NBA
2017-18 NBA Cap Projections at 2016-17 Trade Deadline
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
The NBA and NBPA recently ratified the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), providing labor peace for years to come and a projected salary cap of $102 million for the 2017-18 season.
For next season, players with up to six years of experience can earn salaries projecting to start at $25.5 million. Those between seven and nine are at $30.6 million, while veterans of 10 or more seasons can sign for $35.7 million in the first year.
Teams may have to choose between going under the cap or staying over, with the Mid-Level Exception climbing to $8.4 million and the Bi-Annual Exception to $3.3 million.
A team that can get to $11.7 million in cap space would have the same spending power if they stay over the cap and use their exceptions. The most they’d be able to pay a single player would be $8.4 million in the first year, but they may have more flexibility above the cap.
Players who qualify as designated veterans, while entering their eighth or ninth seasons, can re-sign with their existing teams to the highest max tier ($35.7 million), provided they reach certain qualifications (MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, All-NBA Team etc.).
Empty roster charges for every open spot under 13 will be the rookie minimum salary of $815,615.
The following is an estimate of the maximum cap space teams would have if they let all their free agents go, with a draft order based on the standings as of the All-Star break, with minor creative license.
| Team | Maximum (in millions) |
Potential Free Agents (notable cap holds listed, in parenthesis and in millions) |
|---|---|---|
| Sacramento Kings | $61.1 | Rudy Gay ($20.0 or player option of $14.3), Tyreke Evans ($16.0), Ben McLemore ($10.0), Arron Afflalo (partially-guaranteed $12.5), Anthony Tolliver (partially-guaranteed $8.0), Darren Collison ($9.9), Langston Galloway ($6.2 or player option of $5.4), Ty Lawson |
| Philadelphia 76ers | $57.7 | Nerlens Noel ($11.0), Ersan Ilyasova ($12.6), Sergio Rodriquez ($9.6), Gerald Henderson (non-guaranteed $9.0), Richaun Holmes, Robert Covington, T.J. McConnell — projection does not include the Los Angeles Lakers’ first-rounder |
| Golden State Warriors | $57.0 | Stephen Curry ($18.2), Kevin Durant ($31.8 or player option of $22.7), Andre Iguodala ($16.7), Shaun Livingston ($11), Zaza Pachulia, David West, Ian Clark, James McAdoo, Anderson Varejao, JaVale McGee |
| Chicago Bulls | $52.9 | Dwyane Wade ($27.8 or player option of $23.8), Rajon Rondo (partially-guaranteed $13.4), Taj Gibson ($13.4), Nikola Mirotic ($8.7), Michael Carter-Williams ($8.0), Isaiah Canaan, Cristiano Felicio |
| Denver Nuggets | $44.4 | Danilo Gallinari ($22.6 or player option of $16.1), Mason Plumlee ($5.8), Mike Miller |
| Miami HEAT | $43.7 | Wayne Ellington (non-guaranteed $6.3), Josh McRoberts ($11 or player option of $6.0), Udonis Haslem ($7.6), James Johnson ($4.8), Dion Waiters ($3.5 or player option of $3.0), Luke Babbitt, Willie Reed, Josh Richardson, Rodney McGruder, Okaro White — projection assumes Chris Bosh is a medical retirement |
| Brooklyn Nets | $39.8 | Bojan Bogdanovic ($6.8), Luis Scola ($6.6), Randy Foye, Sean Kilpatrick, Joe Harris, Spencer Dinwiddie, Quincy Acy |
| Los Angeles Clippers | $38.1 | Chris Paul ($34.3 or early termination option of $24.3), Blake Griffin ($30.2 or early termination option of $21.4), J.J. Redick ($11.1), Luc Mbah a Moute, Marreese Speights, Brandon Bass, Raymond Felton, Alan Anderson, Paul Pierce (retiring) |
| Dallas Mavericks | $34.3 | Dirk Nowitzki ($36.1 or team option of $25.0), Andrew Bogut ($16.5), Deron Williams ($11.7), Devin Harris, Salah Mejri, Dorian Finney-Smith, Nicolas Brussino, Yogi Ferrell |
