Projected NBA Taxpayers For 2021/22
The 2021/22 NBA season will be a record-setting one for luxury tax payments.
According to data from Albert Nahmad of HeatHoops.com and Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype, the league’s previous single-year record for total luxury tax payments was $173.3MM, back in 2002/03.
This season, the Warriors‘ tax penalties alone will nearly match that league-wide record. And they’ll be joined by six other projected taxpayers whose combined end-of-season bills would eclipse the previous record even without Golden State’s help.
[RELATED: Hoops Rumors Glossary: Luxury Tax Penalties]
In the space below, we’ve done our best to ballpark the current tax bill for each of this season’s seven projected taxpayers. These numbers may end up looking slightly different after the season, since it can be tricky to pin down the precise amount of a tax bill during the season.
Earned and unearned incentives in certain players’ contracts can affect eventual tax payments, and not all of the criteria for those incentives are public. Even the incentives that are known may not have been decided yet — for instance, Nets guard Kyrie Irving will earn a $137,500 bonus if he makes at least 88.5% of his free throws this season. He’s currently at 91.9%, but has only had 62 attempts, so it remains possible his free throw rate will dip below 88.5%, costing him that bonus and reducing Brooklyn’s tax bill.
Additionally, even after the trade deadline, a team’s tax bill remains fluid due to possible forthcoming roster moves, suspensions, and a handful of other factors. The Sixers‘ projected tax bill just increased last night when they officially signed DeAndre Jordan to a rest-of-season contract.
With all that in mind, here are the current projected penalties for this season’s probable taxpayers, based on our math, along with salary data from Spotrac and Basketball Insiders:
- Golden State Warriors: $170.3MM
- Brooklyn Nets: $97.0MM
- Los Angeles Clippers: $82.5MM
- Milwaukee Bucks: $56.5MM
- Los Angeles Lakers: $45.0MM
- Utah Jazz: $18.8MM
- Philadelphia 76ers: $13.9MM
In total, these seven teams project to owe a staggering $484MM in luxury tax payments.
Half of that total will be dispersed to the league’s non-taxpayers, which means that 23 teams should be in line to split a pot of about $242MM. That would work out to a payment of approximately $10.5MM for each of those 23 non-taxpayers.
These numbers make it more obvious why a team like the Celtics made a concerted effort to get out of luxury tax territory at the trade deadline. A tax bill of $2MM or so wouldn’t break the bank for Boston’s ownership group, but the C’s generated more than just $2MM in savings by ducking below the tax line — they’re now in line to be one of those 23 teams that receives a $10MM+ windfall.
It’s worth noting too that the Warriors are the only one of these seven projected taxpayers who will be subjected to “repeater” penalties this season, so it’s not as if those more punitive repeater penalties are fueling this year’s record-setting totals. Even without the repeater penalties, the Dubs would still owe approximately $131.1MM in taxes.
Injury Notes: J. Brown, Edwards, Brooks, Iguodala
Appearing on the Toucher & Rich radio show in Boston on Thursday, Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens confirmed that Jaylen Brown‘s sprained ankle, which sidelined him for Thursday’s game vs. Memphis, doesn’t look like a significant injury.
“I think he’s doing better than I originally thought when I saw him go down,” Stevens said, per Darren Hartwell of NBC Sports Boston. “He’s going to be constantly reevaluated over the next couple days … but it doesn’t look like a long-term thing.”
The Celtics have two days off before facing Brooklyn on Sunday, and then another two days off before visiting Charlotte on Wednesday. It’s unclear at this point whether Brown will play in either of those games.
Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:
- Timberwolves wing Anthony Edwards missed Tuesday’s game due to a left knee issue and has been ruled out for Friday’s contest too. Head coach Chris Finch stated earlier in the week that the club was considering giving Edwards multiple games off to try to get him right for the stretch run, writes Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. “Everything is on the table right now to try to get him where he needs to be,” Finch said.
- Dillon Brooks (ankle) doesn’t yet have a specific return date lined up, but Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins said the forward took a “huge step” in his recovery process this week, per Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. “He’s been fully integrated,” Jenkins said. “We haven’t had a lot practices to get him out there. We’re not going live or contact. He’s doing contact in other settings, but he’s been fully involved in all of our team film sessions.”
