When it comes to annual earnings in professional sports, none can compete with the NBA. On the other hand, it’s not every athlete in the league that’s making the big bucks when a year comes to an end.
But first, let’s talk about NBA minimum salaries
As is the case in just about any professional sport, there is a minimum salary that a player can earn. The NBA is, of course, no different. Regarding who receives a minimum salary in the league and how they are calculated, we can tell you that it’s typically rookies and undrafted players who are placed on minimum salaries. However, quite a few veterans can find themselves on them as well. In terms of how it’s calculated, it must be said. Minimum salaries in the NBA are calculated based on the amount of experience that a player has in the league. With that in mind, one can understand that a veteran can, in fact, make a significant amount more than a rookie by virtue of having played in the league longer. Below you can see a breakdown of the minimum salary figures for this season:
| Years of Experience | Salary |
|---|---|
| 0 | $1,017,781 |
| 1 | $1,637,966 |
| 2 | $1,836,090 |
| 3 | $1,902,133 |
| 4 | $1,968,175 |
| 5 | $2,133,278 |
| 6 | $2,298,385 |
| 7 | $2,463,490 |
| 8 | $2,628,597 |
| 9 | $2,641,682 |
| 10+ | $2,905,851 |
The interesting thing here is the manner in which the NBA has safeguarded against teams favoring younger players, who they can acquire for less. The league has seemingly reduced the risk by reimbursing teams who sign players with three or more years of experience. How does that work? If we take the example of DeAndre Jordan - a 14-year veteran - he will receive the minimum salary for a one-year contract with the Nuggets, who in turn will incur the $1,836,090 for his contract. Jordan will, in fact, earn $2,905,851, but the NBA will pay the difference. What’s important to understand is that this only applies to one-year contracts instead of multiyear deals.
Ishmail Wainright is the NBA’s lowest-paid player
As the new season tips off, I want to wish my @Suns and most specifically my idol, inspiration, and future GodFather of my children, Ishmail Carzell “STRONGMAN” Wainright @Wainright24 an excellent season. #NewYearSameGoal #NewYearNewIsh #FinalsBound #TurnMeUpIsh pic.twitter.com/DWE0WWVbuh
— Rami Sibai (@RamiSibai) October 19, 2022
As mentioned above, minimum salary rules only apply to one-year contracts. That’s to say that a player can earn significantly less than the minimum if he’s on a multiyear deal that nets him a lower salary per year. As things stand, the dubious honor of the lowest-paid player in the league is held by Ishmail Wainright of the Phoenix Suns, who earns a total of $633,891. If you’re wondering how that measures up to the highest-paid player in the league, Steph Curry earns $48,070,014 a year, so you do the math.
