How Much Does a Rookie NBA Player Make?

Rookie NBA players make a lot of money. In fact, the average salary for a rookie in the NBA is around $1.9 million. However, there is a wide range of salaries for rookies, with the highest-paid player making over $8 million and the lowest-paid player making under $500,000.

NBA Salaries

A rookie in the NBA can expect to make a salary of $582,180 to $1,445,960, depending on the team they are drafted by and whether or not they are part of the first or second round of the draft. In addition to their base salary, rookies also receive “Signing Bonuses”. These can range from $50,000 to $2 million depending on where they were drafted.

Average NBA salary

NBA rookies make an average salary of $1.6 million per year, according to data from Spotrac. This figure is based on the salaries of first-round draft picks from 2014 to 2018. In contrast, the average salary for all NBA players is $7.7 million per year.

The maximum salary a rookie can make is $9.2 million, while the minimum salary is $816,000. Rookie contracts are typically for two or three years, with team options for a fourth year. Players can become free agents after their fourth season if they have not already signed a contract extension with their team.

The collective bargaining agreement between the NBA and the players’ union sets a rookie wage scale that determines how much first-year players will earn. The rookie scale is based on draft position, with players drafted higher up in the first round receiving higher salaries.

Maximum NBA salary

The maximum salary for an NBA player is determined by the collective bargaining agreement between the NBA and its players. The most a player can earn in the first year of their contract is 25% of the salary cap, which is currently $9.258 million. In their second year, they can earn up to 30% of the cap, and in their third and fourth years, they can earn up to 35% of the cap. After that, they are free to sign a new contract for whatever amount they can negotiate with their team.

Minimum NBA salary

The minimum NBA salary for the 2020-2021 season is $893,310 for rookie players, which is a significant increase from the 2019-2020 season minimum of $752,920. Players on their second year in the NBA will earn a minimum salary of $1,445,697. Players with three or more years of experience will earn at least $2,133,882. The minimum salaries increase each year based on league revenue.

NBA Rookie Salaries

The NBA has a rookie wage scale that rookie players must adhere to. In their first year, rookies can make a maximum of $25.84 million. This is a significant pay raise from the $582,180 that they would have made in their first year if they were not under the rookie wage scale.

Average NBA rookie salary

The average NBA rookie salary is $1.9 million per year, but first-year players can earn anywhere from $500,000 to $8 million per year, depending on their draft position. The highest-paid NBA rookie is Ben Simmons of the Philadelphia 76ers, who signed a four-year contract worth $20.4 million after being selected with the first overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft.

Maximum NBA rookie salary

Every player in the NBA has a different rookie salary. However, there is a maximum amount that any rookie can make in their first year. The maximum NBA rookie salary for the 2019-2020 season is $8,619,320.

Minimum NBA rookie salary

As of the 2018 NBA Rookie Scale, a player fresh out of college who is selected in the first round of the NBA draft will earn a minimum of $838,464 in their first year. That number goes up to $1,544,951 for a player drafted in the middle of the first round, and as high as $3,381,920 for the No. 1 pick in the draft. If a player is selected in the second round of the NBA draft, their minimum salary will be $495,400 in their first year.

How NBA Rookie Salaries are Determined

NBA Draft

The NBA draft is held every June, and is the process by which NBA teams select new players to join their ranks. To be eligible for the draft, a player must be at least 19 years old and must have finished their college eligibility. Players who have not finished college may still declare for the draft, but will not be eligible to actually join an NBA team until they turn 19.

Once a player declares for the draft, they will be assigned a draft number based on where they are projected to be selected. The higher the draft number, the higher the expectations are for that player. However, it should be noted that being drafted does not guarantee a spot on an NBA roster. Players who are not selected in the draft may still try out for NBA teams as free agents.

The amount of money a rookie NBA player makes is determined by their draft number. For example, the first overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft will earn $8,719,300 over their first two years in the league. This number comes from the Rookie Salary Scale, which is a set of predetermined salaries for each draft pick. The Rookie Salary Scale was put in place to ensure that rookies did not make more money than veteran players with similar levels of experience.

NBA Rookie Scale

The NBA’s rookie pay scale is a set of predetermined salaries for first-year players, based on where they were drafted. The lower a player is drafted, the less he’ll earn. The scale was established as part of the NBA’s 2005 collective bargaining agreement.

Rookie scale deals are for two years, with team options for two more. Players can renegotiate their deals after their third and fourth seasons in the league, respectively. If a player is not eligible for a rookie scale deal (i.e. he’s 23 or older or he played professional basketball outside of the NBA), then he can sign for any amount up to the maximum salary.

Here are the 2020-21 rookie scale salaries, by draft pick:

1st overall: $8,626,960
2nd overall: $8,119,760
3rd overall: $7,613,520
4th overall: $7,107,280
5th overall: $6,601,040
6th overall: $6,094,800
7th overall: $5,588560