- Warriors swingman Andre Iguodala (back), who has played just once since January 20, is “making strides,” according to head coach Steve Kerr (Twitter link via Josh Schrock of NBC Sports Bay Area). The team still wants to have Iguodala participate in more scrimmages before he’s cleared to return, so he’s considered day-to-day for now.
And-Ones: Brown, Brogdon, Biyombo, Udoka, Snyder, Russia, Smith
Jaylen Brown, Malcolm Brogdon and Bismack Biyombo have been re-elected as VPs on the National Basketball Players Association’s Executive Committee, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets. They’ll serve new three-year terms, according to the players’ union.
We have more from around the basketball world:
- The Celtics’ Ime Udoka and Jazz‘s Quin Snyder were named Coaches of the Month for February, NBA Communications tweets. Boston had a 9-2 record during the month, while Utah went 8-1.
- In the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the NBA has suspended all activities in Russia, Mark J. Burns of the Sports Business Journal tweets. According to Burns’ source, that includes activities related to content distribution such as digital and broadcast. There is no timeline on when business activities will resume in Russia.
- Forward Roscoe Smith, who has appeared in 149 G League games, has signed in Palestine with Orthodoxi Beit Jala, agent Derek James of Global Pipeline Agency told JD Shaw of Hoops Rumors (Twitter link).
Victor Oladipo Could Make Season Debut On Monday
Victor Oladipo is expected to make his season debut for the Heat against Houston on Monday, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets.
Oladipo has been rehabbing from quad tendon surgery and has only played four games with Miami since being acquired last March from the Rockets. He recently participated in three practices with the G League’s Sioux Falls Skyforce.
Oladipo, who will likely play backup at point guard behind Kyle Lowry, was signed to a one-year, veteran’s minimum deal last offseason and will re-enter the free agent market this summer.
Oladipo played 33 games last season with Indiana, Houston and Miami, averaging 19.8 points on 41% shooting. His last healthy season was the 2017/18 campaign, when he averaged a career-high 23.1 points and 2.4 steals in 75 games (34.0 MPG). He also shot 47.7% from the floor and 37.1% from deep that season.
DeAndre Jordan Signs With Sixers
MARCH 3, 7:58pm: The Sixers have officially signed Jordan and ended Cauley-Stein’s 10-day deal, the team confirmed in a press release. Jordan will earn a rest-of-season salary of $592,103, while Philadelphia takes on a cap hit of $374,126.
MARCH 3, 1:55pm: Jordan is expected to sign with the Sixers unless a team claims him off waivers prior to the 4:00pm CT deadline Thursday, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). A waiver claim is considered unlikely, says Wojnarowski.
The Sixers plan to release Willie Cauley-Stein from his 10-day contract a couple days early in order to sign Jordan, Wojnarowski tweets. Cauley-Stein’s 10-day deal had been on track to run through March 5.
FEBRUARY 28: The Sixers are the frontrunners to acquire DeAndre Jordan, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, though the timing of such a move will have luxury tax implications.
The Lakers are waiving DeAndre Jordan in order to add free agent guard D.J. Augustin. Once Jordan hits the waiver wire, his veteran’s minimum contract could be claimed by any team. Philadelphia, which has the seventh-best record in the league, is low in the pecking order.
As Bobby Marks of ESPN points out (Twitter link), Philadelphia currently has a projected $13.19MM tax bill and that would rise to $16.1MM if the team claims Jordan and his $1.66MM cap hit.
If the Sixers wait for Jordan to pass through waivers with the hope no other team claims him, they could sign him for the prorated veteran’s minimum. In that scenario, their projected tax bill would only increase to $13.8MM.
The Sixers have been seeking a veteran center to back up Joel Embiid since trading Andre Drummond to Brooklyn in the Ben Simmons–James Harden blockbuster. They acquired Paul Millsap in that deal but Millsap, 37, is 6’7”’ and a natural forward. They also signed Willie Cauley-Stein to a 10-day deal but may view Jordan as a better option.
Southwest Notes: McCollum, Murray, Popovich, Green
CJ McCollum is thriving with the Pelicans since being acquired from Portland. McCollum says added responsibility has led to his strong start in New Orleans, according to Christian Clark of the New Orleans Times-Picayune. He is averaging 26.6 PPG on 51.9% shooting and 6.0 APG since the deal. “I’m the primary ball-handler now,” McCollum said. “Before, Dame (Damian Lillard) was the primary ball-handler.” McCollum is in the first year of a three-year, $100MM extension.
