When the NBA’s 2024/25 league year begins this summer, players eligible for free agency will be able to begin negotiating and reaching contract agreements with suitors. In addition to those free agents, another group of players will also become eligible to sign new deals.
For players who are entering the fourth and final year of their rookie scale contracts, the first day of the new league year (July 1) is the first day they can agree to rookie scale extensions. Those players, who were all 2021 first-round selections, will have until October 21 – the day before the 2024/25 regular season starts – to finalize long-term agreements with their current teams.
Players eligible for rookie scale extensions can sign new deals that run for up to five years, with those contracts taking effect beginning in 2025/26. If they don’t sign extensions during the coming offseason, those players will be eligible for restricted free agency in the summer of 2025.
Fourteen players who were eligible for rookie scale extensions during the 2023 offseason signed new deals. That total easily surpassed the previous record of 11 (set in 2021 and matched in 2022), and continued a recent trend — we’ve seen an uptick in rookie extensions during the last several offseasons as more teams look to lock up their promising young players in advance of free agency.
We should expect several more rookie scale extensions to be signed between July and October of this year.
Here are the players who will be eligible to sign rookie scale extensions during the 2024 offseason:
- Santi Aldama (Grizzlies)
Scottie Barnes (Raptors): Extended- Cade Cunningham (Pistons): Extended
- Chris Duarte (Bulls)
- Josh Giddey (Bulls)
- Jalen Green (Rockets): Extended
- Quentin Grimes (Mavericks)
- Bones Hyland (Clippers)
- Isaiah Jackson (Pacers)
- Jalen Johnson (Hawks): Extended
- Corey Kispert (Wizards): Extended
- Jonathan Kuminga (Warriors)
- Tre Mann (Hornets)
- Davion Mitchell (Raptors)
- Evan Mobley (Cavaliers): Extended
- Moses Moody (Warriors): Extended
- Trey Murphy (Pelicans): Extended
- Alperen Sengun (Rockets): Extended
- Day’Ron Sharpe (Nets)
- Jaden Springer (Celtics)
- Jalen Suggs (Magic): Extended
- Cam Thomas (Nets)
- Franz Wagner (Magic): Extended
- Ziaire Williams (Nets)
The following players were selected in the first round of the 2020 draft along with the players listed above. However, they aren’t eligible for rookie scale extensions this year for the reasons noted:
- James Bouknight: Fourth-year option declined by Hornets in 2023; waived in 2024.
- Josh Christopher: Waived by Grizzlies in 2023.
- Usman Garuba: Waived by Thunder in 2023.
- Keon Johnson: Waived by Suns in 2023.
- Kai Jones: Waived by Hornets in 2023.
- Joshua Primo: Waived by Spurs in 2022.
After giving these players big contracts, the teams depth will be all but gone.
Great draft class