As we explain in our glossary entry on veteran contract extensions, rookie scale extensions have historically been the most common form of contract extension in the NBA. However, recent Collective Bargaining Agreements have loosened the rules on eligibility for veteran extensions and made them more financially advantageous, especially for players who don’t expect mega-deals.
As a result, we’ve seen a substantial bump in veteran contract extensions in recent seasons. During the 2021/22 league year, 21 players signed them, and that total jumped to 23 players in 2022/23. While there were only 17 veteran extensions in ’23/24, that total was eclipsed early in the 2024/25 league year and that list could continue to grow ahead of June 30, 2025.
[RELATED: 2024/25 NBA Contract Extension Tracker]
Certain extension-eligible players may prefer to wait until they reach free agency to sign a new contract, since their maximum extension would be far less than the maximum contract they’d be eligible to earn on the open market.
The maximum starting salary a player can receive in a veteran extension is up to 140% of his current salary. A player on a more modest contract can receive a maximum starting salary worth up to 140% of the NBA’s estimated average salary. In 2024/25, 140% of the estimated average salary would work out to a $18,102,000 salary in the first year of a contract extension. A player who signs an extension that fits that bill could get up to four years and approximately $81MM.
Wendell Carter Jr., Andrew Nembhard, and Ivica Zubac have all signed extensions meeting that criteria in 2024/25, albeit for three years each instead of four. Thunder guard Alex Caruso is the next noteworthy player who will become eligible for an extension that begins at $18,102,000.
Now that the regular season is underway, the group of veterans eligible for contract extensions has shrunk, since players with more than one year left on their contracts aren’t permitted to sign an in-season extension. But there are still a number of veterans in the final year of their respective contracts who remain eligible for extensions right up until the last day of the current league year (June 30).
Listed below are the players who meet the criteria for a veteran extension. Players who were recently traded can be extended, but they have to wait for six months after the trade to sign a contract longer than four total years (including the current season) with a first-year bump of more than 20% or a subsequent annual raise exceeding 5%. If a player below is noted as having “limited” eligibility until a certain date, that’s why.
Once a player regains his full extension eligibility, he becomes eligible to sign an extension of up to five total years (including the current season) with a 40% first-year raise (or 40% of the estimated average salary).
Additionally, extension-eligible players with a player or team option for 2025/26 would have to eliminate that option year as part of an extension agreement in order to meet the necessary criteria.
Here’s the full list of veterans eligible for contract extensions during the 2024/25 season:
Atlanta Hawks
- Clint Capela
- Garrison Mathews
- Larry Nance Jr.
- Limited eligibility until January 6.
Boston Celtics
- Al Horford
- Eligible as of December 1.
Brooklyn Nets
- Bojan Bogdanovic
- Limited eligibility until January 6.
- Ben Simmons
Charlotte Hornets
- None
Chicago Bulls
Cleveland Cavaliers
Dallas Mavericks
- None
Denver Nuggets
- None
Detroit Pistons
- Tim Hardaway Jr.
- Limited eligibility until January 6.
Golden State Warriors
Houston Rockets
Indiana Pacers
- None
Los Angeles Clippers
Los Angeles Lakers
- None
Memphis Grizzlies
- None
Miami Heat
- Jimmy Butler
- 2025/26 player option must be declined.
Milwaukee Bucks
- Pat Connaughton
- 2025/26 player option must be declined.
- Bobby Portis
- 2025/26 player option must be declined.
Minnesota Timberwolves
- Josh Minott
- 2025/26 team option must be declined.
- Julius Randle
- Limited eligibility until April 4.
- 2025/26 player option must be declined.
New Orleans Pelicans
New York Knicks
Oklahoma City Thunder
- Alex Caruso
- Limited eligibility until December 21.
- Jaylin Williams
- 2025/26 team option must be declined.
Orlando Magic
- Caleb Houstan
- 2025/26 team option must be declined.
Philadelphia 76ers
- None
Phoenix Suns
- None
Portland Trail Blazers
Sacramento Kings
- None
San Antonio Spurs
- None
Toronto Raptors
Utah Jazz
- John Collins
- 2025/26 player option must be declined.
Washington Wizards
- Marvin Bagley III
- Malcolm Brogdon
- Limited eligibility until January 6.