Despite the salary cap projected to go over the $100 million mark for the first time in history (latest estimate is $103 million) not as many teams will have cap space in 2017 as many might think after the free agent spending of the 2016 offseason. NBA teams spent over $3.5 billion (yes billion with a B) in salaries since the start of the summer. And this space was further shrunk by changes to the CBA, which impact the ability of teams to get under the cap.
Because so much money was spent this summer and because the cap estimate came in about $4 million less than originally thought (original projections were a cap of $107 million for 2017-18), many teams will be tighter against the cap than we thought 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.
Once you add it all up, there are still likely to be 10-14 teams with cap space available. And several more could join them. The tables below represent a look at where things stand as of today. A few notes:
- New CBA estimate/rules are used. Please see below for further details.
- Latest cap projection of $103 million is used.
- 2017 NBA Draft order, for draft pick cap holds, was determined using the standing as of 1/3/17.
- Starting Cap Space = the amount of space each team will have without renouncing or waiving any players/picks. 2017 Draft Picks not included.
- 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. 2017 Draft Picks included.
With the NBA and NBPA having agreed to a new CBA, there are several new rules impacting Cap Space. The biggest impacts are with Cap Holds, Minimum Salaries and Maximum Salaries. These changes are all reflected in the projections below, but are all subject to further updating when the CBA is officially locked in over the coming months.
Team |
Starting |
Maximum |
Projected |
Fully |
Partial/ |
Pot. |
ATL |
$(41,029,616) |
$35,706,437 |
$(42,966,584) |
6 |
1 |
8 |
BOS |
$(11,489,690) |
$37,187,999 |
$18,858,929 |
7 |
3 |
5 |
BKN |
$22,575,324 |
$41,851,751 |
$33,563,177 |
8 |
4 |
3 |
CHA |
$(13,735,708) |
$10,180,347 |
$(11,893,156) |
8 |
1 |
5 |
CHI |
$(15,208,260) |
$53,212,341 |
$(5,384,324) |
7 |
2 |
5 |
CLE |
$(39,112,047) |
$(27,596,164) |
$(36,308,578) |
8 |
2 |
5 |
DAL |
$(35,117,301) |
$37,442,838 |
$28,862,443 |
7 |
5 |
3 |
DEN |
$17,298,100 |
$44,844,482 |
$17,266,154 |
12 |
1 |
2 |
DET |
$(21,990,419) |
$5,570,001 |
$(24,894,905) |
9 |
2 |
4 |
GSW |
$(24,729,767) |
$58,348,727 |
$(24,729,767) |
5 |
0 |
10 |
HOU |
$(709,422) |
$13,120,982 |
$8,539,119 |
10 |
1 |
4 |
IND |
$(5,981,284) |
$38,253,033 |
$13,223,718 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
LAC |
$(49,547,879) |
$38,357,896 |
$(41,078,591) |
6 |
1 |
8 |
LAL |
$(10,603,128) |
$31,717,401 |
$25,877,691 |
9 |
2 |
4 |
MEM |
$(26,823,640) |
$8,686,598 |
$(26,823,640) |
10 |
1 |
4 |
MIA |
$(16,030,259) |
$22,639,049 |
$35,924,673 |
5 |
3 |
7 |
MIL |
$(29,373,582) |
$6,233,072 |
$(1,269,003) |
10 |
0 |
5 |
MIN |
$(8,739,041) |
$26,358,566 |
$25,026,084 |
10 |
1 |
4 |
NOP |
$(14,703,777) |
$30,186,226 |
$(14,586,662) |
9 |
0 |
6 |
NYK |
$(16,444,460) |
$24,273,680 |
$(19,065,770) |
8 |
2 |
5 |
OKC |
