The amount of cap room teams actually have, updated
July 25th, 2013
The previous post attempted to explain how much cap room all NBA teams would (or wouldn’t) actually have in this upcoming free agency period. It was a bit presumptuous. It had to be.
Now, we can be reflective. Here’s what’s left.
All salary information is taken from this website’s own salary pages. All figures taken from the day of publication – if subsequent trades/signings are made, then adjust accordingly.
No trades are assumed to be taking place here. Guesswork and speculation aren’t helpful.
It is vital – VITAL – that you understand what a “cap hold” is before you read this. An explanation can be found here.
Atlanta Hawks
Committed salary for 2013/14: $53,314,578 (view full forecast)
Possible cap space: $6,878,477.
Committed salaries:
Al Horford: $12,000,000
Paul Millsap: $9,500,000
Jeff Teague: $8,000,000
Kyle Korver: $6,760,563
Lou Williams: $5,225,000
Elton Brand: $4,000,000
DeShawn Stevenson: $2,240,450
Dennis Schroder: $1,348,200
John Jenkins: $1,258,800
Jared Cunningham: $1,208,400
Shelvin Mack: $884,293
Mike Scott: $788,872
Jeremy Tyler: $100,000
Cap holds:
Lucas Nogeira: $1,419,200
Ivan Johnson: $1,250,854
Anthony Tolliver: $884,293
Total: $56,868,925 = $1,810,075 in cap room.
This amount can be increased. Stevenson is unguaranteed with no guarantee date, as is Mack, and Scott can be waived for no cost before August 15th. Waive them three, renounce Johnson and Tolliver, and, after adding two roster charges, Atlanta now has cap space of $6,878,477. With a cap room MLE to spend after that.
Note, however, that DeMarre Carroll is to be factored in. His signing is agreed upon but not yet finalised, and when it happens, figures are to be adjusted accordingly.
Charlotte Bobcats
Committed salary for 2013/14: $52,392,131 (view full forecast)
Possible cap space: $6,222,408
Committed salary:
Al Jefferson: $13,500,000
Ben Gordon: $13,200,000
Ramon Sessions: $5,000,000
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist: $4,809,840
Cody Zeller: $3,857,040
Bismack Biyombo: $3,049,920
Josh McRoberts: $2,652,000
Kemba Walker: $2,568,360
Brendan Haywood: $2,050,000
Jeff Adrien: $916,099
Jeff Taylor: $788,872
Cap holds:
Gerald Henderson: $7,753,318 (cap hold)
Total: $60,145,449 = no cap room.
However, this changes if Henderson leaves as a free agent, or is renounced. If that happens, and Adrien is waived, then subtracting their two cap numbers and adding two roster charges puts Charlotte at $52,456,392, for $6,222,408 in cap room.
It shouldn’t, however.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Committed salary for 2013/14: $52,508,284 (view full forecast)
Possible cap space: $2,244,836
Committed salaries:
Andrew Bynum: $12,250,000
Anderson Varejao: $9,036,364
Jarrett Jack: $6,300,000
Kyrie Irving: $5,607,240
Earl Clark: $4,250,000 $4,250,000
Tristan Thompson: $4,062,000
Dion Waiters: $3,894,240
Alonzo Gee: $3,250,000
C.J. Miles: $2,225,000
Tyler Zeller: $1,633,440
Cap holds:
Anthony Bennett: $4,436,900
Sergey Karasev: $1,223,200
Total: $58,168,984 = $510,016 in cap space.
In theory, waiving Miles (unguaranteed with no guarantee date) and readding a roster charge opens this amount up to a possible $2,244,836. It’s probably best spent on Miles, though.
Detroit Pistons
Committed salary for 2013/14: $57,950,109 (view full forecast)
Possible cap space: $728,891
Committed salary:
Josh Smith: $13,500,000
Charlie Villanueva: $8,580,000
Rodney Stuckey: $8,500,000
Jonas Jerebko: $4,500,000
Greg Monroe: $4,086,454
Brandon Knight: $2,793,960
Will Bynum: $2,790,343
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope: $2,653,080
Chauncey Billups: $2,500,000
Andre Drummond: $2,462,400
Luigi Datome: $1,750,000
Viacheslav Kravtsov: $1,500,000
Kyle Singler: $1,045,000
Khris Middleton: $788,872
Tony Mitchell: $500,000
Cap holds:
None
Total = $57,950,109 = $728,891 in cap room.
