A trade kicker is a contractual clause that pays an NBA player a bonus when he’s traded. They’re one of the tools teams have at their disposal to differentiate their free agent offers from the ones put on the table by competing clubs — or to incentivize a player to sign an extension before he reaches free agency.
Sometimes the kicker is worth a fixed amount, but usually it’s based on a percentage of the remaining value of the contract. So, a player who has a 10% trade kicker is eligible for a bonus worth 10% of the amount of money he has yet to collect on his deal (not counting an option year).
Regardless of whether a trade kicker is set at a fixed amount or a percentage, the bonus can’t exceed 15% of the remaining value of the contract. Most trade kickers are worth 15%, the highest percentage allowed.
A trade bonus must be paid by the team that trades the player, rather than the team acquiring him. The current Collective Bargaining Agreement also allows a player to waive part or all of his trade kicker as part of a deal, if he so chooses.
Here’s a list of the NBA players who have active trade kickers for 2026/27, listed alphabetically, along with the details of those trade bonuses:
- Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Hawks (7.5%)
- OG Anunoby, Knicks (15%)
- Bradley Beal, Clippers (15%)
- Devin Booker, Suns (10%)
- Mikal Bridges, Knicks (5.69%)
- Jalen Brunson, Knicks (15%)
- Clint Capela, Rockets (5%)
- Tari Eason, Rockets (10%)
- Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves (15%)
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder (15%)
- Rudy Gobert, Timberwolves (7.5%)
- Aaron Gordon, Nuggets (3%)
- Draymond Green, Warriors (15%)
- Tyrese Haliburton, Pacers (15%)
- James Harden, Cavaliers (15%)
- Isaiah Hartenstein, Thunder (15%)
- Al Horford, Warriors (15%)
- Kyrie Irving, Mavericks (15%)
- LeBron James, Sixers (15%)
- Ty Jerome, Grizzlies (15%)
- Derrick Jones Jr., Clippers (5%)
- Walker Kessler, Lakers (15%)
- Kawhi Leonard, Clippers (15%): Traded
- Leonard waived his trade bonus.
- Naji Marshall, Mavericks (5%)
- CJ McCollum, Hawks (7.5%)
- Jordan Miller, Clippers (3%)
- Klay Thompson, Heat (15%)
- Myles Turner, Bucks (15%)
- Peyton Watson, Cavaliers (7.5%)
- Derrick White, Celtics (15%)
The following players have trade bonuses on their contracts, but those bonuses would be voided if they were to be traded during the 2026/27 league year, since they’re already earning this season’s maximum salary:
- Scottie Barnes, Raptors (15%)
- Stephen Curry, Warriors (15%)
- Nikola Jokic, Nuggets (15%)
- Evan Mobley, Cavaliers (15%)
- Jayson Tatum, Celtics (15%)
- Trae Young, Wizards (7.5%)
The following players have signed contract extensions that will include trade kickers, but those extensions won’t go into effect until at least the 2027/28 season:
- Saddiq Bey, Pelicans (lesser of $1MM or 15%)
- Donovan Mitchell, Cavaliers (15%)
- Aaron Nesmith, Pacers (7.5%)
- Brandin Podziemski, Warriors (lesser of $1MM or 15%)
- Jakob Poeltl, Raptors (5%)
- Amen Thompson, Rockets (10%)
- Cason Wallace, Thunder (5%)
- Victor Wembanyama, Spurs (15%)