NBA Sets Salary Cap, Finalizing Scottie Barnes’ Contract With Toronto Raptors

The NBA has set the 2025–26 salary cap at $154.647 million, solidifying Scottie Barnes' rookie-max extension with the Toronto Raptors at five years and $224.2 million. Barnes will earn $38,661,700 next season, exactly 25% of the cap. His salary increases by $3,092,936 annually, reaching just over $51 million in the final year of the fully guaranteed contract, which contains no options or incentives.

Barnes missed qualifying for the 30% supermax by not making an All-NBA team last season. Even if he earns All-NBA honors next year, his current contract terms will remain unchanged.

The league informed teams the salary cap is projected to rise only 7% for the 2026–27 season, below the 10% maximum allowed under the new collective bargaining agreement. Because Barnes' contract increases by 8% in its second year, it will now grow slightly faster than the cap. Had the cap risen 10%, his salary would have stayed just under 25% of the cap for 2026–27; with a 7% increase, his cap hit is projected to be around 25.2%.

While a small difference, this impacts a team managing tight finances like the Raptors. The team faces other decisions, including Jakob Poeltl's player option next summer (with an expected extension discussion) and a potential new contract for Ochai Agbaji if he stays beyond this season. The report concludes that Barnes was always going to receive the maximum contract, and now the specific financial details are confirmed.