RealGM Analysis
The NBA has once again provided a revised salary cap projection for the 2017-18 season. This time the figure is $99 million, down from the most recent projection of $101 million. In addition, this is down from the original projection provided in 2015 of $109 million. Several factors drove the projection down: teams spent more money in 2016 than projected and the 2017 NBA Playoffs were historically short with just 79 total games. Adding it all up results in a reduced cap projection.
Because so much money was spent last summer and because the cap estimate came in about $10 million less than originally thought, many teams will be tighter against the cap than we thought they would be a year or so ago. In addition, Russell Westbrook and James Harden renegotiated and extended their contracts. Also, eight players coming off their Rookie Scale contracts agreed to extensions: Steven Adams, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Gorgui Dieng, Rudy Gobert, C.J. McCollum, Victor Oladipo, Dennis Schroder and Cody Zeller. Putting it all together, not only does this change the projection for their teams, but it removes several potential impact free agents from the market this coming summer.
There are still likely to be 10-13 teams with cap space available. A handful more could join them. The tables below represent a look at where things stand as of today. A few notes:
- Latest cap projection of $99 million is used.
- Recent trades between Celtics/76ers, Lakers/Nets and Hawks/Hornets are factored in.
- Starting Cap Space = the amount of space each team will have without renouncing or waiving any players/picks.
- Maximum Cap Space = the amount of space each team could have if they waived or renounced all players/picks who are not fully guaranteed.
- Projected Cap Space = the amount of space each team is projected to have after roster decisions are made.
- Maximum Cap Space and Projected Cap Space for Miami assumes that Chris Bosh will be waived due to Medical Retirement, removing the cap hit from the Heat cap sheet.
|
Team |
Starting |
Maximum |
Projected |
Fully |
Partial/ |
|
|
ATL |
$(36,153,751) |
$35,253,492 |
$(31,564,911) |
7 |
2 |
7 |
|
BOS |
$(19,588,061) |
$33,187,999 |
$17,786,828 |
7 |
3 |
5 |
|
BKN |
$18,871,646 |
$35,331,537 |
$24,728,106 |
9 |
5 |
2 |
|
CHA |
$(25,090,945) |
$(10,797,863) |
$(23,960,945) |
8 |
3 |
3 |
|
CHI |
$(13,932,257) |
$27,319,511 |
$(6,416,546) |
8 |
2 |
5 |
|
CLE |
$(46,310,509) |
$(29,933,665) |
$(46,310,509) |
8 |
2 |
5 |
|
DAL |
$(22,579,763) |
$34,206,664 |
$13,558,909 |
6 |
5 |
4 |
|
DEN |
$(8,421,819) |
$42,976,171 |
$ 12,774,181 |
11 |
1 |
3 |
|
DET |
$(25,782,717) |
$1,570,001 |
$(25,782,717) |
9 |
2 |
4 |
|
GSW |
$(29,055,679) |
$54,022,815 |
$(29,055,679) |
5 |
0 |
10 |
|
HOU |
$(11,216,770) |
$8,187,738 |
$(4,502,254) |
10 |
2 |
3 |
|
IND |
$(5,782,801) |
$31,704,263 |
$(1,930,246) |
6 |
5 |
4 |
|
LAC |
$(53,036,620) |
$34,357,897 |
$(44,567,332) |
6 |
1 |
8 |
|
LAL |
$(6,985,353) |
$24,310,689 |
$(1,215,827) |
8 |
1 |
5 |
|
MEM |
$(32,408,381) |
$4,556,818 |
$(32,049,610) |
10 |
0 |
5 |
|
MIA |
$(13,350,149) |
$37,907,264 |
$34,582,760 |
6 |
4 |
5 |
|
MIL |
$(23,354,243) |
$(3,151,102) |
$(19,852,279) |
10 |
1 |
4 |
|
MIN |
$(3,511,815) |
$33,068,968 |
$22,607,043 |
9 |
1 |
4 |
|
NOP |
$(12,308,663) |
$12,982,242 |
$(12,308,663) |
8 |
3 |
3 |
|
NYK |
$(18,058,188) |
