Quick answer
Exchange Level II is a second lifetime ladder in NBA 2K27 MyTEAM that pays out for every player card you hand in to The Exchange. It opens after you finish Exchange Level I (500 cards, which ends with a 94 OVR Dennis Rodman), and it asks for another 500 cards:
- 250 cards: 95 OVR Pixel Cut Dejounte Murray (PG/SG, Spurs)
- 500 cards: 96 OVR Magma Peja Stojakovic (SF/PF, Kings), the completion reward
- Along the way: a Legend Badge plus Ignite and Level Up rewards, per 2K's announcement graphic
So Magma Peja is 1,000 lifetime exchanged cards from a fresh start. That's why players post counters like "125/1000". Both cards are untradeable, so the only way to get them is to grind the ladder.
Checked on November 8, 2026, in Season 2 (which ends November 27). 2K added these levels on November 6. It hasn't printed a full step list or an end date, so anything we couldn't confirm is marked as reported.
What did 2K add on November 6?
The official MyTEAM account announced the new levels on November 6, 2026. Here is @NBA2KMyTEAM, emoji removed (the post is embedded in GameDaily's write-up):
"Good news: new Exchange Levels have been added! Complete an additional number of Exchanges to earn Magma Peja Stojakovic, Pixel Cut Dejounte Murray, a Legend Badge, and more."
In the game, the ladder sits under Lifetime Challenges. The challenge-complete screen shared on r/MyTeam reads "Exchange Level II: Add player cards to Exchanges to earn rewards! Complete Level I to unlock." That wording is the key detail. The counter tracks player cards added to Exchanges, not the number of Exchanges you finish, so an Exchange that takes ten cards moves you ten steps.
GameDaily's November 6 breakdown gives the same split: "Exchange II requires submitting 500 additional players after Exchange I is completed," with Murray at 250 and Peja at 500.
How many cards do you need for Magma Peja?
It depends on where you are on Exchange Level I. Use this table:
| Where you are now | Cards to Pixel Cut Murray | Cards to Magma Peja |
|---|---|---|
| 0 exchanged (Level I not started) | 750 | 1,000 |
| Level I done (Rodman claimed) | 250 | 500 |
| 125 into Level II | 125 | 375 |
| 250 into Level II (Murray claimed) | 0 | 250 |
The first row trips people up. The Level II counter doesn't start until Level I is finished, so the 500 Level II cards come on top of Level I. That's how one r/MyTeam player ended up at "about 125/1000": they were counting both levels together.
2K hasn't said whether the levels end with Season 2. They sit under Lifetime Challenges, as Level I has since launch, so they look permanent. That's an inference, though, not a 2K statement. If you want Peja, don't plan around a deadline 2K hasn't announced, and don't assume there isn't one.
What are the Exchange Level rewards?
There are three sources here, and they don't all cover the same things. Keep them apart:
| Level | Final card | Other rewards | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exchange Level I (500 cards) | 94 OVR Dennis Rodman | Hall of Fame Badge packs (including Pick 8 and Pick 10 option packs), an On Fire Parallel Game Changer, six Player XP "Level Up" Game Changers | GameDaily (Rodman); 2KDB tracker (step rewards) |
| Exchange Level II (500 more cards) | 96 OVR Magma Peja Stojakovic | 95 OVR Pixel Cut Dejounte Murray at 250, a Legend Badge, Ignite and Level Up rewards, "and more" | @NBA2KMyTEAM; GameDaily |
The 2KDB Exchange Level tracker lists Level I steps at 10, 15, 25, 50, 100, 150, 200, 300, 400 and 500 cards. Its "Exchange Level Rewards" collection now holds seven cards from 90 to 96 OVR, all marked not auctionable: Peja 96, Murray 95, Rodman 94, Darius Garland 93, Tom Gugliotta 92, Clint Capela 91 and Trae Young 90. 2K hasn't published which step pays out each of the four smaller cards, so we haven't guessed.
As for Ignite and Level Up, Ignite is the Game Changer that adds the On Fire parallel (see our MyTEAM Parallels guide), and Level Up is a Player XP Game Changer. GameDaily notes 2K "has not spelled out what they do here," so check the reward tile in-game before you plan around them.
Is Pixel Cut Dejounte Murray worth the first 250?
Murray comes halfway through Level II. He's a 95 OVR PG/SG in a San Antonio Spurs look, and the card carries the Exchange tag. For players without a top-tier guard, he's the real value of the ladder: a 95 for 250 cards you'd probably have quick-sold anyway.
Like every Exchange Level reward, he can't be sold, so his value is what he does in your lineup. If you already run a better guard, he's still a 95 you can put into a later Exchange.
Is Magma Peja Stojakovic worth 500 more cards?
Peja is a 96 OVR SF/PF in a Sacramento Kings look from the Magma tier, which 2K introduced with Greatness Series 2 in late October. The 2KDB card page lists a 6'10" frame, a 7'0" wingspan and 220 lbs, which is big for a shooter at the 3 or the 4.
The community can't agree on how good he is. "Is Pete Stojaković really worth spending 500 exchanges on?" got 31 comments within hours on r/MyTeam, and a later thread questioned claims that Magma Peja plays better than KD. We won't call that one: card value in 2K27 also depends on Player XP boosts, your jumper and your lineup. Here's what we can say:
- Worth it if you have a backlog of duplicates, locked collection cards and pack fodder you'd quick-sell anyway. Then Peja costs you little more than the quick-sell value of those cards, or whatever else you'd have exchanged them for.
