Each of the NBA’s 30 teams is permitted to carry 15 players on standard contracts and three on two-way deals once the regular season begins, which works out to a maximum of 540 players across 30 rosters.
[RELATED: 2025/26 NBA Roster Counts ]
Of those 540 potential roster spots, 522 are currently occupied to open the 2025/26 season, leaving 18 open roster spots around the NBA across 17 teams. Here’s the full breakdown of those 18 openings around the league:
One open standard roster spot and one open two-way slot
- Cleveland Cavaliers
The only team operating above the second tax apron , the Cavaliers are likely in no hurry to fill the 15th spot on their standard roster, which would cost them exponentially more in tax penalties beyond the player’s salary. Cleveland also has the ability to make changes involving its 14th roster spot at some point if it wants to — Thomas Bryant minimum-salary contract is fully non-guaranteed, so he’d only be owed a prorated portion of his salary if he’s waived at some point on or before January 7.
While two-way players don’t count against the salary cap, they still earn modest salaries (half the rookie minimum), so it’s possible the Cavs will look to save a little money on the league’s priciest roster by holding their third two-way slot open for the time being. A team that has an open standard roster spot is also limited to 90 overall active games for its two-way players instead of 50 apiece, so the Cavs probably aren’t looking to use up many of those games early in the season if they can help it.
One open standard roster spot
- Atlanta Hawks
- Boston Celtics
- Denver Nuggets
- Detroit Pistons
- Golden State Warriors
- Houston Rockets
- Los Angeles Clippers
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Miami Heat
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- New York Knicks
- Orlando Magic
- Philadelphia 76ers
- Phoenix Suns
- Toronto Raptors
Many of these teams are carrying an open roster spot for luxury tax reasons. The Celtics, Nuggets, Warriors, Rockets, Clippers, Lakers, Timberwolves, Knicks, Magic, Sixers, Suns, and Raptors are all over the tax line, while the Heat don’t have much breathing room below it.
Most of those teams will add 15th men eventually, but won’t do so yet. Several of them – Golden State, Houston, both L.A. teams, New York, and Orlando – actually can’t do so yet, since they’re operating so close to their respective hard caps.
The Hawks have room under the tax line for a 15th man, but of all the teams in this group, the Pistons could be the best bet to fill their open roster spot sooner rather than later. They’re well more than $20MM below the tax line, so there are no concerns related to finances or spending flexibility. Still, given that Jaden Ivey is the only player on the roster dealing with more than a day-to-day injury right now, there’s no urgency to bring in a 15th man immediately.
One open two-way slot
- Brooklyn Nets
In the past, a team without a G League affiliate of its own might be slow to fill its two-way contract slots, but all 30 NBA clubs now have affiliates in the NBAGL, so outside of thriftiness, there’s no real excuse not to carry a full complement of two-way players once the G League season begins in the coming weeks.
That’s especially true for the Nets, whose team salary is the lowest in the league entering the season. With so many rookies on the team’s standard roster, a third two-way player might not see any action at the NBA level anytime soon, but it would still make sense for Brooklyn to bring in another young prospect to develop in the G League.