NBA Rookie Salaries: Average Pay for 2026 Draft Picks in the NBA
The NBA applies a rookie salary scale that ties each draftee’s earnings to his draft position and the league’s collective bargaining agreement. For the 2026 class, the top pick is slated to earn roughly $4.
5 million in the first year, while the last slot will receive about $1. 5 million.
These figures are reflected in the players’ guaranteed contracts and count toward each team’s salary cap for the season.
Article facts
| Category | Football |
|---|---|
| Published | |
| Language | en |
| Free | Free — headline and summary on this page; no account |
| Full text | Full article text is not hosted here; follow the publisher link |
| No SKU, GTIN or MPN | No SKU, GTIN or MPN — this is a news story, not a product |