| Atlanta Hawks | $33.1 | Paul Millsap ($30.1 or player option of $21.5), Tiago Splitter ($12.8), Kyle Korver ($10.0), Kris Humphries ($5.2), Mike Dunleavy (partially-guaranteed $5.2), Thabo Sefolosha ($7.3), Mike Scott ($6.3), Tim Hardaway Jr. ($5.7), Mike Muscala |
| Utah Jazz | $31.7 | Gordon Hayward ($25.1), George Hill ($12.0), Boris Diaw (non-guaranteed $7.5), Shelvin Mack, Joe Ingles, Jeff Withey, Raul Neto |
| Boston Celtics | $30.4 | Amir Johnson ($15.6), Tyler Zeller (non-guaranteed $8.0), Jonas Jerebko ($9.5), Kelly Olynyk ($7.7), James Young, Demetrius Jackson, Jordan Mickey, Gerald Green — maximum scenario assumes Guerschon Yabusele and Ante Zizic stay overseas |
| Minnesota Timberwolves | $29.4 | Jordan Hill (non-guaranteed $4.2), Brandon Rush, Shabazz Muhammad, Adreian Payne — projection assumes Nikola Pekovic is a medical retirement |
| Los Angeles Lakers | $29.2 | Jose Calderon ($11.6), Nick Young ($8.2 or player option of $5.7), Tarik Black (non-guaranteed $6.7), Marcelo Huertas, Metta World Peace, Thomas Robinson — maximum projection assumes do not have a first-round pick |
| Phoenix Suns | $28.5 | P.J. Tucker ($10.1), Alex Len ($12.1), Leandro Barbosa, John Jenkins, Alan Williams, Derrick Jones |
| Indiana Pacers | $24.5 | Jeff Teague ($13.2), Rodney Stuckey ($10.5 or player option of $7.0), C.J. Miles ($8.7 or player option of $4.8), Lavoy Allen ($4.8 or team option of $4.0), Aaron Brooks, Kevin Seraphin, Joseph Young, Rakeem Christmas, Glenn Robinson III, Georges Niang |
| San Antonio Spurs | $23.9 | Pau Gasol, Manu Ginobili, Patty Mills, Dewayne Dedmon, David Lee, Jonathon Simmons, Bryn Forbes, Joel Anthony |
| Toronto Raptors | $21.1 | Serge Ibaka ($18.4), Kyle Lowry ($18 or player option of $12.0), Patrick Patterson ($9.1), Jared Sullinger ($6.8), Norman Powell, Fred VanVleet |
| New York Knicks | $20.7 | Derrick Rose ($30.1), Brandon Jennings ($6.0), Justin Holiday, Sasha Vujacic, Maurice N’dour, Mason Plumlee, Ron Baker |
| Orlando Magic | $15.7 | Jeff Green (18.0), Jodie Meeks ($12.4), C.J. Watson (partially-guaranteed $5.0), C.J. Wilcox, Damjan Rudez, Stephen Zimmerman |
| Milwaukee Bucks | $15.2 | Greg Monroe ($22.3 or player option of $17.9), Spencer Hawes ($11.4 or player option of $6.0), Tony Snell ($5.9), Roy Hibbert ($6.0), Michael Beasley, Jason Terry |
| New Orleans Pelicans | $15.2 | Jrue Holiday ($16.9), Dante Cunningham ($5.6 or player option of $4.1), Terrence Jones, Donatas Motiejunas |
| Houston Rockets | $12.1 | K.J. McDaniels ($4.3 or team option of $3.5), Tyler Ennis, Nene, Kyle Wiltjer, Bobby Brown |
| Memphis Grizzlies | $7.5 | Zach Randolph ($15.5), Tony Allen ($10.5), Vince Carter, JaMychal Green |
| Charlotte Hornets | $0 | Ramon Sessions ($7.2 or team option of $6.3), Brian Roberts, Christian Wood, Treveon Graham |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | $0 | DeAndre Liggins, Jordan McRae, Kay Felder, James Jones |
| Detroit Pistons | $0 | Aron Baynes ($8.5 or player option of $6.5), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope ($9.2), Reggie Bullock ($5.6), Beno Udrih, Darrun Hilliard, Michael Gbinije |
| Oklahoma City Thunder | $0 | Andre Roberson ($5.5), Nick Collison ($7.1), Anthony Morrow, Joffrey Lauvergne, Jerami Grant, Semaj Christon |
| Portland Trail Blazers | $0 | Festus Ezeli (partially-guaranteed $7.7), Pat Connaughton, Tim Quarterman |
| Washington Wizards | $0 | Otto Porter ($14.7), Trey Burke ($8.5), Marcus Thornton, Daniel Ochefu, Danuel House, Sheldon McClellan |
Teams can make trades or buy out players to open additional cap space. Several players have non-guaranteed salary, or team/player options. In most cases, to get to maximum cap room, the assumption is that nearly all players lacking a full guarantee are off the books.
Note: Updated on February 21 for Lakers/Rockets trade.
