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Offseason Salary Cap Digest

2018 NBA Offseason Salary Cap Digest: Atlanta Hawks

April 27th, 2018 at 9:50am CST by Luke Adams

After making 10 straight appearances in the postseason, the Hawks recognized that streak was in danger of coming to an end and decided to lean into it with a full-fledged rebuild. As a result, Atlanta’s win total dipped by nearly 20 games in 2017/18, as the team finished with a 24-58 record, tied for the NBA’s third-worst mark. The Hawks should have cap flexibility going forward, but they’re still fully immersed in the rebuilding process, meaning they’re more likely to use cap room to accommodate bad contracts in trades than to make a splash in free agency.

Here’s where things currently stand for the Hawks financially, as we continue our Offseason Salary Cap Digest series for 2018:

Guaranteed Salary

Player Options

Team Options

  • None

Non-Guaranteed Salary

Restricted Free Agents

Unrestricted Free Agents / Other Cap Holds

  • Mike Muscala ($9,500,000): Bird rights (if player option is declined)
  • Dewayne Dedmon ($8,280,000): Non-Bird rights (if player option is declined)
  • No. 4 overall pick ($5,864,636)4
  • No. 19 overall pick ($2,231,755)
  • No. 30 overall pick ($1,606,717)
  • Total: $27,483,008

Projected Salary Cap: $101,000,000

Projected Cap Room: $33,401,355

  • For our Hawks’ cap projection, we’re assuming that both Dedmon and Muscala decline their player options, which isn’t necessarily a lock (Dedmon appears more likely to opt out than Muscala). We’re also assuming the team waives all its non-guaranteed players and renounces its free agents, which is hardly a sure thing either.
  • In that scenario, the Hawks’ seven guaranteed contracts, three first-round picks, and two cap charges for empty roster spots result in a team salary of $67,598,645. That’s nearly enough to accommodate any maximum-salary free agent, though Atlanta is unlikely to be in the market for any players of that caliber.

Footnotes:

  1. Taylor’s salary becomes guaranteed for $300K after June 22, then fully guaranteed after July 27.
  2. Cavanaugh’s salary becomes guaranteed for $450K after May 15, then fully guaranteed after July 7.
  3. Cleveland’s exact contract details, including guarantee info, aren’t yet known.
  4. The Hawks are fourth in the draft lottery standings. They could end up picking anywhere from No. 1 ($8,095,595) to No. 7 ($4,403,246).

Note: Rookie scale cap holds are estimates based on salary cap projections and could increase or decrease depending on where the cap lands.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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2018 Offseason Salary Cap Digest: Dallas Mavericks

April 26th, 2018 at 1:58pm CST by Luke Adams

While rookie point guard Dennis Smith Jr. showed plenty of promise, the Mavericks’ rebuild didn’t take a meaningful step forward on the court in 2017/18, as the team slipped from 33 wins in 2016/17 to just 24 this season. Dallas will head into the 2018 offseason as one of the few teams armed with meaningful cap room, but it will probably take more than just a single free agent signing to make the club competitive again before Dirk Nowitzki calls it a career.

Here’s where things currently stand for the Mavericks financially, as we continue our Offseason Salary Cap Digest series for 2018:

Guaranteed Salary

Player Options

Team Options

Non-Guaranteed Salary

Restricted Free Agents

Unrestricted Free Agents / Other Cap Holds

  • Nerlens Noel ($7,956,438): Bird rights
  • No. 3 overall pick ($6,504,619)4
  • Seth Curry ($3,936,933): Early Bird rights
  • Total: $18,397,990

Projected Salary Cap: $101,000,000

Projected Cap Room: $29,615,683

  • Our projection for the Mavericks includes the four players with guaranteed contracts, the tentative cap hold for their first-round pick, and Matthews’ player option, since he’s expected to pick it up. Throw in six cap charges for empty roster spots and the team’s projected salary is $71,384,298, leaving nearly $30MM to work with.
  • There are a few wild cards to consider here. The cap hold for that first-round pick could fluctuate by nearly $2MM either way depending on the Mavs’ lottery luck. I’m also not including Nowitzki’s $5MM team option — if Dallas wants to maximize its cap room, it could decline that option and ultimately bring back Dirk on a minimum-salary deal, if he’s open to that.
  • Creating the most possible cap room would also mean waiving non-guaranteed players like Finney-Smith and renouncing all the Mavs’ free agents, including McDermott, Curry, Ferrell, and Mejri. So in actuality, the Mavs could have far less space to work with, though it still should be enough to aggressively pursue a top restricted free agent.

