NBA Raising Peak G League Salary 35% to $35,000 for Next Season
G League players are going to receive raises of between 35 and 84 percent with the NBA set to increase the peak contract in its developmental league—excluding bonuses—to $35,000 for the 2018-19 season.
The G League announced the changes on Tuesday after Marc Stein of the New York Times first reported the news. The deals, which will include housing and insurance throughout the five-month campaign, previously were worth $26,000 or $19,000 depending on the player's designation.
ESPN's Darren Rovell provided a salary comparison from the esports world:
Players are also eligible to sign two-way contracts, which allows them to switch between an NBA team and its G League affiliate. Those will have prorated salaries of $77,250 for time in the G League and the NBA minimum when playing at the highest level, per Stein.
The news comes as the Association's minor league starts to become an alternative to college basketball.
Darius Bazley, a 5-star prospect in the 2018 class, decided he's going to play in the G League rather than stick with his commitment to Syracuse.
Last week, he told Hayes Gardner of the Cincinnati Enquirer getting a chance to focus solely on his development as a basketball player was the main factor, not money.
"A lot of feedback I get is people say I need to develop my body, jump shot," Bazley said. "That really stood out to me that I’d be able to have 24 hours all to myself, working on me."
He also said: "I'd do it for free."
Bazley and any prospects who follow in his footsteps can play one season in the G League and then become eligible for the 2019 NBA draft.
Star ranking courtesy of 247Sports.
