What Are the Different Types of NBA Contracts?
Short answer
NBA players are usually grouped into five contract types: standard, two-way, Exhibit 10, 10-day and hardship. They differ in length, guarantee, salary and cap treatment. The CBA defines two of them, standard and two-way, and treats 10-day and Exhibit 10 deals as standard contracts with special terms.
This overview reads the 2023 NBA collective bargaining agreement and points each type to its own guide. The figures are for the 2026-27 season.
What are the main types of NBA contracts?
Players commonly group contracts into five types: standard, two-way, Exhibit 10, 10-day and hardship. The CBA itself defines only the standard NBA contract, which is any contract other than a two-way, and the two-way contract. Ten-day deals (Article II, Section 9) and Exhibit 10 deals (Section 3(s)) sit inside the standard category, and a hardship deal is a 10-day contract (Section 9(e)).
| Contract type | Length | Guarantee | Salary basis | Cap treatment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | A season or more, or the rest of the season (Article II, Section 10) | Negotiated, by protection and date | Rookie scale, minimum scale or negotiated | Counts toward Team Salary |
| Two-way | Up to 2 seasons | Limited protection (Article II, Section 11(c)) | 50% of the zero-year minimum, prorated if signed after the season starts | Excluded from Team Salary |
| Exhibit 10 | One season | Non-guaranteed, apart from a conversion protection amount | Minimum, plus an optional bonus | Bonus excluded from Team Salary |
| 10-day | 10 days or 3 team games, whichever is longer | Covers only the term | Minimum salary, prorated | Salary counts toward Team Salary |
| Hardship | Same as a 10-day deal | Covers only the term | Minimum salary, prorated | Same as a 10-day deal, and allows a roster above 15 |
The 10-day and hardship rows come from Hoops Rumors and the CBA. Each type has a full guide, linked below.
What is a standard NBA contract?
A standard NBA contract is any NBA contract that is not a two-way contract, per the CBA definitions. Rookie scale deals, minimum deals and veteran contracts are all standard. The rookie scale ties first-round salaries to the cap, and the 2026-27 minimum is $1,357,763 for a player with zero years of service, per Hoops Rumors.
Rookie scale details are in the 2026 rookie scale guide, and the minimum scale is in the minimum salary guide. A team option, which only the team can use, is explained in the team option guide.
How is a two-way contract different?
A two-way contract splits the season between an NBA team and its G League affiliate and pays 50 percent of the zero-year minimum, which is $678,882 in 2026-27, per Hoops Rumors. It runs up to two seasons and cannot carry an option year, per the CBA, and it is excluded from Team Salary.
The team can convert a two-way player to a standard contract at its option. The full rules, including the active-game limit, are in the two-way contract guide.
What is an Exhibit 10 contract?
An Exhibit 10 contract is a one-season minimum contract with an Exhibit 10 attached, which can carry a bonus of up to about $91,000 in 2026-27, per Hoops Rumors. The bonus is paid if the team waives the player before the regular season, assigns him to its G League affiliate and he gives 60 consecutive days of service, per Section 3(s) of the CBA.
The path from camp to the G League is covered in the Exhibit 10 guide.
What are 10-day and hardship contracts?
A 10-day contract lasts ten days or three team games, whichever is longer, and teams may sign them beginning January 5, per Article II, Section 9 of the CBA. A hardship exception lets a team with enough injured players add a player on the same short term at any time.
A player can sign at most two 10-day deals with one team in a season. Rules and the roster limits that apply are in the 10-day and hardship guide.
What is the difference between guaranteed and non-guaranteed money?
Guaranteed money is paid even if the team waives the player, and non-guaranteed money ends on a waiver. The CBA calls this compensation protection and sets it by category and by season. A contract can protect some seasons and leave others unprotected.
In the author's experience, players focus on the headline number and ask about the guarantee date later, and that date usually decides whether the money is real. The full protection rules are in the guaranteed vs non-guaranteed guide.
Which NBA contract type fits which player?
The type follows the player's status and the team's roster need.
| If the player is | The usual contract is |
|---|---|
| A first-round pick | Standard, on the rookie scale |
| A second-round pick or undrafted player the team wants to develop | Two-way, or a minimum standard deal |
| An undrafted player invited to camp | Often Exhibit 10 |
| A free agent filling a short injury gap | 10-day or hardship |
| A proven veteran | Standard, negotiated |
These are usual paths and not rules, and a team can use any permitted type for any eligible player. A player weighing an offer should ask which type it is, since that decides length, guarantee and the path to the NBA roster.
Sources
- 2023 NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement
- Hoops Rumors: NBA minimum salaries for 2026-27
- Hoops Rumors: Salary cap and tax line set for 2026-27
- Hoops Rumors Glossary: 10-Day Contract
Data current as of October 26, 2026. Figures are linked where each one appears. Leagues and regulators update these rules; check the source before relying on a number.
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