
| 14 | 3,265,300 |
| 15 | 3,101,700 |
| 16 | 2,946,800 |
| 17 | 2,799,300 |
| 18 | 2,659,500 |
| 19 | 2,539,700 |
| 20 | 2,438,000 |
| 21 | 2,340,500 |
| 22 | 2,247,000 |
| 23 | 2,157,200 |
| 24 | 2,071,000 |
| 25 | 1,987,900 |
| 26 | 1,922,100 |
| 27 | 1,866,600 |
| 28 | 1,855,000 |
| 29 | 1,841,700 |
| 30 | 1,828,300 |
The Rookie Salary Scale was created to prevent top draft picks from holding out for more money (like Glenn Robinson in 1994).
Depending on the contract specifics, the player’s actual salary can be as little as 80%, or as much as 120% of the amount listed.
👉 Click here for more info about NBA rookie contracts
NBA’s lowest-paid players
The lowest paid players last season (2022-2023) were the following rookies:
| Jaden Hardy | $1,017,781 |
| Ryan Rollins | $1,017,781 |
| Max Christie | $1,017,781 |
| Josh Minott | $1,017,781 |
| Jabari Walker | $1,017,781 |
If we include 10-day contracts, and G League / Exhibit 10 players, then the 10 lowest paid players were:
| 10 | DJ Steward | $50,000 |
| 9 | Armoni Brooks | $50,000 |
| 8 | Jay Scrubb | $49,719 |
| 7 | Justin Minaya | $35,096 |
| 6 | Kobi Simmons | $32,795 |
| 5 | Gabe York | $32,171 |
| 4 | Ibou Badji | $18,226 |
| 3 | Triston Thompson | $16,700 |
| 2 | Raiquan Gray | $5,849 |
| 1 | Jacob Gilyard | $5,849 |
NBA 10-day Contract Salary minimum
What is the minimum salary for a 10 day contract in the NBA?
The minimum salary for a 10-day contract is the Minimum Annual Salary (based on NBA experience), prorated by the number of contract days.
From the official CBA:
… with respect to a 10-Day Contract, the Minimum Annual Salary called for under Article II, Section 6(a) multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of days covered by the Contract and the denominator of which is the total number of days of that NBA Regular Season.
Example:
There are 173 days in a season.
If a player with 5 years of NBA experience plays an entire 10-day contract, they will be paid $123,310.87. (Math: 10/173 * $2,133,278)
Click here for more info about NBA 10 day contracts
NBA G League 2 Way Contracts
The salary for a Two-Way Contract is 50% of the rookie minimum.
For the upcoming 2023-2024 season, the Two-Way player salary is $559,782.
Here is the official CBA legal jargon:
The Salary provided for in a Two-Way Contract (the “Two-Way Player Salary”) for a Season shall equal fifty percent (50%) of the Minimum Annual Salary called for under Article II, Section 6(a) for a player with zero (0) Years of Service…
I wonder if they actually pay them the 50 cents or not.
Here is an official list of two-way players from the 2022-2023 season.
Rest-of-Season Contracts
The Salary provided for in a Rest-of-Season Contract shall not be less than the Minimum Player Salary.
If a player signs part way through the season, the minimum salary they can receive is the Minimum Annual Salary (listed above), pro-rated by how many days are left in the season.
For example, if a 10-year vet signs for the last 50 days of a season, then his salary will be $839,841.33. (Assuming 173 days in a season)
NBA Minimum vs Maximum Salary
Just for fun, let’s compare the maximum NBA salary and minimum NBA salary.
For the upcoming season, Steph Curry is the top paid player with a salary of $51,915,615. 💰
The minimum salary for rookies is $1,017,781.
That’s a difference of $50,897,834!!
Steph Curry makes 5000%, or 51 times more than the lowest paid rookie. 😂
Other Salary FAQ
What is the lowest paid G League player?
The minimum G League salary last season was $40,500.
Click here for more G League salary info
Do NBA players get paid weekly?
Typically, NBA players get paid semi-monthly. From the CBA:
Unless otherwise provided in Exhibit 1 (or, with respect to advances, in Exhibit 1, Exhibit 1A, or Exhibit 1B), such Compensation shall be paid in twenty-four (24) equal semi-monthly payments beginning with the first of said payments on November 1st of each year covered by this Contract
How much do NBA referees make?
NBA referees make from around $200,000 to over $500,000 per season.
Click here for more info about NBA referee salaries
What is the salary of a #1 NBA draft player?
The current maximum first year salary of the #1 draft pick is $11,055,120.
The minimum first year salary is $7,370,080.
Damn!
Click here for more about rookie contracts
Summary
The minimum NBA salary depends on the number of seasons a player has played in the league, as well as which year of his contract he is in.
For rookies, the minimum salary for the 2023-2024 season is $1,119,563.
Non full-time NBA players (i.e. Two Way Players, 10-day contracts, etc.) will make far less.
What do you think of NBA salaries?
Are players overpaid, or paid fairly?
Let me know in the comments below:
