RealGM Analysis
As a follow up to the earlier look at cap space for 16-17, here is an updated look after the Trade Deadline and Buyout season has completed.
As a reminder, the salary cap is projected to make two large jumps over the next two seasons. The cap is currently set at $70 million for the 15-16 season and will jump to at least $89 million for 16-17 (some teams are reportedly working off a $92 million figure), followed by a second jump to at least $108 million for 17-18.
As the cap escalates and possibly hits $1 billion in total available money as Danny Leroux projects, it is important to remember that this resets all contract values. A player like Stephen Curry who is currently being paid just over $11 million and is an incredible value, becomes an absurd value next year at just over $12 million. Salaries of at least $10 million dollars will become commonplace in the new environment and that amount may even approach the average salary.
The tables below represent a look at where each team currently projects to start the summer of 2016 with cap space and the maximum amount of cap space they could get to. There are a couple of qualifiers:
- Cap holds for draft picks are based on the standings through 3/4/16.
- Starting cap space assumes that all options will be declined, but that all cap holds are retained, all partial/non-guaranteed players are kept and all qualifying offers are issued.
- Maximum cap space assumes that there are no cap holds for FAs or Draft Picks, and all partial/non-guaranteed players are waived.
- Actual cap space for all teams will settle in as players and teams make decisions on options, waivers, which FAs to keep rights on (thus retaining a cap hold) and draft pick positions solidify.
|
Team |
Starting |
Maximum |
Guaranteed Contracts |
Partial/Non-Guaranteed Contracts |
Potential |
|
Atlanta |
$(5,445,814) |
$35,124,459 |
8 |
2 |
5 |
|
Boston |
$12,949,021 |
$53,397,958 |
9 |
2 |
3 |
|
Brooklyn |
$20,931,170 |
$38,277,194 |
5 |
1 |
8 |
|
Charlotte |
$(25,975,182) |
$39,830,474 |
6 |
1 |
7 |
|
Chicago |
$(15,125,671) |
$23,097,124 |
9 |
2 |
4 |
|
Cleveland |
$(36,549,160) |
$10,601,688 |
6 |
1 |
6 |
|
Dallas |
$(5,067,831) |
$56,230,396 |
5 |
2 |
8 |
|
Denver |
$13,726,596 |
$31,776,000 |
9 |
2 |
3 |
|
Detroit |
$(5,419,244) |
$21,748,702 |
8 |
3 |
3 |
|
Golden State |
$(20,685,026) |
$12,754,183 |
6 |
1 |
8 |
|
Houston |
$215,493 |
$41,227,808 |
8 |
0 |
5 |
|
Indiana |
$(3,792,756) |
$30,139,581 |
9 |
2 |
4 |
|
LA Clippers |
$(27,325,226) |
$8,035,849 |
6 |
1 |
7 |
|
LA Lakers |
$ (3,232,681) |
$62,613,020 |
6 |
0 |
9 |
|
Memphis |
$(17,852,129) |
$38,082,020 |
6 |
2 |
7 |
|
Miami |
$(13,868,379) |
$36,643,557 |
4 |
1 |
8 |
|
Milwaukee |
$(8,845,006) |
$25,248,938 |
8 |
2 |
5 |
|
Minnesota |
$14,442,572 |
$24,503,137 |
11 |
0 |
2 |
|
New Orleans |
$(25,355,457) |
$22,431,197 |
7 |
3 |
5 |
|
New York |
$(49,674) |
$30,372,607 |
6 |
0 |
8 |
|
Oklahoma City |
$(25,275,307) |
$22,006,757 |
10 |
1 |
3 |
|
Orlando |
$(5,413,740) |
$50,354,805 |
7 |
2 |
5 |
|
Philadelphia |
$44,367,368 |
$61,220,813 |
6 |
4 |
4 |
|
Phoenix |
$ 10,193,125 |
$33,713,388 |
7 |
3 |
3 |
|
Portland |
$(1,705,323) |
$39,784,459 |
7 |
2 |
6 |
|
Sacramento |
$7,124,742 |
$25,519,110 |
8 |
1 |
6 |
|
San Antonio |
$(10,047,769) |
$15,309,765 |
6 |
2 |
7 |
|
Toronto |
$(12,421,930) |
$32,385,182 |
10 |
0 |
5 |
|
Utah |
$ 19,799,849 |
$31,895,769 |
11 |
3 |
1 |
|
Washington |
$(13,693,763) |
$40,103,848 |
5 |
2 |
8 |
Sorted by Starting Cap Space (most to least):
|
Team |
Starting Cap Space |
|
Philadelphia |
$44,367,368 |
|
Brooklyn |
$20,931,170 |
|
Utah |
$19,799,849 |
|
Minnesota |
$14,442,572 |
|
Denver |
$13,726,596 |
|
Boston |
$12,949,021 |
|
Phoenix |
$10,193,125 |
|
Sacramento |
$7,124,742 |
|
Houston |
$215,493 |
|
New York |
$(49,674) |
|
Portland |
$(1,705,323) |
|
LA Lakers |
$(3,232,681) |
|
Indiana |
$(3,792,756) |
|
Dallas |
$(5,067,831) |
|
Orlando |
$(5,413,740) |
|
Detroit |
$(5,419,244) |
|
Atlanta |
$(5,445,814) |
|
Milwaukee |
$(8,845,006) |
|
San Antonio |
$(10,047,769) |
|
Toronto |
$(12,421,930) |
|
Washington |
$(13,693,763) |
|
Miami |
$(13,868,379) |
|
Chicago |
$(15,125,671) |
|
Memphis |
$(17,852,129) |
|
Golden State |
$(20,685,026) |
|
Oklahoma City |
$(25,275,307) |
|
New Orleans |
$(25,355,457) |
|
Charlotte |
$(25,975,182) |
|
LA Clippers |
$(27,325,226) |
|
Cleveland |
$(36,549,160) |
Sorted by Maximum Cap Space (most to least):
|
Team |
Maximum Cap Space |
|
LA Lakers |
$62,613,020 |
|
Philadelphia |
$61,220,813 |
|
Dallas |
$56,230,396 |
|
Boston |
$53,397,958 |
|
Orlando |
$50,354,805 |
|
Houston |
$41,227,808 |
|
Washington |
$40,103,848 |
|
Charlotte |
$39,830,474 |
|
Portland |
$39,784,459 |
|
Brooklyn |
$38,277,194 |
|
Memphis |
$38,082,020 |
|
Miami |
$36,643,557 |
|
Atlanta |
$35,124,459 |
|
Phoenix |
$33,713,388 |
|
Toronto |
$32,385,182 |
|
Utah |
$31,895,769 |
|
Denver |
$31,776,000 |
|
New York |
$30,372,607 |
|
Indiana |
$30,139,581 |
|
Sacramento |
$25,519,110 |
|
Milwaukee |
$25,248,938 |
|
Minnesota |
$24,503,137 |
|
Chicago |
$23,097,124 |
|
New Orleans |
$22,431,197 |
|
Oklahoma City |
$22,006,757 |
|
Detroit |
$21,748,702 |
|
San Antonio |
$15,309,765 |
|
Golden State |
$12,754,183 |
|
Cleveland |
$10,601,688 |
|
LA Clippers |
$ 8,035,849 |
Several teams will start the summer assured of having cap space. They’ll be joined by several more as roster decisions are made leading up to the summer. With so much available cap space, the free agent and trade markets will be more active than usual. And, once again, start resetting your expectations now as to what constitutes a “good” contract as everything is about to change.
