RealGM Analysis
With almost all options, qualifying offers and waivers for partial/non-guaranteed contracts reported, it is time for one last look at projected cap space around the NBA as the league year turns over to the 2017-18 season. Several trades were made this week, including Chris Paul to Houston and Ricky Rubio to Utah, which changed the projections significantly for the clubs involved.
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 Rockets/Clippers and Jazz/Timberwolves 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 |
|
Atlanta |
$(31,064,021) |
$ 35,253,492 |
$(26,475,181) |
|
Boston |
$(19,588,061) |
$33,187,999 |
$17,786,828 |
|
Brooklyn |
$18,871,646 |
$33,914,157 |
$28,204,979 |
|
Charlotte |
$(24,890,945) |
$(10,797,863) |
$(16,219,563) |
|
Chicago |
$(21,570,050) |
$39,583,066 |
$22,301,768 |
|
Cleveland |
$(46,310,509) |
$(29,933,665) |
$(46,310,509) |
|
Dallas |
$(21,108,381) |
$33,709,668 |
$16,448,750 |
|
Denver |
$(9,821,379) |
$41,350,386 |
$(321,379) |
|
Detroit |
$(24,311,335) |
$1,570,001 |
$(24,311,335) |
|
Golden State |
$(28,802,756) |
$54,022,815 |
$(29,055,679) |
|
Houston |
$(12,543,221) |
$(1,566,495) |
$(11,030,610) |
|
Indiana |
$(5,782,801) |
$31,704,263 |
$13,765,754 |
|
LA Clippers |
$(34,818,956) |
$21,814,088 |
$(28,933,428) |
|
LA Lakers |
$(5,452,342) |
$23,813,693 |
$(1,195,427) |
|
Memphis |
$(32,408,381) |
$4,556,818 |
$(32,049,610) |
|
Miami |
$(13,350,149) |
$37,251,497 |
$34,582,760 |
|
Milwaukee |
$(19,852,279) |
$(8,356,662) |
$(19,852,279) |
|
Minnesota |
$ 4,440,253 |
$33,635,646 |
$24,747,881 |
|
New Orleans |
$(12,308,663) |
$12,982,242 |
$(12,308,663) |
|
New York |
$(16,745,577) |
$20,173,680 |
$14,425,805 |
|
OKC |
$(43,138,004) |
$(13,483,871) |
$(43,137,992) |
|
Orlando |
$(23,478,018) |
$17,822,460 |
$12,960,767 |
|
Philadelphia |
$21,631,298 |
$59,777,567 |
$46,999,062 |
|
Phoenix |
$(5,271,025) |
$29,082,598 |
$(3,875,858) |
|
Portland |
$(39,923,317) |
$(33,928,775) |
$(39,923,317) |
|
Sacramento |
$(10,221,134) |
$59,879,992 |
$52,884,732 |
|
San Antonio |
$(33,151,015) |
$21,445,788 |
$19,504,040 |
|
Toronto |
$(43,555,106) |
$19,084,757 |
$(43,555,106) |
|
Utah |
$(37,814,094) |
$18,220,455 |
$(37,814,094) |
|
Washington |
$(26,314,281) |
$3,462,409 |
$(17,847,786) |
Sorted by Starting Cap Space
|
Team |
Starting |
|
Philadelphia |
$21,631,298 |
|
Brooklyn |
$18,871,646 |
|
Minnesota |
$4,440,253 |
|
Phoenix |
$(5,271,025) |
|
LA Lakers |
$(5,452,342) |
|
Indiana |
$(5,782,801) |
|
Denver |
$(9,821,379) |
|
Sacramento |
$(10,221,134) |
|
New Orleans |
$(12,308,663) |
|
Houston |
$(12,543,221) |
|
Miami |
$(13,350,149) |
|
New York |
$(16,745,577) |
|
Boston |
$(19,588,061) |
|
Milwaukee |
$(19,852,279) |
|
Dallas |
$(21,108,381) |
|
Chicago |
$(21,570,050) |
|
Orlando |
$(23,478,018) |
|
Detroit |
$(24,311,335) |
|
Charlotte |
$(24,890,945) |
|
Washington |
$(26,314,281) |
|
Golden State |
$(28,802,756) |
|
Atlanta |
$(31,064,021) |
|
Memphis |
$(32,408,381) |
|
San Antonio |
$(33,151,015) |
|
LA Clippers |
$(34,818,956) |
|
Utah |
$(37,814,094) |
|
Portland |
$(39,923,317) |
|
OKC |
$(43,138,004) |
|
Toronto |
$(43,555,106) |
|
Cleveland |
$(46,310,509) |
Sorted by Maximum Cap Space
|
Team |
Maximum |
|
Sacramento |
$59,879,992 |
|
Philadelphia |
$59,777,567 |
|
Golden State |
$54,022,815 |
|
Denver |
$41,350,386 |
|
Chicago |
$39,583,066 |
|
Miami |
$37,251,497 |
|
Atlanta |
$35,253,492 |
|
Brooklyn |
$33,914,157 |
|
Dallas |
$33,709,668 |
|
Minnesota |
$33,635,646 |
|
Boston |
$33,187,999 |
|
Indiana |
$31,704,263 |
|
Phoenix |
$29,082,598 |
|
LA Lakers |
$23,813,693 |
|
LA Clippers |
$21,814,088 |
|
San Antonio |
$21,445,788 |
|
New York |
$20,173,680 |
|
Toronto |
$19,084,757 |
|
Utah |
$18,220,455 |
|
Orlando |
$17,822,460 |
|
New Orleans |
$12,982,242 |
|
Memphis |
$4,556,818 |
|
Washington |
$3,462,409 |
|
Detroit |
$1,570,001 |
|
Houston |
$(1,566,495) |
|
Milwaukee |
$(8,356,662) |
|
Charlotte |
$(10,797,863) |
|
OKC |
$(13,483,871) |
|
Cleveland |
$(29,933,665) |
|
Portland |
$(33,928,775) |
Sorted by Projected Cap Space
|
Team |
Projected |
|
Sacramento |
$52,884,732 |
|
Philadelphia |
$46,999,062 |
|
Miami |
$34,582,760 |
|
Brooklyn |
$28,204,979 |
|
Minnesota |
$24,747,881 |
|
Chicago |
$22,301,768 |
|
San Antonio |
$19,504,040 |
|
Boston |
$17,786,828 |
|
Dallas |
$16,448,750 |
|
New York |
$14,425,805 |
|
Indiana |
$13,765,754 |
|
Orlando |
$12,960,767 |
|
Denver |
$(321,379) |
|
LA Lakers |
$(1,195,427) |
|
Phoenix |
$(3,875,858) |
|
Houston |
$(11,030,610) |
|
New Orleans |
$(12,308,663) |
|
Charlotte |
$(16,219,563) |
|
Washington |
$(17,847,786) |
|
Milwaukee |
$(19,852,279) |
|
Detroit |
$(24,311,335) |
|
Atlanta |
$(26,475,181) |
|
LA Clippers |
$(28,933,428) |
|
Golden State |
$(29,055,679) |
|
Memphis |
$(32,049,610) |
|
Utah |
$(37,814,094) |
|
Portland |
$(39,923,317) |
|
OKC |
$(43,137,992) |
|
Toronto |
$(43,555,106) |
|
Cleveland |
$(46,310,509) |
