What is two-way contract?
A two-way contract splits a player between an NBA team and its G League affiliate. In 2026-27 it pays $678,882, half the rookie minimum, and the player can be active for up to 50 regular-season NBA games.
How it works
Each team can carry three two-way players on top of its 15-man standard roster. Two-way salaries do not count against the salary cap, which is much of their appeal to teams.
The salary is a flat rate for a player signed before the season, prorated for a player signed later. Up to $91,000 can be guaranteed at signing. Two-way deals run up to two seasons, and teams cannot sign them after March 4.
Two-way players cannot appear in the playoffs or the play-in tournament unless the team converts them to a standard contract, which it can do through the last day of the regular season.
The numbers
Half the rookie minimum
Of 82
Beyond 15 standard
An example
An undrafted guard who signs a two-way in July earns $678,882, practices with the NBA team, plays most nights in the G League and can be called up for up to 50 games. A strong season can end in a conversion to a standard deal.
What it means for a player
On pay alone, a standard minimum deal is worth twice as much. The two-way is an evaluation contract; judge it by the team’s minutes, its conversion record and its development staff.
Sources
- Hoops Rumors: 2026-27 NBA two-way contract tracker
- Hoops Rumors: Salary cap, tax line set for 2026/27
Reviewed September 26, 2026 by McKinley Malbrough III, J.D., MS-HRM, certified WNBA player agent and former certified NBA agent. Figures are refreshed each July. General information, not legal, tax or financial advice.