We have more from the Southwest Division:
- Spurs guard Dejounte Murray was fined $20K by the NBA on Wednesday, the league announced (via Twitter). Murray threw the game ball off the legs of a referee during the fourth quarter of the team’s 118-105 loss to the Grizzlies on Monday. He was ejected for the incident.
- The Spurs’ Gregg Popovich is just two victories away from becoming the winningest coach in league history. Popovich, 73, is still as demanding as ever, Murray told The Athletic’s David Aldridge. “It’s all stuff that makes sense,” he said. “That’s the big picture about it. Everything he’s yelling about, or talking about, it all makes sense.”
- All the extra work Jalen Green has put in over the course of his rookie season is paying off, as Kelly Iko of The Athletic details. The Rockets guard and No. 2 pick in last year’s draft averaged 16.5 PPG and shot 39% from the 3-point line last month. “I would just say a lot more efficient, a lot more aggressive,” Green said of his improvement. “I’m locked in and hopefully will give my team a chance to win and just take my game to another level.”
Joe Harris To Undergo Season-Ending Ankle Surgery
6:45pm: Harris will be out four-to-six months, agent Mark Bartelstein told Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). Harris is expected to be 100 percent for the start of next season.
6:11pm: Nets forward Joe Harris will undergo season-ending left ankle surgery, general manager Sean Marks said in a YES Network interview (Twitter link via Frank Isola).
The possibility of Harris requiring another ankle surgery was raised a month ago. The veteran sharpshooter hasn’t played since November 14 and underwent left ankle surgery later that month. The original prognosis was that Harris would miss approximately four-to-eight weeks.
It’s another negative development in a tumultuous Brooklyn season that has included Kyrie Irving‘s vaccination stance, Kevin Durant‘s knee injury and the James Harden–Ben Simmons trade. Durant returned to action on Thursday but it’s still up in the air when Simmons might suit up.
Harris sustained the injury against Oklahoma City. Heading into that game, the 30-year-old had been averaging 11.9 PPG and 4.1 RPG. Last season, Harris averaged 14.1 PPG, shooting 47.5% from 3-point range in 69 regular season games.
He re-signed with Brooklyn on a four-year, $75MM contract in November 2020. The Nets added Seth Curry in the deal with the Sixers and Bruce Brown has carved out a steady role but the loss of Harris still ranks as a major blow to the team’s championship aspirations.
Marks issued a statement which reads in part, “Although Joe worked diligently over the past several months to rehab his ankle and exhausted every possible avenue in order to get back on the court with his teammates, it was been determined that he will require an additional arthroscopic surgery in the coming weeks.”
New York Notes: Irving, Burks, Quickley, Barrett, Durant
Nets guard Kyrie Irving has picked a new agent and it’s someone close to him. He’s hired Shetellia Riley Irving, which would apparently make her the only Black woman representing a current player, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets. She’s Kyrie’s stepmother and a VP of ad sales at media company BET, Ian Begley of SNY TV tweets.
Irving’s contract includes a player option worth at least $36.5MM for the 2022/23 season. He’ll become an unrestricted free agent this summer if he opts out.
We have more from the New York teams:
- With Kemba Walker shut down for the season and Derrick Rose recovering from a minor procedure on his ankle, the Knicks are thin at the point. They’re currently going with Alec Burks as the starter and Immanuel Quickley on the second unit. Until Rose is ready, coach Tom Thibodeau said he doesn’t anticipate a change, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. “That’s the best we have, so that’s what we’re doing, and they’re capable,’’ he said.
- Following his 46-point eruption against Miami last week, Jimmy Butler said that wing RJ Barrett was going to be “the face of the Knicks.” The New York Post’s Ian O’Connor writes that Barrett must not allow the state of the franchise to hold him back from being an All-Star player. O’Connor notes that the franchise hasn’t drafted, developed and held onto a star player since Patrick Ewing.
- There won’t a minutes restriction on Kevin Durant in his return to action Thursday, Nick Friedell of ESPN tweets. However, Durant and acting coach Jacque Vaughn — who is filling for Steve Nash (health and safety protocols) — will be in constant communication during the game to monitor how he’s feeling.
Southeast Notes: Satoransky, I. Thomas, Okongwu, Hawks
Tomas Satoransky is excited to rejoin the Wizards and have the opportunity to play with Kristaps Porzingis again, writes Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. “It feels like home and it’s always easier to go somewhere you like,” Satoransky said of D.C. and the Wizards.
