Now that the NBA has set its salary cap for the 2022/23 league year at $123,655,000, we have a clear idea of what maximum-salary contracts will look like for the coming season.
Listed below are the maximum-salary contracts for players signing contracts that start in 2022/23.
The first chart shows the maximum salaries for a player re-signing with his own team — a player’s previous team can offer five years instead of four, and 8% annual raises instead of 5% raises. The second chart shows the maximum salaries for a player signing with a new team.
These figures will apply to a number of players who signed maximum-salary contract extensions that will go into effect in 2022/23: Luka Doncic, Trae Young, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Michael Porter Jr. They’ll also apply to anyone who signs a maximum-salary contract as a free agent this offseason — Bradley Beal, for instance.
A player’s maximum salary is generally determined by his years of NBA experience, so there’s a wide gap between potential earnings for younger and older players.
In the charts below, the “6 years or less” column details the maximum contracts for players like Gilgeous-Alexander and Porter, as well as what a free agent like Deandre Ayton is eligible for; the “7-9 years” column applies to free agents like Zach LaVine and to players who qualified for a Rose Rule rookie scale extension, such as Doncic and Young; and the “10+ years” column applies to the league’s most experienced vets, including Beal, or those who qualified for the super-max.
Here are the maximum salary figures for 2022/23:
A player re-signing with his own team (8% annual raises, up to five years):
| Year | 6 years or less | 7-9 years | 10+ years |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | $30,913,750 | $37,096,500 | $43,279,250 |
| 2023/24 | $33,386,850 | $40,064,220 | $46,741,590 |
| 2024/25 | $35,859,950 | $43,031,940 | $50,203,930 |
| 2025/26 | $38,333,050 | $45,999,660 | $53,666,270 |
| 2026/27 | $40,806,150 | $48,967,380 | $57,128,610 |
| Total | $179,299,750 | $215,159,700 | $251,019,650 |
A player signing with a new team (5% annual raises, up to four years):
| Year | 6 years or less | 7-9 years | 10+ years |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | $30,913,750 | $37,096,500 | $43,279,250 |
| 2023/24 | $32,459,438 | $38,951,325 | $45,443,213 |
| 2024/25 | $34,005,126 | $40,806,150 | $47,607,176 |
| 2025/26 | $35,550,814 | $42,660,975 | $49,771,139 |
| Total | $132,929,128 | $159,514,950 | $186,100,778 |
It’s worth noting that none of the maximum-salary figures listed above will apply to extension-eligible players whose new contracts will start in 2023/24.
This group includes players like Nikola Jokic and Ja Morant, who are on track to sign max extensions with the Nuggets and Grizzlies, respectively. It also includes players who signed maximum-salary extensions in previous years that will begin in ’23/24, including Joel Embiid.
The exact value of those players’ contracts will depend on where the cap lands for 2023/24. The NBA has announced that the cap for ’23/24 is projected to come in at $133MM, but there’s plenty of time for that estimate to fluctuate between now and next summer.
How is Steph Curry’s deal valued at $261,134,628 with him getting $59,606,817 in year 5 (25-26)?
Is it because he signed a 4-yr/$215M extension in 2021? Does the extension somehow up the $$ amount?
A player signing a contract extension is always eligible for a 5% raise. So, a player can technically earn above the max if he signs an extension on a max contract where his annual raises (usually 8%) have been higher than the annual cap increases. That’s what happened to Curry when he signed his extension last year.