Under-15 Roster Rule Restricts Two-Way Players as Teams Near 90-Game Cap
SLUG: under-15-rule-limits-two-way-players
Several NBA clubs are bumping up against a little-known provision that limits how often two-way players can suit up when a team carries fewer than 15 standard contracts.
By rule, any player on a two-way deal may be active for no more than 50 regular-season games. A separate restriction, dubbed the “under-15” rule, further blocks teams with 14-man standard rosters from using their two-way players for more than 90 combined appearances. Once that 90-game threshold is reached, those clubs must add a 15th player to the regular roster before activating a two-way player again.
The cap is creating pressure across the league. Thirteen franchises have kept their standard rosters at 14 for most of the season to avoid luxury-tax or hard-cap penalties. Twelve of those teams are already paying tax, and the lone exception would enter tax territory by filling the final roster spot.
In practice, a club with three two-way players could hit the ceiling quickly. If all three dress for each of the first 30 games, the 90-game limit is met, and the team must sit its two-way players until a full 15-man roster is restored.
With many of the 13 teams closing in on that mark, front offices are weighing whether to sign an additional player—triggering tax costs—or to scale back two-way usage as the season unfolds.
Source: Hoops Rumors
