How Teams Are Using 2018/19 Mid-Level Exceptions

In addition to receiving nearly $102MM in cap room and being allowed to surpass that threshold in order to sign players using Bird Rights or the minimum salary exception, each NBA team also receives a mid-level exception. The value of this exception varies depending on a club’s total team salary.

A team that goes under the cap to use its available cap room, for instance, receives only a modest form of the MLE known as the room exception. An over-the-cap team receives the full mid-level exception, unless that team is also over the tax line, in which case it gets a taxpayer version of the MLE that falls in between the full MLE and the room exception. We detailed the exact values of each form of mid-level exception earlier this offseason, but here’s a quick breakdown:

• Room exception: Can be used for contracts up to two years, with a starting salary worth up to $4.449MM.
• Taxpayer mid-level exception: Can be used for contracts up to three years, with a starting salary worth up to $5.337MM.
• Full mid-level exception: Can be used for contracts up to four years, with a starting salary worth up to $8.641MM.

Now that a majority of the NBA’s teams have used up their cap space, it’s worth keeping an eye on which teams still have part or all of their mid-level exceptions available, which we’ll do in the space below. This list will be kept up to date throughout the 2018/19 league year.

Here’s where things currently stand:

Mid-Level Exception:

Boston Celtics

• Available: $5,337,000 (taxpayer)
• Used: $0

Charlotte Hornets

• Available: $2,652,536
• Used: $5,000,000 (Tony Parker); $988,464 (Devonte’ Graham)

Cleveland Cavaliers

• Available: $5,641,000
• Used: $3,000,000 (Patrick McCaw)
  

Denver Nuggets

• Available: $1,149,153 (taxpayer)
• Used: $2,000,000 (Torrey Craig); $1,349,383 (Monte Morris); $838,464 (Jarred Vanderbilt)

Detroit Pistons

• Available: $0
• Used: $4,075,000 (Glenn Robinson III); $838,464 (Bruce Brown); $838,464 (Khyri Thomas); $2,383,076 (Wayne Ellington)

Golden State Warriors

• Available: $0 (taxpayer)
• Used: $5,337,000 (DeMarcus Cousins)

Houston Rockets

• Available: $3,787,973 (taxpayer)
• Used: $838,464 (Isaiah Hartenstein), $596,873 (Gary Clark), $90,005 (Chris Chiozza), $23,685 (Michael Frazier)
  

Los Angeles Clippers

• Available: $0
• Used: $4,320,500 (Luc Mbah a Moute); $4,320,500 (Mike Scott)

Memphis Grizzlies

• Available: $0
• Used: $8,641,000 (Kyle Anderson)

Miami Heat

• Available: $5,303,841 (taxpayer)
• Used: $18,948 (Yante Maten), $9,474 (Duncan Robinson), $4,737 (Kendrick Nunn)

Milwaukee Bucks

• Available: $0
• Used: $7,000,000 (Ersan Ilyasova); $1,641,000 (Pat Connaughton)

Minnesota Timberwolves

• Available: $1,943,583
• Used: $5,750,000 (Anthony Tolliver); $838,464 (Keita Bates-Diop), $108,953 (Cameron Reynolds)

New Orleans Pelicans

• Available: $0
• Used: $8,641,000 (Julius Randle)

New York Knicks

• Available: $655,560
• Used: $6,500,000 (Mario Hezonja); $1,485,440 (Mitchell Robinson)

Oklahoma City Thunder

• Available: $4,498,536 (taxpayer)
• Used: $838,464 (Hamidou Diallo)

Orlando Magic

• Available: $6,752,536
• Used: $1,050,000 (Melvin Frazier); $838,464 (Isaiah Briscoe)

Portland Trail Blazers

• Available: $1,703,536 (taxpayer)
• Used: $2,795,000 (Seth Curry); $838,464 (Gary Trent Jr.)
  

San Antonio Spurs

• Available: $1,648,690
• Used: $6,153,846 (Marco Belinelli); $838,464 (Chimezie Metu)

Toronto Raptors

• Available: $5,337,000 (taxpayer)
• Used: $0

Utah Jazz

• Available: $8,641,000
• Used: $0

Washington Wizards

• Available: $0 (taxpayer)
• Used: $5,337,000 (Dwight Howard)

Room Exception:

Atlanta Hawks

• Available: $99,000
• Used: $4,350,000 (Alex Len)

Brooklyn Nets

• Available: $0
• Used: $4,449,000 (Ed Davis)

Chicago Bulls

• Available: $4,449,000
• Used: $0

Dallas Mavericks

• Available: $4,449,000
• Used: $0

Indiana Pacers

• Available: $0
• Used: $4,449,000 (Kyle O’Quinn)

Los Angeles Lakers

• Available: $949,000
• Used: $3,500,000 (Michael Beasley)

Philadelphia 76ers

• Available: $4,449,000
• Used: $0

Phoenix Suns

• Available: $3,500,000
• Used: $949,000 (De’Anthony Melton)
  

Sacramento Kings

• Available: $2,449,000
• Used: $2,000,000 (Corey Brewer)
  

Salary information from Basketball Insiders and ESPN was used in the creation of this post.