The 2026 NBA Draft gets underway tonight at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, and as always, the spotlight is on the players expected to hear their names called first. Prospects like AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer, and Caleb Wilson are expected to be the top selections, but how much will they earn on their rookie contracts?
There’s a major difference in pay depending on how early a player hears his name called, so here’s a simple breakdown of how the NBA’s rookie-scale contracts work.
Breaking Down How Much Each Selection in the 2026 NBA Draft Will Earn
Interestingly, rookie contracts used to be a free-for-all. Back in 1994, Glenn Robinson went first overall and then refused to sign until he got a 10-year deal worth $68 million. That number made veteran stars look underpaid.
That one incident led to a massive rule change. Starting with the 1995 NBA Draft, the league implemented a fixed pay scale for every first-round pick, and that system remains in place today.
Every first-round pick signs a four-year deal. The first two years are locked in and guaranteed no matter what. The final two years are team options, meaning the franchise can decide whether they want to move on or pay the salary. Each draft slot comes with its own set price tag, but teams aren’t forced to pay that exact number.
Teams can offer anywhere from 80% up to 120% of the rookie-scale contract figure. In reality, almost every team just pays the full 120% since it costs them very little extra and keeps the player and his camp happy from day one.
The rookie-scale contract values are as follows for the 2026 NBA Draft:
| Pick Number | Team Name | Rookie Salary | Four-Year Contract |
| 1 | Washington Wizards | $15,200,000 | $69,000,000 |
| 2 | Utah Jazz | $13,600,000 | $61,800,000 |
| 3 | Memphis Grizzlies | $12,200,000 | $55,500,000 |
| 4 | Chicago Bulls | $11,000,000 | $50,000,000 |
| 5 | Los Angeles Clippers | $10,000,000 | $45,300,000 |
| 6 | Brooklyn Nets | $9,100,000 | $41,200,000 |
| 7 | Sacramento Kings | $8,300,000 | $37,600,000 |
| 8 | Atlanta Hawks | $7,600,000 | $34,500,000 |
| 9 | Dallas Mavericks | $7,000,000 | $31,700,000 |
| 10 | Milwaukee Bucks | $6,600,000 | $30,100,000 |
| 11 | Golden State Warriors | $6,300,000 | $29,000,000 |
| 12 | Oklahoma City Thunder | $6,000,000 | $27,900,000 |
| 13 | Miami Heat | $5,700,000 | $26,800,000 |
| 14 | Charlotte Hornets | $5,400,000 | $25,800,000 |
| 15 | Chicago Bulls | $5,100,000 | $24,800,000 |
| 16 | Memphis Grizzlies | $4,900,000 | $23,500,000 |
| 17 | Oklahoma City Thunder | $4,600,000 | $22,400,000 |
| 18 | Charlotte Hornets | $4,400,000 | $21,300,000 |
| 19 | Toronto Raptors | $4,200,000 | $20,300,000 |
| 20 | San Antonio Spurs | $4,000,000 | $19,500,000 |
| 21 | Detroit Pistons | $3,900,000 | $18,900,000 |
| 22 | Philadelphia 76ers | $3,700,000 | $18,400,000 |
| 23 | Atlanta Hawks | $3,600,000 | $17,900,000 |
| 24 | New York Knicks | $3,400,000 | $17,300,000 |
| 25 | Los Angeles Lakers | $3,300,000 | $16,800,000 |
| 26 | Denver Nuggets | $3,200,000 | $16,300,000 |
| 27 | Boston Celtics | $3,100,000 | $15,800,000 |
| 28 | Brooklyn Nets | $3,100,000 | $15,700,000 |
| 29 | Cleveland Cavaliers | $3,000,000 | $15,600,000 |
| 30 | Dallas Mavericks | $3,000,000 | $15,500,000 |
The numbers are directly tied to the NBA’s salary cap, which is expected to land around $165 million for the 2026-27 NBA season. That’s roughly a 7% jump from last year. As the league’s revenue grows, so does every rookie’s paycheck, automatically.
The draft will continue on Wednesday with the second round, which features another 30 selections. However, unlike first-round picks, second-round players are not bound by a fixed rookie salary structure and the deals are not guaranteed.
Teams have greater freedom when negotiating second-round contracts, and many second-round selections end up signing deals worth the league minimum. Others receive two-way contracts where they split time between the NBA team and its NBA G League affiliate, with pay varying depending on where they are assigned during the season.
Given the amount of NIL money being thrown around in college basketball these days, there’s a chance that some of the players who hear their name called in the second round may actually end up making less as rookies than they did while in school.
