Veteran minimum

The minimum salary scales with a player's years of service, and minimum contracts are always available; they're the only signing tool that survives every apron restriction.

For one-year minimum deals, the league reimburses the cost above the two-year veteran rate, so a 10-year veteran on a minimum doesn't cost his team more than a younger one: the cap charge is the two-year rate. Players with fewer than three years of service charge their actual, smaller minimum.