Footnotes:

  1. Finney-Smith’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after July 5.
  2. Collinsworth’s exact contract details, including guarantee dates, aren’t yet known.
  3. Kleber’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after July 15.
  4. The Mavericks are third in the draft lottery standings. They could end up picking anywhere from No. 1 ($8,095,595) to No. 6 ($4,823,489).

Note: Rookie scale cap holds are estimates based on salary cap projections and could increase or decrease depending on where the cap lands.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders and RealGM was used in the creation of this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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2018 NBA Offseason Salary Cap Digest: Memphis Grizzlies

April 25th, 2018 at 2:40pm CST by Luke Adams

After heading into the fall with playoff aspirations, the Grizzlies had a disastrous 2017/18 season. Standout point guard Mike Conley only played in 12 games, while fellow max-salary veteran Chandler Parsons appeared in 36. The team’s other highest-paid player, Marc Gasol, remained healthy, but clashed with head coach David Fizdale, ultimately resulting in Fizdale’s ouster. All three of Memphis’ max players are still under contract next season, so there’s some optimism that the club could return to playoff contention with better health, but it will be an uphill climb following a 22-win season.

Here’s where things currently stand for the Grizzlies financially, as we continue our Offseason Salary Cap Digest series for 2018:

Guaranteed Salary

Player Options

  • None

Team Options

  • None

Non-Guaranteed Salary

  • Andrew Harrison ($1,544,951)
  • Omari Johnson ($1,378,242)2
  • Wayne Selden ($772,475) — Partial guarantee. Guaranteed portion noted above.1
  • Total: $3,695,668

Restricted Free Agents

  • None

Unrestricted Free Agents / Other Cap Holds

Projected Salary Cap: $101,000,000

Projected Cap Room: None

  • Even before taking into account a cap hold for their lottery pick, the Grizzlies are over the projected cap with nearly $103MM in guaranteed contracts. Any path to cap room would involve major trades and/or cuts, so we can expect Memphis to be an over-the-cap club this summer, with the full mid-level exception available. The Grizzlies won’t have their bi-annual exception available this offseason after using it in 2017/18 to sign Evans.

Footnotes:

  1. Selden’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after July 10.
  2. Johnson’s exact contract details, including guarantee info, aren’t yet known.
  3. The Grizzlies are second in the draft lottery standings. They could end up picking anywhere from No. 1 ($8,095,595) to No. 5 ($5,310,672).

Note: Rookie scale cap holds are estimates based on salary cap projections and could increase or decrease depending on where the cap lands.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders and RealGM was used in the creation of this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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2018 Offseason Salary Cap Digest: Phoenix Suns

April 24th, 2018 at 8:54am CST by Luke Adams

The NBA’s worst team in 2017/18, the Suns won fewer than 25 games for a third straight season and posted their worst record since 1968/69, the franchise’s first year of existence. As dismal as that sounds, Devin Booker continues to look like a franchise cornerstone, and young players like Josh Jackson showed promise. With a pair of first-round picks in hand – including a top-four selection – and some salary cap flexibility, the Suns are optimistic they can make a splash this summer and finally take a step toward contention in 2018/19.

Here’s where things currently stand for the Suns financially, as we kick off our Offseason Salary Cap Digest series for 2018:

Guaranteed Salary

Player Options

  • None

Team Options

  • None

Non-Guaranteed Salary

Restricted Free Agents

  • Elfrid Payton ($4,749,591 qualifying offer / $9,997,020 cap hold)
  • Total: $9,997,020

Unrestricted Free Agents / Other Cap Holds

  • No. 1 overall pick ($8,095,595)4
  • Alex Len ($7,956,438): Bird rights
  • No. 16 overall pick ($2,589,510)
  • Total: $18,641,543

Projected Salary Cap: $101,000,000

Projected Cap Room: $18,958,539

  • While the Suns only have about $70MM in guaranteed money on their books, they may have to account for more than $10MM in cap holds for their two first-round picks, which significantly cuts into their potential cap room. Our projection assumes that Phoenix retains its nine guaranteed contracts, plus Reed and its two first-rounders, totaling $82,041,516. In that scenario, the Suns would renounce Payton and Len, and waive their non-guaranteed players. The team could create more room via trades or cuts, and would also open up a little more space with bad draft lottery luck — the cap hold for the No. 4 overall pick would only be $5,864,640.

Footnotes:

  1. Reed’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after June 30.
  2. Williams can reportedly trigger a $1MM partial guarantee by meeting certain weight, body fat, and minute requirements. His salary becomes fully guaranteed after July 6.
  3. Harrison’s exact contract details aren’t yet known.
  4. The Suns are first in the draft lottery standings, giving them a 25% chance at the No. 1 overall pick. They also could end up at No. 2 ($7,243,344), No. 3 ($6,504,619), or No. 4 ($5,864,636).

