Sports
NBA teams face a weekend of roster cuts and contract deadlines before Tuesday's season opener
Teams must decide on non-guaranteed deals by Saturday afternoon and trim to 15 players by Monday when the rookie extension deadline also arrives.
The last weekend before the NBA season tips off is usually the busiest one off the court. This one should be no different.
The 2026-27 regular season begins Tuesday. Before then every team has to settle its roster and decide which young players get long-term deals.
Saturday's cut line
Teams must decide on players signed to non-guaranteed contracts starting Saturday. Any such player still on a roster after 4 p.m. Central begins to count against the salary cap every day he stays.
The New York Knicks, for example, would be charged $17,622 per day if they keep center James Wiseman past Saturday. Despite a team mandate to stay under the league's second spending apron, New York can keep both Wiseman and guard Bruce Brown to start the season. Nearly 80 players were expected to hit waivers Saturday night league-wide.
Monday's deadlines
Monday is the last day for teams to cut down to 15 players on standard contracts. It is also the deadline to extend veterans who have two years left on their deals, not counting option years.
The biggest deadline belongs to the 2023 draft class. Rookie-scale extensions must be signed by 5 p.m. Central on Monday.
Who is still waiting
Only five players from that class have signed so far: Victor Wembanyama, twins Amen and Ausar Thompson, Keyonte George and Brandin Podziemski. Golden State gave Podziemski a five-year deal worth $110 million last week. Teams have averaged 11 rookie extensions a year since 2023.
Charlotte's Brandon Miller and Oklahoma City's Cason Wallace are the most notable names still without new deals. History suggests patience. Of the 34 players who signed rookie extensions in the past three seasons, 17 did it on the final day.
Not every star is signing
Some big names are choosing to wait on purpose. Nikola Jokic will not extend with Denver this season because becoming a free agent next summer lets him sign a five-year deal worth up to $359.5 million. That would be the largest contract in NBA history.
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