You have three rules to know regarding minimum salaries contract :
1) "When a player has been in the NBA for three or more seasons, and is playing under a one-year, ten-day or rest-of-season contract, the league actually reimburses the team for part of his salary - any amount above the minimum salary level for a two-year veteran. For example, in 2005-06 the minimum salary for a two-year veteran is $719,373, so for a ten-year veteran, with a minimum salary of $1,138,500, the league would reimburse the team $419,127. Only the two-year minimum salary is included in the team salary, not the player's full salary. They do this so teams won't shy away from signing older veterans simply because they are more expensive when filling out their last few roster spots"
2) When you calculate the luxury tax: "For players who signed as free agents (i.e., not draft picks), and make less than the two-year minimum salary, the minimum salary for a two-year veteran is used in place of their actual salary."
3) When you calculate the luxury tax: "For minimum salary players whose salary is partially paid by the league only the amount paid by the team (the two-year minimum salary) is taxed."
Quotes coming from
http://members.cox.net/lmcoon/salarycap.htm
For 09-10, the min salary for a two-year vet is $825,497.
If you sign Bruce or Oberto to
one year min salaries contract:
- Spurs would only pay $825,497 in salary. The rest will be paid by the league.
- They would count for $825,497 against the tax.