As a new NBA season prepares to tip off, one of the major off-court storylines is the influx of revenue and its impact on the league’s salary cap and player earnings. A top NBA front office insider revealed more information on the topic.
What is The Latest Information on Player Salaries
NBA front office insider Bobby Marks shared some interesting stats on social media as the 2025-2026 NBA season gets set to begin. Marks shared that players will earn $5.6 billion in salary this season, which is a $400 million increase from last season.
Marks mentioned the huge rise in salaries while also mentioning the Brooklyn Nets have the youngest roster in the league while the LA Clippers have the oldest. Marks also highlighted that league icon LeBron James has been named to 21 consecutive All-NBA teams. Through Marks said” James must play at least 65 games this season to keep the streak active.”
The NBA’s salary cap for this season is $154.647 million, representing a 10% increase from last season. The dramatic jump is primarily attributed to the start of new TV and streaming contracts across the league. The dreaded luxury tax penalty this season is $187.895 million.
The new CBA includes harsher penalties for exceeding the tax, with limited roster acquisition flexibility and the potential loss of draft picks. Trying to avoid significant luxury tax penalties was likely a factor that caused the Boston Celtics to trade guard Jrue Holiday and forward Kristaps Porzingis this offseason, for example.
The rebuilding Nets have the most available cap space going into the season, with $12 million. Their highest-paid player is wing Michael Porter Jr., who they acquired in a trade this offseason with the Denver Nuggets for wing Cam Johnson.
The Nets are a team to watch during the next two off-seasons, as they could be a major player in free agency due to their long-term financial flexibility.
What are your award picks for the Brooklyn Nets in 2025-26? 👀
(w/ @LucasKaplan_) pic.twitter.com/EgaDSSVnQE
— The Brooklyn (@thebrooklynpod) October 21, 2025
At the other end of the spectrum are the Cleveland Cavaliers, who have over $229 million in salary commitments this year, and are paying the second-highest apron tax.
As a result of going into the second apron, the Cavs have restrictions on their mid-level exception, and they cannot stack multiple players’ salaries into a single outgoing trade.
1 DAY. 24 HOURS. 1,440 MINUTES, 86,400 SECONDS.
Cavs basketball is back tomorrow. #LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/BOWJxzWm81
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) October 21, 2025
The Cavs have a top-heavy roster with All-Stars Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and Darius Garland, as well as former All-Star Jarrett Allen, all making at least $20 million this season. The Cavs won 64 regular-season games last season and went into the playoffs as the East’s top seed. However, they were upset in the second round by the Indiana Pacers.
Another disappointing playoff exit may cause General Manager Mike Gansey to make a tough decision.
Managing the cap will become even more important as player salaries rise.
