There's nothing quite like the NBA's Summer League.
For nearly two weeks, all 30 NBA teams descend upon Las Vegas for the league's biggest event of the offseason. From top rookies to younger players sharpening their tools and lesser-known players looking to carve out a path to the NBA, all 30 rosters have plenty of talent.
While over 400 players take the floor during the summer, not all are on standard NBA contracts. Does each player get paid?
Take a look at the breakdown of Summer League pay based on players' standing with their respective teams.
MORE: Six standouts from opening weekend of Las Vegas Summer League
Do players get paid for NBA Summer League?
All players are paid for their participation in the NBA's Summer League.
Per the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the NBA and the NBPA, there are Summer Contracts, which are separate entities from the NBA's other contract distinctions — Exhibit 10, Two-Way and a standard NBA contract. Any player on a Summer League roster is on one of the aforementioned contracts.
Here is what each contract entails:
Summer Contract
Here's more from the Collective Bargaining Agreement on Summer Contracts:
[A] Team may enter into Player Contracts that will not be included in Team Salary until the first day of such Regular Season (i.e., the player will be deemed not to have any Salary until the first day of such Regular Season)…
Among players eligible for a Summer Contract are players that are not under a standard, Exhibit 10 or Two-Way contract with the team.
Players that are under one of the aforementioned designations receive "a reasonable expense allowance" paying for meals, lodging and transportation to and from the player's home to the site of the Summer League and to and from the site of the player's lodging during the Summer League to the site of Summer-League-related activities.
Exhibit 10 contract
An Exhibit 10 contract is a one-year, minimum salary contract with no other bonuses. The Exhibit 10 attachment gives NBA teams the ability to convert the contract to a Two-Way deal, but only if they do so before the beginning of the regular season.
These deals are almost always non-guaranteed, meaning a team can waive the player involved without taking a cap hit. In the event a player is waived, they can earn a bonus by remaining with the team's G League affiliate for 60 days.
Per the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, a player can now earn a bonus of up to $75,000 through an Exhibit 10 deal, with the figure rising annually along with the salary cap.
Two-Way contract
A Two-Way contract in the NBA is a contract in which players suit up for both the NBA team and that team's NBA G League affiliate. Beginning in the 2023-24 NBA season, each team is permitted to have a maximum of three players on Two-Way contracts at the same time.
During the 2022-23 season, players on Two-Way contracts received a flat salary of $508,891, which equates to half of the rookie minimum.
Among the stipulations associated with a Two-Way contract is that a player can have no more than three years of NBA service in order to be eligible. Players on Two-Way deals can suit up for a maximum of 50 games with the NBA team and are ineligible for postseason play.
29 of the NBA's 30 teams have a G League affiliate, with the Suns standing as the lone team without an affiliate.
