The Grizzlies have been granted a disabled player exception for the 2018/19 season by the NBA, reports Omari Sankofa of The Athletic (Twitter link). The team will have until March 11 to use the exception.
If a player is seriously injured, his team can request a disabled player exception to replace him. In order for the exception to be granted, an NBA-designated physician must determine that the player is “substantially more likely than not” to be sidelined through at least June 15. In the Grizzlies’ case, it’s Dillon Brooks who will be out for the next several months.
[RELATED: Dillon Brooks to miss rest of season]
The disabled player exception allows a club to add a replacement player for 50% of the injured player’s salary, or for the amount of the non-taxpayer’s mid-level exception, whichever is lesser. Brooks’ salary is $1,378,242, so Memphis’ new DPE is worth a very modest $689,121.
While a disabled player exception can be used to trade for a player or claim a player off waivers, the amount of the Grizzlies’ DPE is less than the minimum salary for a rookie, all but eliminating those options.
Memphis could technically use its disabled player exception to sign a player for more than the minimum salary, since that figure prorates over the course of the season — as of today, a rest-of-season minimum contract for a veteran would be worth about $649K.
However, Memphis is already right up against the luxury-tax threshold and would cross that line by using the entire exception. In other words, this DPE is unlikely to be used. Still, it doesn’t hurt to have, especially since the Grizzlies don’t have any of their mid-level exception or bi-annual exception available.
The Grizzlies would have to clear a roster spot in order to use their new exception. Currently, Bruno Caboclo occupies the final spot on the club’s 15-man roster, but his spot will open up if he’s not re-signed once his 10-day contract expires in early February.