The term “poison pill” does not actually appear in the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, but it is colloquially used to refer to a CBA provision that applies to players who have recently signed rookie contract extensions.
As we explain in our glossarythe so-called poison pill provision applies if a player who signed the rookie scale expansion is traded before the expansion takes effect.
In this scenario, a player’s entry value to the host team for matching purposes is determined by averaging the current year’s salary and the salaries for each year of his new extension (including any option years). His current team, on the other hand, is simply looking at his current year’s salary as a starting number for matching purposes.
for example Pistons the wing Ausar Thompson is due $11,117,295 in 2026/27 but has signed a five-year, $155 million extension that starts in 27/28.
So, if Detroit were to trade Thompson this season, his starting value for salary matching purposes would be $11,117,295 (his actual current salary), while his entry value to the team acquiring him would be $27,686,321 (this season’s salary plus $155 million spread over six years).
If a player is signed to an extended Rookie of the Year salary scale, his future salary is calculated based on the assumption that the salary cap will increase by 4.5% next season and that he will not meet the performance criteria in any The rule of roses language is included in his deal.
(RELATED: 2026 NBA Rookie Scale Extension)
Most of the players signed to the rookie scale expansion aren’t realistic trade candidates anytime soon. But in the event that the team does want to explore a trade for one of these recently extended players, the gap between a player’s inbound trade value and outbound trade value can make it a real challenge to find a deal that works for both parties — especially if the team is operating in or near tax apron territories.
The “poison pill” provision applies to the seven players who signed rookie-scale extensions in 2026. Here are those players, along with their starting and trade salaries:
| Player | The team | Outgoing trade value | Value of incoming trade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Victor Wembanyama | SAN | $16,868,246 | $44,470,841 |
| Brandon Miller | Cha | $15,104,626 | $36,602,456 |
| Amin Thompson | NEW | $12,258,609 | $36,709,768 |
| Ausar Thompson | THE | $11,117,295 | $27,686,321 |
| Cason Wallace | OKC | 7,420,806 USD | $23,736,801 |
| Keyonte George | UTA | $6,563,925 | $26,927,321 |
| Brandin underground | GSW | US$5,679,458 | $19,279,910 |
Once the 2027/28 championship year begins next July, the poison pill provision will no longer apply to these players. At that time, the player’s 27/28 salary will represent both his outgoing and incoming value.
Until then, the difference between those output and input numbers will make it harder to move some of these players, although it affects some more significantly than others.
The difference between the two is more than $24 million Amin ThompsonFor example, the inbound and outbound turnover figures mean there is virtually no chance of him making the squad for more in the 2026/27 season – given that Rockets you have no desire to move Thompson, that will be a moot point, but still worth noting.
A slightly smaller gap between the hypothetical incoming and outgoing salaries for some of the players on this list would make trade scenarios a bit more viable. However, the differences are still significant enough to complicate any deal involving one of those seven players before next July.
