The 2024-25 NBA season is fast approaching and teams have largely set their rosters for the upcoming campaign. Between the different salary categories and tiers, the salary cap and various luxury tax aprons, the way NBA players get paid can be incredibly confusing. When you add the G League to the mix, things get even more complicated.
What follows is a look at how much G League players get paid and how those salaries work.
G League players sign one-year contracts with the league, not individual teams. They are paid a flat base salary, so there are no minimum or maximum salaries. For the five to six-month season, G League players now make $40,500. That is up from $35,000 several years ago.
The G League season begins in late October and lasts until April. Each team plays a 50-game regular season before the playoffs begin on April 1.
Each NBA franchise can sign three players to two-way contracts. Those deals allow players to participate at both the NBA and G League level. It is a way for teams to carry extra players beyond the 15 allowed on their regular season rosters. Two-way players can spend the entire season with their G League team and play in up to 50 of their NBA team’s games. They can also sit on the bench as an inactive roster member for NBA games.
A player must have fewer than four years of NBA experience to be eligible for a two-way contract. Those deals play $578,577, which is half of the rookie minimum.
For the 2024-25 season, there will be 31 NBA G League teams, 30 of which are affiliated with NBA teams. Those teams are as follows: Austin Spurs (San Antonio Spurs), Birmingham Squadron (New Orleans Pelicans), Capital City Go-Go (Washington Wizards), Cleveland Charge (Cleveland Cavaliers), College Park Skyhawks (Atlanta Hawks), Delaware Blue Coats (Philadelphia 76ers), Grand Rapids Gold (Denver Nuggets), Greensboro Swarm (Charlotte Hornets), Indiana Mad Ants (Indiana Pacers), Iowa Wolves (Minnesota Timberwolves), Long Island Nets (Brooklyn Nets), Maine Celtics (Boston Celtics), Memphis Hustle (Memphis Grizzlies), Motor City Cruise (Detroit Pistons), Oklahoma City Blue (Oklahoma City Thunder), Osceola Magic (Orlando Magic), Raptors 905 (Toronto Raptors), Rio Grande Valley Vipers (Houston Rockets), Rip City Remix (Portland Trail Blazers), Salt Lake City Stars (Utah Jazz), San Diego Clippers (L.A. Clippers), Santa Cruz Warriors (Golden State Warriors), Sioux Falls Skyforce (Miami Heat), South Bay Lakers (Los Angeles Lakers), Stockton Kings (Sacramento Kings), Texas Legends (Dallas Mavericks), Valley Suns (Phoenix Suns), Westchester Knicks (New York Knicks), Windy City Bulls (Chicago Bulls) and Wisconsin Herd (Milwaukee Bucks).
The Mexico City Capitanes are the only team not directly affiliated with an NBA franchise. For the 2024-25 season, the G League Ignite team will be shut down after operating since 2000. The team was a developmental squad for talented young prospects and veterans meant to mentor them. The Ignite team had been a route for high school players to jump to professional basketball before their draft year without having to go overseas.
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