Every year, a handful of players have eligibility for a designated veteran contract or extension, also known as the supermax. When players meet the supermax criteria, they become eligible for a higher maximum salary than their years of service allow.
Any player on a rookie-scale contract can qualify as long as they meet the criteria before the end of the deal. However, only veterans who remain on the teams that they finished their rookie-scale contracts with can qualify for the supermax contract. This rule was implemented as an incentive to keep star players with their teams.
The simplest way to meet the criteria is for a player to earn All-NBA honors in the season preceding an eligibility year. A veteran could qualify by earning All-NBA honors in his seventh season or eighth season, while a player on a rookie-scale contract can qualify by earning All-NBA honors in their 4th season.
Alternatively, they could qualify by earning All-NBA honors in the two seasons preceding those listed earlier. Players could also qualify by winning Defensive Player of the Year under those same guidelines as All-NBA. And if a player wins MVP in any of the three seasons preceding eligibility, they would automatically qualify.
Below is a list of all the players who have supermax eligibility on the line and what it would take for them to qualify.
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Salary: $40,064,220
Years of service at the end of 2023-24: 6
Projected supermax extension: five years, $317.8 million
Free agency year: 2026 (player option)
Luka Doncic can qualify for the supermax if he earns All-NBA honors this season since he made All-NBA last year. He would become the first player in NBA history to qualify early for both the higher maximum salary in his rookie-scale maximum extension and his designated veteran extension. He could earn over $70 million in the last season of his extension. If he qualifies, he would have to wait until the 2025 season to sign it.
(Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
Salary: $37,893,408
Years of service at the end of 2023-24: 8
Projected supermax extension: five years, $289.9 million
Free agency year: 2024
Pascal Siakam is entering his final year of supermax eligibility. Despite earning All-NBA honors in 2021-22, he needed to make it in 2022-23 to qualify. He has been in trade rumors throughout the year but he reportedly wants to remain in Toronto. Perhaps losing his eligibility upon being traded has something to do with that.
Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports
Salary: $33,833,400
Years of service at the end of 2023-24: 8
Projected supermax extension: five years, $289.9 million
Free agency year: 2025
Brandon Ingram is a long shot to qualify for All-NBA since he hasn’t played 65 games in a season since his rookie season. But if he manages to play enough and makes yet another statistical improvement, he could have a shot. Another big factor is the Pelicans being firmly in the playoff picture, but that may be out of his control for the often-injured roster.
David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Salary: $33,833,400
Years of service at the end of 2023-24: 8
Projected supermax extension: five years, $289.9 million
Free agency year: 2025
Jamal Murray has yet to be selected to an All-Star team, making him a long shot to qualify for All-NBA. He would also need to ramp up his numbers in the regular season closer to those in the playoff. He’s certainly capable of it and it will probably be necessary if he’s going to stand out from a competitive group of guards.
Michael McLoone-USA TODAY Sports
Salary: $33,386,850
Years of service at the end of 2023-24: 6
Projected supermax extension: four years, $245.5 million
Free agency year: 2027
Like Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is on track to qualify for the supermax early if he earns All-NBA honors again. If he qualifies this year, he would have to wait until the 2025 offseason to sign it. Another season on par statistically as last season along with an improvement in the standings for the Thunder should do it for him.
(Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
Salary: $32,600,060
Years of service at the end of 2023-24: 7
Projected supermax extension: five years, $304.4 million
Free agency year: 2026
Bam Adebayo has made incremental improvements each year, though he has yet to win Defensive Player of the Year or make an All-NBA team. He is arguably the third-best center in the league after Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid, but he usually saves his best play for the playoffs. He would need to have his most outstanding regular season yet to qualify for the supermax.
(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Salary: $32,600,060
Years of service at the end of 2023-24: 7
Projected supermax extension: five years, $304.4 million
Free agency year: 2026
De’Aaron Fox made All-NBA last year but needs to earn it in his seventh season to qualify for the supermax. He might need to make yet another improvement upon last year to stay in voters’ minds. One thing that could work against him is the possibility of the Kings regressing a bit from last season with several other teams in the West looking like they improved.
Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports
Salary: $27,102,202
Years of service at the end of 2023-24: 6
Projected supermax extension: four years, $245.5 million
Free agency year: 2026
Jaren Jackson Jr. only needs to make All-NBA next season to qualify for the supermax. That’s because the Defensive Player of the Year award he won last year counted towards the “two seasons preceding the current season” rule. There’s a good chance the Grizzlies end up having two supermax players in Jackson Jr. and Ja Morant in the 2030s.
Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
Salary: $13,534,817
Years of service at the end of 2023-24: 4
Projected current extension (25 percent of cap): five years, $207 million
Projected higher extension (30 percent of cap): five years, $248.5 million
Anthony Edwards has a good chance at making an All-NBA team and qualifying for the higher maximum salary in his extension. He has the ability to increase his numbers to that relative of the players who made it last year. His stats alone could potentially get him enough votes, but a good season by the Timberwolves with an improved record would help as well.
Nell Redmond-USA TODAY Sports
Salary: $10,900,635
Years of service at the end of 2023-24: 4
Projected current extension (25 percent of cap): five years, $207 million
Projected higher extension (30 percent of cap): five years, $248.5 million
LaMelo Ball has the tools to earn an All-NBA team but it might not come this season. This year’s Hornets team should be an improvement from last year but they might not be good enough to be in the playoff mix.
Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Salary: $5,808,435
Years of service at the end of 2023-24: 4
Projected current extension (25 percent of cap): five years, $207 million
Projected higher extension (30 percent of cap): five years, $248.5 million
Tyrese Haliburton will need to stick out from a crowded crop of talented guards to make an All-NBA team this year. A playoff push would go a long way for his chances and this Pacers roster might be strong enough to make it. He may also need to improve his scoring since no guard selected last year averaged less than 25 points per game.
Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Salary: $4,343,920
Years of service at the end of 2023-24: 4
Projected current extension (25 percent of cap): five years, $207 million
Projected higher extension (30 percent of cap): five years, $248.5 million
Tyrese Maxey is a long shot to qualify but there is a plausible scenario for him to make it. James Harden’s status with the team is uncertain but a trade out of Philadelphia would significantly increase Maxey’s usage. If Maxey makes significant statistical improvements across the board and helps lead the Sixers to a Top 3-4 seed in the East, he could earn a lot of votes.
