NBA Teams Paid $1.3 Billion to Injured Players Last Season

The NBA's offseason is in full swing, and as teams finalize their rosters for the upcoming season, they may want to consider where a significant portion of their salary cap is being allocated. The data team at Casino Guru has analyzed injury records for the 2025-26 season to reveal just how much teams are spending on guaranteed salaries for injured players, and the figures are astonishing.

Data for the study was collected from the online sports data platform Spotrac, analyzing the 'NBA Injured List Tracker' which shows how much players were paid while sidelined. Reasons for being on the list include injury, injury management, illness, and rest. The combined guaranteed salary paid to injured players last season was $1.3 billion.

The Indiana Pacers topped the list, paying $81.5 million in guaranteed salary to injured players. This high expenditure is largely due to Tyrese Haliburton, who suffered a torn Achilles in Game 7 of the NBA finals against Oklahoma City Thunder in 2024/25. Haliburton's injury cost the Pacers $44.5 million in guaranteed salary. Additionally, Obi Toppin's partial stress fracture, which caused him to miss 58 games, cost the team $9.7 million. These injuries significantly impacted the Pacers' performance, resulting in a 19–63 record, the worst in franchise history.