How much money do NBA G League players make? (Updated 2023)

The Windy City Bulls are the official NBA G League affiliated team of the Chicago Bulls. Established in 2016, the Windy City Bulls were built with the intention to help develop talent for the main NBA roster, whether that means allowing contracted players to get their feet under them or even searching for new unknown prospects.

The Windy City Bulls were the 21st team to join the G League, meaning they were late to the party (some interpret this as yet another sign of ownership’s unwillingness to spend money to succeed). As it currently stands, the Phoenix Suns are the only team without a G League affiliate. The Capitanes de Ciudad de México and the NBA G League Ignite also have teams in the G League, despite not being affiliated with a particular NBA franchise.

Have any Bulls players made a breakthrough in the G League?

Most notably, Spencer Dinwiddie starred for the Windy City Bulls back in 2016. Averaging 19.4 points, 8.1 assists, and 2.2 steals in 2016, the Bulls made a massive misstep in allowing the Brooklyn Nets to swoop in and steal the promising guard. Hopefully, the Bulls will find redemption with Carlik Jones this time around. Jones averaged 26.1 points and 7 assists this year en route to winning the G League MVP award. Look for Carlik to catapult this momentum into the 2023-24 season now that he’s earned a full-time spot on the Chicago Bulls roster.

How much money do NBA G League players make?

A G League minimum contract rates out at $40,000 a year, which the majority of players are on. Some contracts range on the higher end, even up to the range of $500,000. Prize prospects in the NBA’s G League Ignite tend to receive more, as we’ve already seen with Jalen Green, Scoot Henderson, London Johnson, and Dink Pate.

As the G League consistently displays growth, salaries have continued to grow at a steady rate. With the NBA heavily pushing their G League Ignite program to incentivize prospects to bypass college and take the professional route straight out of high school, I believe the talent pool will only continue to improve in direct correlation with increasing paydays.

How much do NBA two-way contract players make?

If a player shines in the G League, one of the most realistic routes toward earning a main roster spot in the NBA is through a two-way contract. On a two-way contract, players can participate with the full roster for a total of up to 50 games and will earn a minimum salary of $559,000 per year.

Now that the NBA has allotted each team three two-way contract slots, more and more players are getting their chance to receive reps against true NBA talent in practice and game scenarios. The Chicago Bulls currently have Justin Lewis, Adama Sanogo, and Onuralp Bitim on two-way contracts.