NBA Teams Can’t Sign Players To Two-Way Deals After Wednesday

NBA teams face two key contract deadlines for the 2025/26 season. The final deadline to sign players to standard NBA contracts and finalize the 15-man roster is April 12, the last day of the regular season. However, the deadline to sign a player to a two-way contract is much earlier: March 4.

This impending March 4 deadline explains a recent surge in two-way contract activity as teams finalize their three available two-way spots for the remainder of the season and plan for the future. There is overlap between the standard roster and two-way slots; for instance, 21 players on two-way deals have already been converted to standard contracts this season, often receiving multi-year deals. While teams ideally complete conversions before March 4 to refill the vacant two-way slots, conversions from two-way to standard contracts are permitted until the April 12 deadline.

Eligibility for a two-way contract is primarily for players with fewer than four years of NBA experience. A player is credited with a year of service on June 30, so a player in their fourth NBA season with three years of experience remains eligible. There are also exceptions for certain players with four years of experience who missed an entire season due to injury, allowing them to sign a one-year two-way deal.

Players on two-way contracts face an in-season game limit. A player who begins the season on a two-way deal can be active for a maximum of 50 games. This limit is prorated for players signed during the season. For example, players finalizing deals on March 2 or 3 can be active for up to 12 games, while those signing on the March 4 deadline are eligible for up to 11 games.

Compensation for two-way contracts is also prorated. A player who spends the entire 2025/26 season on a two-way deal will earn $636,435 (half the rookie minimum). A player signing a two-way contract on the March 4 deadline, however, will earn a prorated amount of $146,307.

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