Exceptionally talented basketball players coming out of college will look to transform the NBA teams they are drafted by, especially lottery picks toward the top of Round 1.
While the contracts signed by players selected in the first round will almost assuredly fall in the eight figures, how much do those contracts will actually tally?
Here we explore the concept of the NBA rookie scale.
What Is the NBA Rookie Scale?
The NBA rookie scale dictates what amount a player can be paid, and it is all based on what draft slot a player is selected in, with the No. 1 overall pick being paid the most out of the pack.
The scale is a mandated, four-year contract structure that guarantees a player's salary in his first two NBA seasons before deferring to the team on whether to extend his contract -- known as team options -- in years three and four.
How Much Is the No. 1 Pick Paid?
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In 2025, Cooper Flagg was slated to be paid $11.5 million as the No. 1 overall pick, with the No. 2 pick, Dylan Harper, slated to be paid $10.3 million, in each of their first two years. The difference between being a No. 1 pick and No. 2 pick is rewarded more heavily than, say, a No. 28 pick and No. 29 pick.
That number figures to be in that same ballpark in 2026, with initial figures estimating the No. 1 overall pick in 2026 to receive a first-year salary around $13.8 million based on the forecasted NBA salary cap for this year.
How Does the NBA Rookie Scale Work?
The NBA rookie scale deviates salaries based on draft position.
While Flagg, as the 2025 first overall pick, earned $13.8 million, his salary was inflated based on contract negotiating terms laid out by the league, which allow teams to pay 80% to 120% of a player's expected earnings.
The first two picks in the 2025 draft were the only players to earn an expected $10 million first-year salary in their first year, but that number halves from the No. 2 pick to the No. 10 pick, who was expected to earn $5 million, according to the rookie scale.
Beyond the first year, players earn more in the second year as well as the third and fourth years of their mandated four-year deals if teams exercise the third and fourth-year options.
How Does the Rookie Scale Affect Extensions?
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First-rounders who earn rookie-scale contracts unlock a path to solid earnings based on years of service. Those early picks become eligible for a maximum rookie-scale extension after their third season and before the start of their fourth season in the NBA.
Their payday in these contracts depends on which slot in the first round a player is taken, but being taken in the first round is a fairly surefire way to earn a nice paycheck after the third year.
MORE: What Is an NBA 10-Day Contract? How It Works
Who Is Eligible for the Rookie Scale?
The NBA rookie scale only applies to first-round draft picks; players picked in the second round or who go undrafted often sign non-guaranteed two-way deals which allow them to prove their talent in the G League, or lower-value, short term deals that come with far fewer regulations than first-round, rookie-scale deals.
Ultimately, the NBA rookie scale is a way for teams to pay their top picks a certain percentage of their salary cap, and remains a very unique format for professional sports salaries.
