How Teams Are Using 2019/20 Mid-Level Exceptions

In addition to receiving approximately $109MM 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 $4,767,000.
• Taxpayer mid-level exception: Can be used for contracts up to three years, with a starting salary worth up to $5,718,000.
• Full mid-level exception: Can be used for contracts up to four years, with a starting salary worth up to $9,258,000.

Now that nearly all 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 2019/20 league year.

Note: As of January 10, the value of the exceptions below began to prorate downward by 1/177th per day.

Here’s where things currently stand:

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Mid-Level Exception:

Non-taxpayer: $9,258,000
Taxpayer: $5,718,000

Charlotte Hornets

• Used: $1,173,310 (Cody Martin); $898,310 (Caleb Martin); $898,310 (Jalen McDaniels)

Cleveland Cavaliers

• Used: $1,500,000 (Alfonzo McKinnie); $375,000 (Dean Wade); $250,000 (Jordan Bell)

Dallas Mavericks

• Used: $7,461,380 (Seth Curry); $1,500,000 (Isaiah Roby)

Denver Nuggets

• Used: $898,310 (Vlatko Cancar); $183,115 (PJ Dozier)

Detroit Pistons

• Used: $7,317,074 (Derrick Rose); $483,115 (Justin Patton)

Golden State Warriors

• Used: $2,177,483 (Willie Cauley-Stein); $898,310 (Eric Paschall); $898,310 (Alen Smailagic); $842,327 (Damion Lee); $350,189 (Ky Bowman); $350,189 (Juan Toscano-Anderson); $187,782 (Mychal Mulder)

Houston Rockets

• Used: $3,540,000 (Danuel House); $903,111 (David Nwaba); $563,347 (Chris Clemons)

Memphis Grizzlies

• Used: $9,258,000 (Tyus Jones)

Miami Heat

• Used: $898,310 (KZ Okpala); $466,918 (Chris Silva)

Minnesota Timberwolves

• Used: $2,000,000 (Noah Vonleh); $1,400,000 (Jaylen Nowell); $898,310 (Naz Reid)

Oklahoma City Thunder

• Used: $1,620,564 (Justin Patton); $155,647 (Luguentz Dort)
  

Orlando Magic

• Used: $9,258,000 (Al-Farouq Aminu)

Portland Trail Blazers

• Used: $5,718,000 (Rodney Hood)

San Antonio Spurs

• Used: $5,500,000 (Trey Lyles)
  

Toronto Raptors

• Used: $4,000,000 (Patrick McCaw); $2,500,000 (Rondae Hollis-Jefferson); $898,310 (Matt Thomas); $898,310 (Dewan Hernandez)

Washington Wizards

• Used: $6,000,000 (Ish Smith); $1,000,000 (Admiral Schofield); $898,310 (Justin Robinson); $482,144 (Anzejs Pasecniks)

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Room Exception:

Available: $4,767,000

Atlanta Hawks

• Used: $0

Boston Celtics

• Used: $4,767,000 (Enes Kanter)

Brooklyn Nets

• Used: $4,767,000 (Garrett Temple)

Chicago Bulls

• Used: $2,250,000 (Luke Kornet)
  

Indiana Pacers

• Used: $4,767,000 (Justin Holiday)
  

Los Angeles Clippers

• Used: $4,767,000 (JaMychal Green)

Los Angeles Lakers

• Used: $4,767,000 (Avery Bradley)

Milwaukee Bucks

• Used: $4,767,000 (Robin Lopez)

New Orleans Pelicans

• Used: $4,102,564 (Nicolo Melli)

New York Knicks

• Used: $4,000,000 (Reggie Bullock)

Philadelphia 76ers

• Used: $4,767,000 (Mike Scott)
  

Phoenix Suns

• Used: $4,767,000 (Frank Kaminsky)

Sacramento Kings

• Used: $4,767,000 (Richaun Holmes)
  

Utah Jazz

• Used: $4,767,000 (Ed Davis)

Salary information from Basketball Insiders, Early Bird Rights, and ESPN was used in the creation of this post. Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.