$(32,303,718) |
$(8,163,763) |
$(33,748,954) |
9 |
1 |
5 |
ORL |
$(24,343,270) |
$31,506,845 |
$(19,759,816) |
7 |
2 |
6 |
PHI |
$15,443,114 |
$64,541,393 |
$39,371,805 |
7 |
3 |
5 |
PHX |
$(7,376,348) |
$34,606,903 |
$(9,444,189) |
9 |
3 |
3 |
POR |
$(42,651,554) |
$(26,964,585) |
$(38,975,806) |
11 |
4 |
1 |
SAC |
$(19,065,236) |
$51,695,535 |
$11,934,764 |
7 |
2 |
6 |
SAS |
$(25,574,596) |
$26,146,278 |
$(24,576,660) |
7 |
1 |
6 |
TOR |
$(24,235,814) |
$14,118,832 |
$(27,217,994) |
10 |
2 |
3 |
UTA |
$(17,969,296) |
$34,073,425 |
$(20,943,196) |
7 |
3 |
5 |
WAS |
$(27,048,932) |
$3,755,178 |
$(29,539,280) |
9 |
3 |
3 |
Sorted by Starting Cap Space
Team |
Starting |
Brooklyn |
$22,575,324 |
Denver |
$17,298,100 |
Philadelphia |
$15,443,114 |
Houston |
$(709,422) |
Indiana |
$(5,981,284) |
Phoenix |
$(7,376,348) |
Minnesota |
$(8,739,041) |
LA Lakers |
$(10,603,128) |
Boston |
$(11,489,690) |
Charlotte |
$(13,735,708) |
New Orleans |
$(14,703,777) |
Chicago |
$(15,208,260) |
Miami |
$(16,030,259) |
New York |
$(16,444,460) |
Utah |
$(17,969,296) |
Sacramento |
$(19,065,236) |
Detroit |
$(21,990,419) |
Toronto |
$(24,235,814) |
Orlando |
$(24,343,270) |
Golden State |
$(24,729,767) |
San Antonio |
$(25,574,596) |
Memphis |
$(26,823,640) |
Washington |
$(27,048,932) |
Milwaukee |
$(29,373,582) |
Oklahoma City |
$(32,303,718) |
Dallas |
$(35,117,301) |
Cleveland |
$(39,112,047) |
Atlanta |
$(41,029,616) |
Portland |
$(42,651,554) |
LA Clippers |
$(49,547,879) |
Sorted by Maximum Cap Space
Team |
Maximum |
Philadelphia |
$64,541,393 |
Golden State |
$58,348,727 |
Chicago |
$53,212,341 |
Sacramento |
$51,695,535 |
Denver |
$44,844,482 |
Brooklyn |
$41,851,751 |
LA Clippers |
$38,357,896 |
Indiana |
$38,253,033 |
Dallas |
$37,442,838 |
Boston |
$37,187,999 |
Atlanta |
$35,706,437 |
Phoenix |
$34,606,903 |
Utah |
$34,073,425 |
LA Lakers |
$31,717,401 |
Orlando |
$31,506,845 |
New Orleans |
$30,186,226 |
Minnesota |
$26,358,566 |
San Antonio |
$26,146,278 |
New York |
$24,273,680 |
Miami |
$22,639,049 |
Toronto |
$14,118,832 |
Houston |
$13,120,982 |
Charlotte |
$10,180,347 |
Memphis |
$8,686,598 |
Milwaukee |
$6,233,072 |
Detroit |
$5,570,001 |
Washington |
$3,755,178 |
Oklahoma City |
$(8,163,763) |
Portland |
$(26,964,585) |
Cleveland |
$(27,596,164) |
Sorted by Projected Cap Space
Team |
Projected |
Philadelphia |
$39,371,805 |
Miami |
$35,924,673 |
Brooklyn |
$33,563,177 |
Dallas |
$28,862,443 |
LA Lakers |
$25,877,691 |
Minnesota |
$25,026,084 |
Boston |
$18,858,929 |
Denver |
$17,266,154 |
Indiana |
$13,223,718 |
Sacramento |
$11,934,764 |
Houston |
$8,539,119 |
Milwaukee |
$(1,269,003) |
Chicago |
$(5,384,324) |
Phoenix |
$(9,444,189) |
Charlotte |
$(11,893,156) |
New Orleans |
$(14,586,662) |
New York |
$(19,065,770) |
Orlando |
$(19,759,816) |
Utah |
$(20,943,196) |
San Antonio |
$(24,576,660) |
Golden State |
$(24,729,767) |
Detroit |
$(24,894,905) |
Memphis |
$(26,823,640) |
Toronto |
$(27,217,994) |
Washington |
$(29,539,280) |
Oklahoma City |
$(33,748,954) |
Cleveland |
$(36,308,578) |
Portland |
$(38,975,806) |
LA Clippers |
$(41,078,591) |
Atlanta |
$(42,966,584) |