Basketball is known for being a major team sport that requires fewer players on each side compared to other team sports. The NBA is the peak of basketball competition, made up of 30 teams and hundreds of players. But how many number of Players are in the NBA at any given time? Is there a fixed number, or does it change? This article will answer these questions.
Total Number of Players on NBA Rosters
The NBA is the top league in professional basketball, showcasing a wide range of talent across its 30 teams. While the superstars often grab the headlines, it’s the overall team structure that makes the NBA what it is. So, just how many players are on NBA rosters each year?
A basic calculation suggests that since each team can have up to 15 players during a regular season, there would be around 450 players in total. However, this is just an estimate the real number often goes beyond this.
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Player Count in Recent NBA Seasons
The number of players in the NBA has been growing in recent years:
- 2022-23 Season: 560 players
- 2021-22 Season: 550 players
- 2020-21 Season: 543 players
- 2019-20 Season: 525 players
- 2018-19 Season: 535 players
- 2017-18 Season: 540 players (the year two-way contracts started)
- 2016-17 Season: 486 players
- 2015-16 Season: 476 players
- 2014-15 Season: 492 players
Why Does the Player Count Change Each Year?
While 15 players per team seems to be the maximum, things are actually more complex. According to the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, some teams have fewer than 15 players under standard contracts. The league requires each team to have at least 13 players (12 active and 1 inactive), with most teams averaging 14 players.
For example, in the 2021-22 season, teams like the Miami Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves, Phoenix Suns, and Toronto Raptors had only 14 players under standard contracts.
Two-Way and 10 Day Contracts
Since the 2017-18 season, NBA teams have been allowed to sign two-way contracts, which adds another factor to the player count. Each team can sign two players on two-way deals, allowing them to split time between the NBA and the G League. These players don’t count toward the 15-man roster limit.
Teams can also sign players to 10-day contracts to cover for injured players. These contracts, usually allowed after January 5 in the regular season, also affect the total number of players.
In practice, an NBA roster often has between 16 and 19 players because of the two-way contracts and 10-day deals. Player movements such as waivers, buyouts, and new signings also impact the overall player count.
Final Player Calculations
While the total number of NBA players can be more than 500 in a season, only 390 players are typically active at any one time since each team can only have 13 active players per game. Some players may not get much game time but still play key roles in practices and as backups for injured teammates.
During the NBA playoffs, the number of active players drops even more, as only 16 teams qualify for the postseason. Some players may not even play during the regular season, as game minutes are rounded to the nearest whole number.
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