NBA Grants Disabled Player Exception To Nets

As if the Nets league-leading $102MM team salary wasn’t enough money spent this season, the NBA has now approved the Nets to spend up to $5.25MM more. The league has approved a disabled player exception for the Nets, according to Yahoo’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

The disabled player exception allows a team over the cap to replace a player who will be out for the remainder of the season. The Nets’ fall into this category due to Brook Lopez‘s season ending foot injury.

Under the disabled player exception, the Nets are allowed to sign a player for one season for the lesser of 50% of the injured player’s salary or the non-taxpayer mid-level exception. The 2013/14 non-taxpayer mid-level exception is $5.15MM and Lopez’s 2013/14 salary is $14.69MM.

The disabled player exception also allows the Nets to trade for a player in the last season of their contract if that player is making no more than the lesser of 50% of the injured player’s salary plus $100,000 or the non-taxpayer mid-level exception plus $100,000. Because of Lopez’s large salary, the Nets will be allowed to trade for any player making up to $5.25MM this year.

The Nets had until January 15th to apply for this and the exception will expire by March 10th. Of course, the team will no longer be able to use the exception to acquire a player via trade after the February 20th deadline.

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