- Worth it if you play offline or no-money-spent and can't chase the top auction cards. He's untradeable, so the only way to get him is the ladder.
- Not worth it if you'd be buying hundreds of cards off the Auction House for this alone. The total cost is 500 times your average cost per card. Put a real number on that before you start, and compare it with buying a finished card of the same rating.
What is the "Peja method"?
The "Peja method" isn't a 2K term. It took off in r/MyTeam threads on November 7, where one player asked "How do I obtain that many cards?" In practice it comes down to feeding the cheapest cards you can find into Exchanges in bulk so the lifetime counter climbs fast. We couldn't confirm any single guaranteed shortcut, so here's the order that wastes the least:
- Start with cards that cost you nothing. Duplicates, cards locked into finished Collections, Season reward cards and Locker Code cards. 2K's Exchange guide says the Exchange accepts "almost all of your player cards," including "cards earned through Packs, Season Rewards, the Auction House, and Locker Codes."
- Use cards from finished Collections. 2K changed this rule for 2K27: a card used for a Collection Reward becomes "unauctionable" instead of locked in, "which means that the Exchange is still fair game."
- Open free packs before you spend MT. Login rewards, Season level packs and challenge packs are the usual sources. Opening a pack doesn't move the counter by itself. Each eligible player card moves it one step when you submit it to an Exchange.
- Submit through the Exchanges you actually want. Each Friday, 2K adds "three brand-new card drops" to The Exchange. Use your fodder on one of those, and the same cards count toward Level II.
- Buy fodder last, and only the cheapest cards. If you have to buy, buy the cheapest player cards on the Auction House and keep your bids at quick-sell level. Earning MT through play is better than buying VC for fodder.
What doesn't count: Free Agent cards. 2K excludes them from The Exchange entirely. Coach cards, Shoes and consumables aren't player cards either, so don't expect them to move a "player cards" counter.
Will exchanging a card wipe its Player XP?
No. This is the 2K27 rule that makes heavy exchanging safe. Player XP is tied to your account, not to the copy of the card. 2K's MyTEAM Player XP guide says that if you exchange or auction a card, "your progress isn't wiped. If you pick up that card at a later date, you'll continue exactly where you left off."
So exchanging a player you levelled up costs you the card, not the work. Get that player again later and the XP perks come back. Our Player XP guide covers what those perks are.
The one real risk is submitting a card you're still using. Before you confirm, check that the Exchange isn't pulling a starter, and sort your fodder so the lowest-rated cards go first.
How long does Exchange Level II take?
2K gives no time estimate, and these are rough estimates, not measured figures. The answer depends on your collection:
- Collection size. Long-time players with hundreds of duplicates can clear 250 for Murray in one sitting. One r/MyTeam player posted both cards less than a day after the levels went live.
- Pack volume. Packs are your main free fodder. If you open few packs, you'll probably have to buy cards to finish.
- Fresh accounts. A new player needs 1,000 cards in total (Level I and Level II). Without spending, expect that to take weeks rather than days.
If you're short, aim for Murray at 250 first. For many lineups he's the bigger upgrade, and every card after that still counts toward Peja.
What mistakes should you avoid?
- Counting Level II from zero before Level I is done. The Level II counter doesn't start until Rodman is claimed.
- Trying to sell Peja or Murray later. Both are listed as not auctionable. You keep them, or you exchange them.
- Exchanging Free Agent cards. They're excluded and won't count.
- Buying expensive fodder. At 500 cards, an extra 100 MT per card is 50,000 MT. Feed the cheapest cards first.
- Assuming a deadline either way. 2K hasn't announced one. If you want the cards, keep feeding the ladder while Season 2 runs to November 27.
More NBA 2K27 MyTEAM guides: how The Exchange works, MyTEAM Parallels and Game Changers, and how to earn MT fast.
FAQ
How many cards do you need for Magma Peja in NBA 2K27? 500 player cards in Exchange Level II, after the 500 for Exchange Level I. From a fresh start that's 1,000 lifetime exchanged cards. Pixel Cut Dejounte Murray comes at 250 cards into Level II.
Where do I find Exchange Level II? In MyTEAM under Lifetime Challenges. The in-game text reads "Add player cards to Exchanges to earn rewards! Complete Level I to unlock," so it only appears once Exchange Level I is finished.
Does each card count, or each exchange? Each player card. The challenge says "Add player cards to Exchanges," and 2KDB's tracker lists the steps in player cards ("Exchange 250 Player Cards"), so an Exchange that takes several cards moves the counter several steps.
Can you sell Magma Peja or Pixel Cut Murray? No. 2KDB lists both as not auctionable, like the rest of the Exchange Level reward cards. You can still put them into a future Exchange if you want.
Do Free Agent cards count toward Exchange Levels? No. 2K excludes Free Agent cards from The Exchange, so they can't be submitted and don't move the counter.
Will Exchange Level II leave when Season 2 ends? 2K hasn't said. It's a Lifetime Challenge, like Level I, so it looks permanent, but no end date has been confirmed either way. We'll update this page if 2K publishes one.
