Spectacular G League salary raise
There will be a spectacular G League salary raise next season. G League salaries are going up to $35,000 for most players and up to $385,000 for those on two-way contracts. A $ 35,000 G league salary comes down to $ 7,000 per month.
Bonuses and call-ups can also enhance a basic G League salary. NBA teams called up 50 players a total of 60 times last season, generating just over $11 million in additional salary.
The G League also says about 25 percent of its players this past season earned an average of $44,000 in affiliate player bonuses. The maximum regular G League salary was around $26,000 this past season.
There also are pools for G League players who go to the playoffs and win end-of-season awards. Two-way players next season will earn up to $77,250, topped on days where they’re called up by the prorated NBA rookie salary.
A record 53 percent of players on 2017-18 NBA end-of-season rosters have spent time in the G League during their careers. Every NBA team had at least six G League veterans on its end-of-season roster. Seven even had 10 or more such players. A record 101 NBA players were assigned to the G League for development or rehabilitation this season. That includes 13 players selected in the first round of the 2017 NBA Draft. Indeed, the G League is making big strides.
The 50-game NBA G League regular season runs from November to March. All G League players receive in-season housing, travel day per diem, continuing education opportunities, life skills development offerings, and health insurance benefits.
The spectacular increase in G League salaries will affect the international basketball player’s salary. Especially the mid-segment of the market.
There is a paradox in some overseas leagues. For example, the top-tier leagues in Germany, Australia, Greece, Israel, and the Adriatic league. These leagues have a couple of things in common. The level is very high, but the differences in team budgets are huge within the same league. There are plenty of teams in these leagues with relatively small budgets.
These teams need players who are good enough to have six-figure market value but are willing to accept only half of that money. In the past, it was no problem for teams to sign these type of players. After all, the basketball job market is a buyer’s market. But that may change next season. It will be more difficult for teams to find a “bargain” if an American player can make $ 7,000 a month in the G League while playing at home, and being on the radar of NBA teams.