In the NBA, two-way contracts, which were introduced back in the year 2017, have allowed teams to expand the size of their full rosters from 15 players all the way up to 18. Each team is allowed to have three players on two-way deals, and those players are allowed to spend a finite amount of time in the NBA each season.
Two-way contracts have helped plenty of folks get opportunities to play in the league that they might not have had if that type of contract didn’t exist. However, Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler’s agent, Bernie Lee, thinks that two-way deals are bad for the league and have led to a dwindling number of veterans competing in the modern NBA.
Players inked to two-way deals are not allowed to suit up in more than 50 of their NBA team’s 82 regular-season contests and often bounce back and forth between the NBA and G League. In the 2024-25 campaign, those who are signed to two-way contracts will make half of the rookie minimum salary.
It’s also worth noting that a player has to have fewer than four years of NBA experience under his belt in order to be eligible for a two-way contract. Those playing on two-way deals also aren’t eligible to participate in the NBA playoffs.
Perhaps Lee is dissatisfied with two-way deals in part because of the situation one of his clients, T.J. Warren, is in. Warren, 31, is a proven scorer, yet he is not on an NBA roster at the moment.
The New York Knicks signed him to an Exhibit 10 deal in early October, but they ultimately waived him. He’s currently with their G League team.
Lee’s most recognized client, Butler, is one of a dwindling number of folks playing in the NBA at 30-plus years old. He’s 35 and is still being paid quite handsomely, as he is earning nearly $49 million this season.
It’s arguable whether Butler has performed this season like a player worthy of all that money, however. He’s averaging his fewest points per game since his third season in the pros and is currently sidelined with an injury.