Note: Rookie scale cap holds are estimates based on salary cap projections and could increase or decrease depending on where the cap lands.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders and RealGM was used in the creation of this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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2017 Offseason Salary Cap Digest: Golden State Warriors

June 9th, 2017 at 2:26pm CST by Luke Adams

After blowing a 3-1 series lead in last year’s Finals, the Warriors were the punchline in a bevy of offseason jokes. They responded by adding Kevin Durant to a 73-win roster, racking up 67 more regular season wins, and opening the playoffs on a 15-0 run. Golden State’s current roster looks virtually unstoppable, and while the team may not re-sign all its complementary players this summer, it should have no problem locking up Durant and Stephen Curry to new deals.

Here’s where things currently stand for the Warriors financially, as we conclude our Offseason Salary Cap Digest series for 2017:

Guaranteed Salary

Player Options

Team Options

  • None

Non-Guaranteed Salary

  • None

Restricted Free Agents

Cap Holds

Projected Salary Cap: $101,000,000

Maximum Cap Room: $39,485,506

  • Our max cap room scenario for the Warriors assumes that Durant turns down his player option and the Warriors renounce all their free agents except for Curry. Five guaranteed salaries, along with cap holds for Curry and six empty roster rosters, would bring team salary to $61,514,494. In that scenario, the team could afford a max contract for Durant, but wouldn’t have much cap room left to sign other players. The more likely outcome – which would give the team a better chance to re-sign Iguodala and Livingston – involves staying over the cap and Durant accepting a 20% raise rather than a true max salary.

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

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2017 Offseason Salary Cap Digest: Cleveland Cavaliers

June 8th, 2017 at 1:43pm CST by Luke Adams

After the NBA salary cap jumped to unprecedented heights in 2016, it became more challenging for teams to spend enough to surpass the tax line, but the Cavaliers did it with ease. By our count, they’ll have a tax bill of nearly $25MM for the 2016/17 season, and they’re projected to be in tax territory again in ’17/18. That will make it difficult to make major upgrades to the roster, though GM David Griffin has been creative in adding pieces in the past.

Here’s where things currently stand for the Cavaliers financially, as we continue our Offseason Salary Cap Digest series for 2017:

Guaranteed Salary

Player Options

  • None

Team Options

  • None

Non-Guaranteed Salary

  • Edy Tavares ($1,471,382)
  • Kay Felder ($856,082) — Partial guarantee. Guaranteed portion noted above.1
  • Total: $2,327,464

Restricted Free Agents

  • None

Cap Holds

Trade Exceptions

Projected Salary Cap: $101,000,000

Maximum Cap Room: –$27,933,665

  • The Cavaliers’ eight guaranteed contracts, plus four cap charges for empty roster spots, bring the total team salary to $128,933,665. Considering the luxury tax line is currently projected to be around $121MM, the Cavs have virtually no way to get below the cap this summer unless they gut their roster.

Footnotes:

  1. Felder’s salary won’t become fully guaranteed until January 10.

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

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2017 Offseason Salary Cap Digest: San Antonio Spurs

June 7th, 2017 at 2:03pm CST by Luke Adams

The Spurs won 60+ games for the third time in four years in 2016/17, but any chance they had of knocking off the Warriors in the Western Conference Finals was stymied when Kawhi Leonard re-injured his ankle in Game 1 against Golden State. Even though San Antonio was the second- or third-best team in the NBA this past season, additional roster pieces may be needed to seriously challenge the historically dominant Warriors.

Here’s where things currently stand for the Spurs financially, as we continue our Offseason Salary Cap Digest series for 2017:

Guaranteed Salary

Player Options

Team Options

  • None

Non-Guaranteed Salary

Restricted Free Agents

  • Jonathon Simmons ($1,671,382 qualifying offer / $1,671,382 cap hold)
  • Total: $1,671,382

Cap Holds

Projected Salary Cap: $101,000,000

Maximum Cap Room: $22,856,803

  • With seven guaranteed contracts, plus cap holds for a first-round pick and four empty roster spots, the Spurs’ team salary is $78,143,197. That figure doesn’t include Gasol or Lee, who could pick up player options, and also doesn’t include Ginobili, Mills, or Simmons, all free agents. Even if none of those players return, San Antonio would still have work to do to clear enough room for a maximum salary player like Chris Paul.

Footnotes:

  1. Forbes’ salary becomes partially guaranteed ($100,000) after August 1.

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

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2017 Offseason Salary Cap Digest: Boston Celtics

June 6th, 2017 at 10:11am CST by Luke Adams

As was the case for all the Eastern teams that looked to knock off the Cavs in the postseason, the Celtics’ year ended on a demoralizing note, but it was a positive season for the franchise on the whole. Landing a No. 1 seed and a No. 1 pick in the same year is virtually unheard of, and will allow Boston to add another core piece to an already talented roster. The team also still has more draft picks and players stashed away, and has the flexibility to add another piece or two in free agency.

