The NBA revealed the economic parameters that will govern the season 2025/2026marking a new increase in the salary cap, due to the increase in contracts and sponsorships that the league has.
The 2025-26 season of The NBA will begin on Tuesday, October 21 and in the game calendar the new television rights agreement that the league signed last fall, for 76 billion dollars for the next 11 years.
The new calendar includes matches in ABC, ESPN, NBC, Peacock and Amazon Primeand the league will broadcast the games nationally with its channel every day of the week. In total, NBCUniversal will broadcast up to 100 games, depending on the television coverage plan, while disney and Amazon Prime will transmit 80 and 66, respectively.
As a result of this impactful new agreement, the teams benefit. The NBA reported that will increase the salary limit per team by 10% for the 2025-26 season. He himself has set his sights on $154.6 million for the new course. The level of luxury tax for the 2025-26 season it is US$187.9 million.
However, it is also set minimum wage What a team can provide: $139.2 million.
Additionally, the first salary cap is projected to be $195.9 million and the second to be $207.8 million, an increase of $17.8 million from this season.
Teams were also informed that those below the luxury tax will receive a distribution of $11.5 million from the ten tax-paying teams.
In the future, the NBA projects that the salary cap will continue its rise, estimating that it will reach 170.1 million dollars in the 2027/2028 season.
As if that were not enough, the Average value of its NBA franchises increased 20% year-on-year and already reaches $5.51 billionaccording to a report by Sportico, consolidating the league as one of the most profitable in world sport. The economic boost is explained by the growth in revenue, which totaled $12.2 billion last season.
The huge financial difference of the NBA in 10 years
Salary growth in NBA It’s dizzying. Just 9 years ago, in the 2015-16 seasonsome 10 players earned more than $20 million per yearled by Kobe Bryant.
Now, for next season, 91 players will earn more than that figure, 61 of them will exceed 30 million, 27 will reach 40 million and 15 will exceed 50 million, led by Stephen Curryaccording to the figures collected by the company itself NBA.
Minimum salary in the NBA: what are they like and what do they mean?
The minimum salary in the NBA depends on the player’s experience. For the 2025-2026 season, the amounts are as follows:
- 0 years of experience: $1,272,870
- 1 year: $2,048,494
- 2 years: $2,296,274
- 3 years: $2,378,870
- 4 years: $2,461,463
- 5 years: $2,667,947
- 6 years: $2,874,436
- 7 years: $3,080,921
- 8 years: $3,287,409
- 9 years: $3,303,774
- 10 years or more: $3,634,153
What the NBA’s maximum salaries and supermax contracts will be like in the 2025-2026 season:
The maximum salary in the NBA depends on the player’s experience and the salary limit, set for 2025-26 at $154,647,000.
The base amounts are, therefore:
- From 0 to 6 years of experience: 25% of the limit → US$38,661,750
- From 7 to 9 years: 30% of the limit → US$46,394,100
- 10 years or more: 35% of the limit → US$54,126,450
2025-26 NBA Max Contract: Totals over duration:
- Re-sign with your team (5 years, +8%/year)
- 0 – 6 years: US$224,238,150
- 7 – 9 years: US$269,085,780
- +10 years: US$313,933,410
Sign with a new team (4 years, +5%/year):
- 0 – 6 years: US$166,245,525
- 7 – 9 years: US$199,494,630
- 10 years +: US$232,743,735
These totals are calculated with the maximum increases allowed by the collective bargaining agreement (8% or 5% of the first year’s salary, depending on whether the player stays or changes teams).
Current records:
- Total: Jayson Tatum signed a 5-year supermax extension in 2024 and 314 million dollars with Boston.
- Average annual salary: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander just accepted 4 years and 285 million dollarsthat is to say, $71.3M/yeara historical record.
The supermax mechanism (All-NBA eligibility, MVP, DPOY, etc.) always allows franchises to lock down their superstars up to 35% of the cap, solidify their core and preserve their long-term competitiveness.
And the rookie contract?
Players selected in the first round of the NBA draft sign standardized contracts called rookie scale contractswith a duration of 4 years: the first two years are guaranteed, and the next two are equipment options. The amount of the contract depends on the position in the draft and the current salary limit.
For the 2025-2026 season, rookie salaries are as follows:
- 1st pick: $62.73 million in 4 years
- 2nd choice: 56.14 M
- 3rd choice: 50.44 M
- 4th choice: 45.49 M
- 5th choice: 41.21 M
- 6th choice: 37.44 M
- 7th choice: 34.19 M
- 8th choice: 31.34 M
- 9th choice: 28.82 M
- 10th choice: 27.39 M
- 15th choice: 22.51 M
- 20th pick: 17.73 M
- 25th election: 15.31 M
- 30th pick: 14.09 M
The highest paid players in the NBA in 2025/26:
- Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors): $59,606,817
- Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers): $55,224,526
- Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets): $55,224,526
- Anthony Davis (Dallas Mavericks): $54,126,450
- Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks): $54,126,450
- Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics): $54,126,450
- Jimmy Butler (Golden State Warriors): $54,126,450
- Bradley Beal (Phoenix Suns): $53,666,270
- Kevin Durant (Phoenix Suns): $53,282,608
- Devin Booker (Phoenix Suns): $53,142,264
Source: Ambito
I am Pierce Boyd, a driven and ambitious professional working in the news industry. I have been writing for 24 Hours Worlds for over five years, specializing in sports section coverage. During my tenure at the publication, I have built an impressive portfolio of articles that has earned me a reputation as an experienced journalist and content creator.