As Hughes details, Satoransky has had a tough season to this point. The 30-year-old suffered a flexor muscle injury while playing with his native Czech Republic in the Olympics last summer, which limited his ability to train. He was traded to the Pelicans from the Bulls in the offseason, then was dealt to the Spurs ahead of the trade deadline last month. He reached a buyout agreement with the Spurs and then signed with the Wizards after clearing waivers.
Satoransky has appeared in 34 games (14.8 minutes) so far this season, averaging just 2.8 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 2.3 assists on .306/.161/.774 shooting. He admits it’s been a challenging year. “It was the first time I really struggled like that in the NBA, but it happens sometimes. It’s a tough league and you have to be mentally resilient,” he said, per Hughes. Satoransky holds career averages of 7.0 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 4.0 assists on .468/.356/.819 shooting in 367 games (22.4 minutes), so 2021/22 is an outlier statistically.
Satoransky was Porzingis’ teammate with Spanish club Casajol from 2012-14 and he’s looking forward to being on the court with him again, Hughes relays. “I was also excited that Kristaps is on the team because Kristaps is my good friend from the past. I played with him for three years, 10-11 years ago. Imagine that, it’s really crazy. I always wished that I could play with him again. This chance is pretty awesome to have,” Satoransky said.
Here’s more from the Southeast:
- Isaiah Thomas, who inked a 10-day deal with the Hornets Wednesday, says he’ll bring a positive attitude to his new team, regardless of how much he actually plays, according to Roderick Boone of the Charlotte Observer. “I have no expectations,” Thomas said. “My expectation is just to make a positive impact on the organization whether I play or I don’t. I’ve been able to make positive impacts on organizations if I’m in the game or if I’m not. So it really doesn’t matter if I play or not. I’m here to be a positive influence on those guys and hopefully turn this ship around a little bit. But if my name is called, I’ve been prepared for these moments. So I’m more than prepared and more than ready to take advantage.” Thomas put up 10 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals in 14 minutes in Charlotte’s 119-98 victory over Cleveland Wednesday.
- Hawks big man Onyeka Okongwu has entered the league’s concussion protocol and is out for Thursday’s game against Chicago, Sarah K. Spencer of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweets. John Collins is also out as he continues to be bothered by a right foot straight, while Trae Young is questionable with a sprained ankle, Spencer relays (Twitter link). It’ll be Collins’ seventh straight missed game.
- Time is running out to save the Hawks’ frustratingly inconsistent season, says Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. “I don’t know why it’s going up and down,” Bogdan Bogdanovic said after Atlanta blew a 15-point lead to the Celtics and lost 107-98. “Like why is it going from the greatest game we just had against Toronto (Saturday night) to the worst game maybe in the season? I don’t know. I’m experiencing this for the first time of my career. I don’t know.” After finishing last season 41-31 and reaching the Eastern Conference Finals, the Hawks are just 29-32 to this point, 10th in the East. They hold a one-game lead over Washington for the final spot in the play-in tournament.
OG Anunoby Expected To Miss Two Weeks With Broken Finger
MARCH 3: Anunoby is expected to miss the next two weeks and then will be re-evaluated regarding his timetable for a return to action, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
MARCH 1: After he fractured his right ring finger, there was some concern that Raptors small forward OG Anunoby might require surgery to correct the ailment. However, a hand specialist who consulted Anunoby in Los Angeles on Monday informed the 24-year-old swingman that his broken finger should fully heal on its own within the next two weeks, per Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca (via Twitter).
According to Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link), Anunoby saw his status upgraded to questionable ahead of the Raptors’ Tuesday night contest in Toronto, a 109-108 victory over the Nets, though he ultimately didn’t play. The team is still trying to determine whether or not Anunoby will be able to play with some pain and return sooner rather than later, says Lewenberg.
Anunoby had been experiencing soreness in the digit for some time even before the NBA All-Star break, and an X-ray last week finally revealed the fracture.
Anunoby is enjoying a career-best season with Toronto, his fifth in the league and with the Raptors. The 6’7″ wing out of Indiana is averaging 17.5 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 2.6 APG and 1.5 SPG, with shooting splits of .436/.351/.748. He has missed the past three games due to the fracture. Big man Khem Birch has been promoted to the starting lineup in Anunoby’s absence.