The $425,619 Man: Unveiling The Lowest Paid NBA Player Of The 2024-2025 Season

The disparity between the highest and lowest earners in the NBA has never been wider, especially during the 2024-2025 season. While superstars like Stephen Curry and Nikola Jokic command contracts well over $50 million, the true lowest-paid player on a standard NBA contract can be found making less than half the league’s official rookie minimum. As of the current date in December 2025, that distinction belongs to a former five-star recruit who fought his way from an undrafted free agent to an essential contributor for a playoff contender, earning a shockingly low pro-rated salary.

The title of the lowest-paid player on a standard, active NBA roster for the 2024-2025 season is held by Philadelphia 76ers forward Justin Edwards, who earned a pro-rated salary of just $425,619. This figure is a fascinating case study in NBA contract mechanics, representing a portion of the rookie minimum salary after his initial two-way contract was converted mid-season. His journey from an undrafted rookie to a pivotal player earning a new multi-year deal is one of the league's best value stories.

Justin Edwards: Biography and Career Profile

Justin Edwards’s path to the NBA is a classic "diamond in the rough" story, proving that raw talent and hard work can overcome a disappointing draft night.

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• Full Name: Justin Tejon Edwards
• Born: December 16, 2003 (Age 22 as of December 2025)
• Hometown: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Position: Small Forward (SF)
• Height & Weight: 6' 7" (201cm) | 203 lbs (92kg)
• College: University of Kentucky (2023–2024)
• High School Accolades: McDonald's All-American (2023), Mr. Pennsylvania Basketball (2023)
• NBA Draft Status: Undrafted (2024)
• Current Team: Philadelphia 76ers
• 2024-2025 Salary (Pro-rated): $425,619
• Contract Status: Signed a two-way contract in July 2024, converted to a standard NBA contract on February 9, 2025, and later re-signed to a new three-year, $7 million deal in June 2025.

The Shocking Salary Breakdown: Why Edwards Earned Less Than the Minimum

The figure of $425,619 is confusing to many fans because the league's official minimum salary for a rookie with zero years of experience is much higher. The official 2024-2025 NBA Rookie Minimum Salary is $1,157,153.

Edwards's salary is lower due to a key contractual mechanism: the pro-rated contract. He began the season on a Two-Way Contract, which pays a fixed salary of $578,577 for the 2024-2025 season. When the 76ers converted his Two-Way deal to a standard NBA contract on February 9, 2025, the team was required to pay him the rookie minimum salary, but only for the *remaining* portion of the season. This pro-rated amount for the rest of the campaign came out to $425,619, making him the lowest-paid player on a guaranteed, standard deal for that season.

This situation highlights the massive financial risk and reward for undrafted players. Edwards's strong performance after his conversion—averaging 10.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 44 games—quickly earned him the trust of the coaching staff, leading to a new, more secure three-year, $7 million contract signed in June 2025.

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The Three Tiers of "Lowest Paid" NBA Contracts

To understand the true bottom of the NBA pay scale, you must look beyond the standard minimum salary. There are three primary categories that house the league's lowest earners, often involving players fighting for their careers.

1. The Absolute Lowest: Two-Way Contracts

The true lowest salary for a player affiliated with an NBA team belongs to those on a Two-Way Contract. These players split their time between the NBA roster and the G League affiliate (like the Delaware Blue Coats for the 76ers).

• 2024-2025 Two-Way Salary: $578,577.
• The Role: Two-way players can be active for up to 50 of their team's 82 regular-season games. Their salary is fixed at half of the rookie minimum, making this the lowest guaranteed salary tier in the league.
• Key Entity: The G League (formerly the NBA D-League) is the proving ground where these players develop, hoping for a conversion to a standard contract, just like Justin Edwards achieved.

2. The Pro-Rated Minimum (The Edwards Exception)

The pro-rated minimum occurs when a player is signed or converted from a Two-Way deal *after* the season has started. The team is only obligated to pay the minimum salary for the remaining days of the season, resulting in a figure lower than the full minimum.

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• 2024-2025 Example: Justin Edwards ($425,619).
• Other Low Figures: Other players on similarly low, partially guaranteed or pro-rated deals for the 2024-2025 season included Quinten Post ($438,920) of the Warriors and Tyrese Martin ($635,853) of the Nets.

3. The Standard Minimum: Rookie and Veteran Minimums

The standard, full-season minimum contract is the most common way for young players, undrafted rookies, and veterans to secure a spot on a roster. The salary is scaled based on the player's years of experience (Years of Service).

• 0 Years Experience (Rookie Minimum): $1,157,153.
• 1 Year Experience: $1,862,265.
• 2 Years Experience: $2,087,519.
• 10+ Years Experience (Veteran Minimum): $3,303,771.

The league has a system to incentivize teams to sign veterans, where the NBA reimburses teams for the difference between a veteran's minimum salary and the salary of a player with two years of experience ($2,087,519 in 2024-2025). This helps keep experienced players in the league without penalizing teams' salary cap flexibility.

The Hidden Value of the Lowest Contracts

While the focus is on the low dollar amount, the players on these minimum and two-way deals often represent the best value in the league. They are critical to team success, providing energy, defense, and depth for a fraction of the cost of a star player.

Players like Justin Edwards, who transformed his low-paying contract into a long-term, multi-million dollar deal, demonstrate the true purpose of the minimum salary structure. It serves as an entry point—a low-risk investment for teams to find rotational players and future stars. For every player earning the minimum, there is a chance to prove they belong, turning a six-figure salary into a secure, seven-figure career, which is the ultimate goal for every aspiring NBA athlete on the fringe of a roster.