The NBA preseason is a time of anticipation and excitement. Fans eagerly await the return of their favorite teams and players with the roster changes. The preseason is a great way for teams to prepare for the regular season. It gives coaches a chance to evaluate their players and rotations, and it gives players a chance to get back into game shape. But do players get paid for playing in the preseason? The answer is simply yes.

However, they don’t get paid as much as they do for playing in the regular season. Pre-season gives veteran players a chance and opportunity to shake off the rust and prepare for the grueling season ahead. 

NBA players are paid in the preseason tournament 

NBA contracts can be complex documents that cover a wide range of details. Including player salaries, bonuses, and other forms of compensation. Players’ contracts cover everything, including the preseason. The players are paid for their services throughout the year, not just per game. This includes games, PR, commercials, player appearances, and more.

Do players get paid for the pre-season?
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However, the payment schedules for standard player contracts don’t start until November. For non-minimum deals, most of them pay 25-50% before the season starts. Some players can negotiate getting paid some or all upfront, but that’s not standard. 

Players on guaranteed contracts receive a portion of their salary during the preseason. The amount they receive depends on their contract and the number of preseason games they play. For example, a player on a $10 million contract might receive $250,000 for playing in all the preseason games. Players on non-guaranteed contracts do not receive a salary during the preseason. Instead, they receive a per diem payment of $127 per day. 

Veterans have the flexibility to sit out

While the preseason is part of their contract and therefore they are paid for it, there is a lot more flexibility for players, particularly veterans, to sit out. This flexibility extends to warm-up games as well.

It depends on the team and the player. Some teams choose to rest their star players during the preseason, while others choose to play them sparingly. The win/lose count is not accounted for in the pre-season therefore, the matches are action-packed. Multimillionaires LeBron James and Stephen Curry are likely to face off in the first game on 8th October at Chase Center. 

READ MORE: Is the NBA’s New Resting Policy Going to Have an Effect on Preseason Games?

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