The No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft is still up for debate—AJ Dybantsa the odds-on favorite, but Darryn Peterson also an option for the Washington Wizards, who hold the first selection. It marks a stark contrast to 2025, when everyone knew the Dallas Mavericks would choose Cooper Flagg.
What is not in question this year (or in 2025) is the playing contract for the top pick. It is set to be $67.1 million over four years, and Year 1 worth $14.8 million.
Rookie contracts for first-round picks are tied to the NBA salary cap, which is currently projected to be $165 million for the 2026-27 season. That’s a 7% increase versus last season, with rookie deals up by the same percentage. Last year, Flagg signed a four-year contract worth $62.7 million.
The salary cap is based on projected basketball-related income (BRI). The cap figure is often tweaked just ahead of free agency opening, which is next week, as the league wraps up final accounting on the just-finished season. This season’s finances were hurt by the ongoing problems at regional sports networks but received a boost from the New York Knicks’ NBA title run.
The salary cap should see steady increases on the back of the league’s 11-year, $77 billion media agreements with NBC, ESPN/ABC and Amazon that tipped off with the 2025-26 season and boosted the annual TV payout to teams by roughly 33%. The payouts then jump 13.5% in Year 2, followed by annual 7% increases.
