- The lowest-paid NBA player right now is Branden Carlson.
- The NBA rookie minimum salary is $1,157,153.
- The salary is up from $1,119,563 in the 2023-24 season.
Every team builds a roster to win, which in turn helps them boast short championship basketball odds.
Some teams go all in and sign the biggest stars to lucrative contracts, but some players simply don’t make as much as their teammates.
Who are the lowest-paid players in the NBA? Let’s find out.
Who Are the Lowest-Paid Players in the NBA?
| Rank | Player | Team | Salary |
| 1 | Branden Carlson | Oklahoma City Thunder | $990,895 |
| 2 | Ariel Hukporti | New York Knicks | $1,064,049 |
| T-3 | Tyler Smith | Milwaukee Bucks | $1,157,153 |
| T-3 | Pelle Larsson | Miami Heat | $1,157,153 |
| T-3 | Oso Ighodaro | Phoenix Suns | $1,157,153 |
| T-3 | Jaylen Wells | Memphis Grizzlies | $1,157,153 |
| T-3 | Cam Christie | Los Angeles Clippers | $1,157,153 |
| T-3 | Bronny James | Los Angeles Lakers | $1,157,153 |
| T-3 | Antonio Reeves | New Orleans Pelicans | $1,157,153 |
| T-3 | Adem Bona | Philadelphia 76ers | $1,157,153 |
| 11 | Bobi Klintman | Detroit Pistons | $1,257,153 |
| 12 | Karlo Matković | New Orleans Pelicans | $1,407,153 |
| T-13 | Moses Brown | Indiana Pacers | $1,739,599 |
| T-13 | Elfrid Payton | New Orleans Pelicans | $1,739,599 |
| 15 | Pacôme Dadiet | New York Knicks | $1,808,080 |
Who Is the Lowest-Paid NBA Player Right Now?
The lowest-paid NBA player right now is Branden Carlson on the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The 7-foot center will make $990,895 in the 2024-25 season.
The Utah product went undrafted in the 2024 NBA Draft but signed a two-way contract with the Toronto Raptors on July 4.
However, Carlson was waived on Oct. 19. He signed with OKC on Nov. 16 to help them deal with injuries to Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein, and Jaylin Williams.
What Is the NBA Rookie Minimum Salary?
The NBA rookie minimum salary is $1,157,153. The minimum salary increases with each year of experience.
The minimum salary for rookies is up from $1,119,563 in the 2023-24 season, making it the first time the NBA rookie minimum salary was above $1 million.
The NBA’s rookie minimum salary increase accounts for the NBA’s salary cap increase, which went up from $136.021 million in the 2023-24 season to $140.588 million in the 2024-25 season.
Eight players, including Bronny James, are set to take home $1,157,153 in their first season in the league.
Bronny’s father, LeBron, is consistently among the NBA odds leaders of winning individual awards such as MVP, making a strong case for the best NBA player of all time.
