Pistons Granted Disabled Player Exception

The Pistons have been granted a disabled player exception due to Cade Cunningham‘s season-ending injury, reports James L. Edwards II of The Athletic (Twitter link). The former No. 1 overall pick underwent surgery in December to address a left tibial stress fracture.

A disabled player exception grants an over-the-cap team some extra spending power when it loses a player to an injury deemed more likely than not to sideline him through at least June 15.

The exception is worth either half the injured player’s salary or the value of the mid-level exception, whichever is lesser. In this case, Cunningham’s salary for 2022/23 is $10,552,800, so Detroit’s DPE will be worth $5,276,400.

As we explain in our glossary entry, the disabled player exception can be used to sign a free agent, to claim a player off waivers, or to acquire a player in a trade. The exception can only be used on a single player and can only accommodate a player on a one-year deal. A free agent signee can’t get a multiyear contract, and any trade or waiver target must be in the final year of his contract.

Although the disabled player exception gives a team extra cap flexibility, it doesn’t open up an extra spot on the 15-man roster. The club must have a roster spot available to use the DPE to add a player.

Teams had until January 15 to apply for disabled player exceptions, so if a player suffers a season-ending injury anytime between now and the end of the season, a DPE won’t be available for his club. The Pistons – and any other team with a disabled player exception – will have until March 10 to use their DPE.