The NBA has let teams know that it’s now projecting a $121MM salary cap and a $147MM luxury tax line for the 2022/23 season, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
The cap projections for 2022/23 have been steadily on the rise over the last year-and-a-half. During the 2020 offseason, the NBA estimated a $115.7MM cap and a $140MM tax line for ’22/23. In August 2021, the league increased those estimates to $119MM and $145MM.
The latest projections shouldn’t have a significant impact on teams’ plans at this season’s trade deadline. However, teams that project to have cap room this summer can plan on having a little more space than they originally anticipated, while clubs that will be at or above the tax line can expect a small amount of relief.
The NBA’s salary cap for the 2021/22 season is $112,414,000, with a tax threshold of $136,606,000.
If the cap for next season comes in at $121MM, as projected, it would be an increase of 7.6% and $8.6MM on this season’s figure. That would be the biggest single-year bump since 2016, when the cap spiked to $94.1MM from $70MM.
3 teams need to make salary dump trade this summer due to owners luxury tax budget
Suns have no tax room for Ayton
Lakers have no tax room for 11 players
Jazz have no tax room for 7 players
Lakers 4 players total salary is $140 million
LeBron
Davis
Westbrook
Tucker
Uh oh, when I hear ‘biggest bump since 2016’ I have flashbacks of bad players on overpaid contracts, lingering for years.