$20,273,680 |
$17,588,175 |
8 |
3 |
4 |
|
OKC |
$(43,338,004) |
$(13,483,871) |
$(43,137,992) |
9 |
1 |
5 |
|
ORL |
$(24,994,218) |
$17,822,460 |
$(251,433) |
8 |
4 |
3 |
|
PHI |
$12,834,887 |
$59,777,567 |
$38,202,651 |
8 |
5 |
3 |
|
PHX |
$(5,271,025) |
$29,082,598 |
$(3,875,858) |
9 |
3 |
3 |
|
POR |
$(49,136,648) |
$(33,928,775) |
$(42,403,648) |
12 |
3 |
0 |
|
SAC |
$(20,053,414) |
$59,879,992 |
$53,236,837 |
7 |
1 |
6 |
|
SAS |
$(33,151,015) |
$21,445,788 |
$18,853,735 |
7 |
1 |
7 |
|
TOR |
$(43,555,106) |
$19,740,524 |
$(43,555,106) |
9 |
2 |
4 |
|
UTA |
$(24,943,254) |
$30,029,055 |
$(24,943,254) |
8 |
2 |
5 |
|
WAS |
$(26,314,281) |
$ 3,462,409 |
$(17,847,786) |
10 |
2 |
4 |
- Sorted by Starting Cap Space
|
Team |
Starting |
|
Brooklyn |
$18,871,646 |
|
Philadelphia |
$12,834,887 |
|
Minnesota |
$(3,511,815) |
|
Phoenix |
$(5,271,025) |
|
Indiana |
$(5,782,801) |
|
LA Lakers |
$(6,985,353) |
|
Denver |
$(8,421,819) |
|
Houston |
$(11,216,770) |
|
New Orleans |
$(12,308,663) |
|
Miami |
$(13,350,149) |
|
Chicago |
$(13,932,257) |
|
New York |
$(18,058,188) |
|
Boston |
$(19,588,061) |
|
Sacramento |
$(20,053,414) |
|
Dallas |
$(22,579,763) |
|
Milwaukee |
$(23,354,243) |
|
Utah |
$(24,943,254) |
|
Orlando |
$(24,994,218) |
|
Charlotte |
$(25,090,945) |
|
Detroit |
$(25,782,717) |
|
Washington |
$(26,314,281) |
|
Golden State |
$(29,055,679) |
|
Memphis |
$(32,408,381) |
|
San Antonio |
$(33,151,015) |
|
Atlanta |
$(36,153,751) |
|
Oklahoma City |
$(43,338,004) |
|
Toronto |
$(43,555,106) |
|
Cleveland |
$(46,310,509) |
|
Portland |
$(49,136,648) |
|
LA Clippers |
$(53,036,620) |
- Sorted by Maximum Cap Space
|
Team |
Maximum |
|
Sacramento |
$59,879,992 |
|
Philadelphia |
$59,777,567 |
|
Golden State |
$54,022,815 |
|
Denver |
$42,976,171 |
|
Miami |
$37,907,264 |
|
Brooklyn |
$35,331,537 |
|
Atlanta |
$35,253,492 |
|
LA Clippers |
$34,357,897 |
|
Dallas |
$34,206,664 |
|
Boston |
$33,187,999 |
|
Minnesota |
$33,068,968 |
|
Indiana |
$31,704,263 |
|
Utah |
$30,029,055 |
|
Phoenix |
$29,082,598 |
|
Chicago |
$27,319,511 |
|
LA Lakers |
$24,310,689 |
|
San Antonio |
$21,445,788 |
|
New York |
$20,273,680 |
|
Toronto |
$19,740,524 |
|
Orlando |
$17,822,460 |
|
New Orleans |
$12,982,242 |
|
Houston |
$8,187,738 |
|
Memphis |
$4,556,818 |
|
Washington |
$3,462,409 |
|
Detroit |
$1,570,001 |
|
Milwaukee |
$(3,151,102) |
|
Charlotte |
$(10,797,863) |
|
Oklahoma City |
$(13,483,871) |
|
Cleveland |
$(29,933,665) |
|
Portland |
$(33,928,775) |
- Sorted by Projected Cap Space
|
Team |
Projected |
|
Sacramento |
$53,236,837 |
|
Philadelphia |
$38,202,651 |
|
Miami |
$34,582,760 |
|
Brooklyn |
$24,728,106 |
|
Minnesota |
$22,607,043 |
|
San Antonio |
$18,853,735 |
|
Boston |
$17,786,828 |
|
New York |
$17,588,175 |
|
Dallas |
$13,558,909 |
|
Denver |
$12,774,181 |
|
Orlando |
$(251,433) |
|
LA Lakers |
$(1,215,827) |
|
Indiana |
$(1,930,246) |
|
Phoenix |
$(3,875,858) |
|
Houston |
$(4,502,254) |
|
Chicago |
$(6,416,546) |
|
New Orleans |
$(12,308,663) |
|
Washington |
$(17,847,786) |
|
Milwaukee |
$(19,852,279) |
|
Charlotte |
$(23,960,945) |
|
Utah |
$(24,943,254) |
|
Detroit |
$(25,782,717) |
|
Golden State |
$(29,055,679) |
|
Atlanta |
$(31,564,911) |
|
Memphis |
$(32,049,610) |
|
Portland |
$(42,403,648) |
|
Oklahoma City |
$(43,137,992) |
|
Toronto |
$(43,555,106) |
|
LA Clippers |
$(44,567,332) |
|
Cleveland |
$(46,310,509) |