Here’s where things currently stand for the Celtics financially, as we continue our Offseason Salary Cap Digest series for 2017:

Guaranteed Salary

Player Options

  • None

Team Options

  • None

Non-Guaranteed Salary

  • Tyler Zeller ($8,000,000)2
  • Jordan Mickey ($1,471,382)3
  • Demetrius Jackson ($734,750) — Partial guarantee. Guaranteed portion noted above.1
  • Total: $10,206,132

Restricted Free Agents

  • Kelly Olynyk ($4,187,598 qualifying offer / $7,735,033 cap hold)
  • Total: $7,735,033

Cap Holds

Projected Salary Cap: $101,000,000

Maximum Cap Room: $26,796,789

  • The Celtics lucked out when they landed the No. 1 pick, but the cap hold for that selection adds $7MM+ to their team salary, reducing their flexibility a little. For our max cap room calculation, we assumed the C’s will keep their seven guaranteed contracts plus Jackson (whose non-guaranteed portion is cheaper than an empty roster slot), and accounted for cap holds for the No. 1 pick, Yabusele, Zizic, and an empty roster spot. That works out to $74,203,211, which doesn’t leave enough room for a max salary for someone like Gordon Hayward. However, Boston could create more cap space by stashing Yabusele and/or Zizic for another year, or by making a trade.

Footnotes:

  1. Jackson’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after July 15.
  2. Zeller’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after July 2.
  3. Mickey’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after either July 1 or July 15 (conflicting information available).

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

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2017 Offseason Salary Cap Digest: Miami Heat

June 5th, 2017 at 3:18pm CST by Luke Adams

The Heat started the 2016/17 season with a 7-12 record, then had a pair of wild swings, losing 18 of their next 22 games before winning 30 of their final 41. There’s reason to believe that Miami’s strong second half is a positive sign of things to come, but a few of the club’s key players from that run are now eligible for free agency. That will create some uncertainty going forward, but with Chris Bosh‘s $25MM+ salary no longer on their books, the Heat will have a little more room to maneuver this offseason.

Here’s where things currently stand for the Heat financially, as we continue our Offseason Salary Cap Digest series for 2017:

Guaranteed Salary

Player Options

  • None

Team Options

  • None

Non-Guaranteed Salary

Restricted Free Agents

  • None

Cap Holds

Projected Salary Cap: $101,000,000

Maximum Cap Room: $38,232,519

  • Taking into account their five guaranteed contracts, plus cap holds for a first-round pick and six empty roster spots, the Heat have a team salary of $62,767,481. However, that would mean waiving all their non-guaranteed players, including Richardson and McGruder, which is very unlikely — still, since those players are on veteran minimum salaries, they won’t cut into Miami’s cap room in a major way.

Footnotes:

  1. Ellington’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after July 6.
  2. Richardson’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after June 30.
  3. McGruder’s salary becomes partially guaranteed ($452,625) after August 1.
  4. White’s salary becomes partially guaranteed ($226,312) after July 1. Partial guarantee increases to $452,624 after August 1.

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

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2017 Offseason Salary Cap Digest: Denver Nuggets

June 2nd, 2017 at 3:10pm CST by Luke Adams

The Nuggets missed the postseason for a fourth straight season this year, but they took steps in the right direction and unearthed a franchise-type center in Nikola Jokic. Set to earn the minimum salary in 2017/18, Jokic will be perhaps the NBA’s best bargain. He won’t be this inexpensive forever, but while he is, Denver has a great opportunity to attempt to take advantage of the flexibility by adding talent around him.

Here’s where things currently stand for the Nuggets financially, as we continue our Offseason Salary Cap Digest series for 2017:

Guaranteed Salary

Player Options

  • None

Team Options

  • None

Non-Guaranteed Salary

Restricted Free Agents

  • Mason Plumlee ($4,588,840 qualifying offer / $5,821,325 cap hold)
  • Total: $5,821,325

Cap Holds

Projected Salary Cap: $101,000,000

Maximum Cap Room: $43,170,506

  • With 11 guaranteed salaries on their books and a cap hold for their first-round pick, the Nuggets have a modest team salary of $57,829,494. If the club intends to make a serious effort to re-sign Gallinari, that figure will grow, reducing cap flexibility. But if Gallinari departs and Denver makes a trade or two, the team could create even more cap room.

Footnotes:

  1. Miller’s salary becomes fully guaranteed after July 12.

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

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