NBA

Maximum Salary Cap Space Projections for 2018-19

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With July rapidly approaching, several teams will have significant spending power for the 2018-19 season but on a smaller scale than the past two summers.

The NBA’s current salary cap projection for the coming year is $101 million with luxury tax threshold of $123 million.

The exact figures should be released late on June 30, on the eve of the July 1 free agency period.

In most cases, teams cannot sign players to deals until July 6. During the moratorium, verbal agreements are legal but non-binding.

Restricted free agents can sign offer sheets once July begins but the 48-hour matching clock doesn’t start until July 6.

Maximum salaries project to be $25.2 million for players with fewer than seven years of service, $30.3 million for those between seven and nine, and $35.4 million for players with 10 or more years in the league.

The Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception projects to be $8.6 million. Taxpayers will have $5.3 million. The Bi-Annual Exception should be $3.4 million while the Room Exception climbs to $4.4 million.

Minimum salaries range from $831,311 (used for empty roster charges) to $2.4 million.

The following table lists the maximum potential cap room for every team, assuming all options are declined, cap holds are renounced and nearly every non-guaranteed player is waived. Teams with less space than the Mid-Level Exception are considered over the cap:

(Note: Updated as of 6/29/18.)

Team Max Potential Free Agents
Los Angeles Lakers $68.8 million Brook Lopez, Kentavious-Caldwell Pope, Channing Frye, Isaiah Thomas, Julius Randle (RFA), Travis Wear, Andrew Ingram; Lakers can get to about $69.5 million by stretching Luol Deng, otherwise $59.70million
Chicago Bulls $36.7 million Noah Vonleh, Zach LaVine (RFA), Sean Kilpatrick (NG), Paul Zipser (NG), David Nwaba (RFA)
Dallas Mavericks $29.6 million Dirk Nowitzki (TO), Nerlens Noel, Doug McDermott, Seth Curry, Salah Mejri, Dorian Finney-Smith (NG), Yogi Ferrell (RFA), Maxi Kleber (NG), Kyle Collinsworth (NG), Aaron Harrison
Indiana Pacers $28.9 million Darren Collison (PG), Al Jefferson (PG), Lance Stephenson, Glenn Robinson III, Joseph Young, Ike Anigbogu (PG), Alex Poythress (NG)
Philadelphia 76ers $26.1 million J.J. Redick, Amir Johnson, Marco Belinelli, Ersan Ilyasova
Atlanta Hawks $24.0 million Malcolm Delaney, Antonius Cleveland (NG), Jaylen Morris (NG), Damion Lee
Brooklyn Nets $23 million+ Jahlil Okafor, Nik Stauskas, Dante Cunningham, Quincy Acy, Joe Harris, Spencer Dinwiddie (NG), Isaiah Whitehead (NG) — Pending Dwight Howard trade and buyout, if stretched the Nets can get well under the cap. They’re not significant under the cap if they don’t stretch Howard.
Utah Jazz $20.5 million Derrick Favors, Thabo Sefolosha (NG), Dante Exum (RFA), Jonas Jerebko (NG), Ekpe Udoh (NG), Raul Neto (RFA), Royce O’Neale (NG), David Stockton (NG)
Sacramento Kings $18.7 million Vince Carter, Bruno Caboclo, Nigel Hayes (NG)
Phoenix Suns $18.5 million Alan Williams (NG), Alex Len, Elfrid Payton, Davon Reed (PG), Shaquille Harrison (NG)
Houston Rockets $17.8 million Chris Paul, Trevor Ariza, Tarik Black, Clint Capela (RFA), Luc Mbah a Moute, Gerald Green, Zhou Qi (NG), Joe Johnson, Aaron Jackson
Los Angeles Clippers $15.6 million DeAndre Jordan, Avery Bradley, Milos Teodosic (PG), Patrick Beverley
Orlando Magic $15.0 million Aaron Gordon (RFA), Mario Hezonja, Arron Afflalo, Marreese Speights, Rodney Purvis (NG)
Boston Celtics $0 Greg Monroe, Marcus Smart (RFA), Aron Baynes, Shane Larkin, Semi Ojeleye (PG), Abdel Nader (PG), Daniel Theis (NG), Jonathan Gibson
Charlotte Hornets $0 Michael Carter-Williams, Julyan Stone, Treveon Graham
Cleveland Cavaliers $0 LeBron James, Jose Calderon, Jeff Green, Okaro White (NG), Kendrick Perkins (NG)
Denver Nuggets $0 Wilson Chandler, Devin Harris, Will Barton, Nikola Jokic (RFA), Richard Jefferson
Detroit Pistons $0 Anthony Tolliver, James Ennis, Reggie Bullock (NG), Eric Moreland (NG), Jameer Nelson, Dwight Buycks (NG)
Golden State Warriors $0 Kevin Durant,  Nick Young, Zaza Pachulia, David West, JaVale McGee, Kevon Looney, Pat McCaw (RFA)
Memphis Grizzlies $0 Tyreke Evans, Mario Chalmers, Wayne Selden (PG), Andrew Harrison (NG)
Miami HEAT $0 Wayne Ellington, Dwyane Wade, Luke Babbitt, Udonis Haslem, Jordan Mickey
Milwaukee Bucks $0 Jabari Parker (RFA), Tyler Zeller (NG), Jason Terry, Malcolm Brogdon (NG), Shabazz Muhammad, Brandon Jennings (NG)
Minnesota Timberwolves $0 Jamal Crawford, Nemanja Bjelica (RFA), Aaron Brooks, Marcus Georges-Hunt, Derrick Rose, Amile Jefferson
New Orleans Pelicans $0 DeMarcus Cousins, Rajon Rondo, Darius Miller (NG), Ian Clark, Cheick Diallo (PG), Emeka Okafor (NG), DeAndre Liggins (NG), Jordan Crawford
New York Knicks $0 Michael Beasley, Jarrett Jack, Trey Burke (NG), Troy Williams (NG)
Oklahoma City Thunder $0 Carmelo Anthony, Paul George, Jerami Grant, Josh Huestis, Raymond Felton, Nick Collison, Corey Brewer
Portland Trail Blazers $0 Ed Davis, Jusuf Nurkic (RFA), Shabazz Napier, Pat Connaughton, Jake Layman (NG), Wade Baldwin (NG), Georgios Papagiannis (NG)
San Antonio Spurs $0 Tony Parker, Rudy Gay, Kyle Anderson (RFA), Joffrey Lauvergne, Davis Bertans (RFA), Bryn Forbes (RFA), Brandon Paul (NG)
Toronto Raptors $0 Lucas Nogueira, Fred VanVleet (RFA), Alfonzo McKinnie (NG), Lorenzo Brown
Washington Wizards $0 Tim Frazier, Mike Scott, Chris McCullough, Ramon Sessions, Ty Lawson

Legend: PO = Player Option, TO = Team Option, ETO = Early Termination Option, NG = Non-Guaranteed, PG = Partially-Guaranteed, RFA = Restricted Free Agent