It’s a trace amount, and, with all fifteen of the aforementioned contracts guaranteed, a likely irrelevant one. Nevertheless, for the purposes of uniformity and pedantry, it is listed.
Milwaukee Bucks
Committed salary for 2013/14: $40,549,739 (view full forecast)
Possible cap space: $9,696,548
Between giving out long term contracts to bring back their former players long after their potential burned out (Pachulia, Delfino and Ridnour, three of their four acquisitions, were all previously Bucks), and stockpiling a bizarre amount of second-round picks for no obvious reason, the Bucks have found themselves here:
Committed salaries:
O.J. Mayo: $8,000,000
Ersan Ilyasova: $7,900,000
Zaza Pachulia: $5,200,000
Ekpe Udoh: $4,469,548
Luke Ridnour: $4,320,000
Carlos Delfino: $3,250,000
Larry Sanders: $3,053,368
John Henson: $1,905,360
Gustavo Ayon: $1,500,000
Ish Smith: $951,463
Cap holds:
Brandon Jennings: $7,948,733
Marquis Daniels: $884,293
Giannis Antetokounmpo: $1,493,800
Total: $50,876,565 = $7,802,435 in cap room
Renouncing Daniels is simple enough and opens up $884,293 more in cap room. Waiving Ayon opens up a further $1,009,820, once a roster charge is re-added – these two subtractions are how the above figure was arrived at. However, waiving Ayon seems unnecessary. They also have only until close of business today (the 25th) to do it.
Philadelphia 76ers
Committed salary for 2013/14: $39,642,581 (view full forecast)
Possible cap space: $16,072,202
Philly haven’t signed a single free agent, lost several, and traded away their highest paid player, Jrue Holiday. They are cutting costs in emphatic fashion. So any projection of what they could spend isn’t particularly indicative of what they will. However…
Committed salary:
Thaddeus Young: $8,850,000
Evan Turner: $6,679,867
Spencer Hawes: $6,600,000
Jason Richardson: $6,204,250
Lavoy Allen: $3,060,000
Kwame Brown: $2,945,901
Royce White: $1,719,480
Arnett Moultrie: $1,089,240
James Anderson: $916,099
Justin Holiday: $788,872
Tim Ohlbrecht: $788,872
Cap holds:
Nerlens Noel: $2,643,600
Michael Carter-Williams: $1,834,100
Royal Ivey: $884,293
Charles Jenkins: $884,293
Damien Wilkins: $884,293
Total: $46,773,160 = $11,905,840 in cap space.
In theory, renouncing Jenkins, Ivey and Wilkins – along with waiving the three unguaranteeds of Ohlbrecht, Anderson and Holiday – would, once two roster charges are added, result in a cap figure of $42,606,798 for $16,072,202 in cap space. This is how the above figure was arrived at. In reality, the three renouncements won’t be a problem, but the three waivings are less likely, particularly those of Anderson and Ohlbrecht, themselves only freshly claimed off waivers. Even with those three in the fold, however, there’s still cap space of $14,558,719. For whatever it’s worth.
Utah Jazz
Committed salary for 2013/14: $55,375,769 (view full forecast)
Possible cap space: $4,187,524
Committed 2013/14 salary:
Richard Jefferson: $11,046,000
Andris Biedrins: $9,000,000
Marvin Williams: $7,500,000
Derrick Favors: $6,008,196
Enes Kanter: $4,505,280
Brandon Rush: $4,000,000
Gordon Hayward: $3,452,183
Trey Burke: $2,438,760
Alec Burks: $2,202,000
Jeremy Evans: $1,660,257
John Lucas III: $1,600,000
Rudy Gobert: $1,078,800
Jerel McNeal: $884,293
Cap holds:
Jamaal Tinsley: $884,293
Total: $56,260,062 = $2,418,938
If they waive McNeal, and renounce Tinsley, that leaves the Jazz with $54,491,476 in committed salary to twelve players. With no unsigned first-round picks, and no need for roster charges, that means $4,187,524 in cap space. With a cap room MLE to use afterwards.
Utah might not be done yet.
