Offseason Salary Cap Digest: Chicago Bulls
The two longest-tenured Bulls are at a crossroads this offseason, with Joakim Noah eligible for free agency and Derrick Rose entering a contract year. Chicago’s offseason will hinge on whether Noah and/or Pau Gasol re-sign with the team, and whether the club decides to make Rose available in a trade. If the pending free agents don’t return, and/or Rose is dealt, the Bulls could have a huge amount of cap room to explore outside additions. If the club hangs onto its point guard and re-signs at least one of Gasol or Noah, it won’t have that same cap flexibility. After a season in which the team failed to earn a postseason spot in the East, it will be interesting to see whether the Bulls determine their roster requires a few minor tweaks or a more significant retooling.
See how Chicago’s cap situation looks for 2016/17 as Hoops Rumors continues its offseason salary cap digest series.
Guaranteed Salary
- Derrick Rose ($21,323,252)
- Jimmy Butler ($17,552,209)
- Taj Gibson ($8,950,000)
- Nikola Mirotic ($5,782,450)
- Mike Dunleavy ($4,837,500)
- Doug McDermott ($2,483,040)
- Tony Snell ($2,368,327)
- Bobby Portis ($1,453,680)
- Justin Holiday ($1,015,696)
- Total: $65,766,154
Player Options
- Pau Gasol ($7,769,520)
Team Options
- None
Non-Guaranteed Salary
- Cameron Bairstow ($980,431)
- Cristiano Felicio ($874,636)
- Total: $1,855,067
Restricted Free Agents (Qualifying Offers/Cap Holds)
- None
Unrestricted Free Agents (Cap Holds)
- Joakim Noah ($20,100,000)
- Pau Gasol ($9,683,388) — pending player option
- Aaron Brooks ($2,925,000)
- E’Twaun Moore ($980,431)
- Total: $33,688,819
Other Cap Holds
- No. 14 pick ($1,743,500)
Projected Salary Cap: $92,000,000
The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of this post.
Offseason Salary Cap Digest: Oklahoma City Thunder
Unlike most NBA clubs, the Thunder likely don’t have any intention of using cap room this summer — with Kevin Durant eligible for free agency, the team figures to stay over the cap to re-sign him (and perhaps Dion Waiters). If Durant and Waiters both return and Oklahoma City makes another modest veteran addition to complement the current core, the Thunder could be one of the league’s only teams to approach the projected luxury tax threshold in 2016/17.
While the focus of this offseason will be on Durant, the Thunder have some other crucial long-term decisions to make. Steven Adams and Andre Roberson are extension-eligible this year, and their salaries will be on the rise. With new deals on the way a year from now for Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka as well, OKC almost certainly won’t be able to keep all of its key pieces, even with the salary cap spiking. Who stays and who ultimately goes? Durant will be the first piece of that puzzle to fall into place in the coming weeks, one way or the other.
See how Oklahoma City’s cap situation looks for 2016/17 as Hoops Rumors continues its offseason salary cap digest series.
Guaranteed Salary
- Russell Westbrook ($17,769,374)
- Enes Kanter ($17,145,838)
- Serge Ibaka ($12,250,000)
- Kyle Singler ($4,837,500)
- Nick Collison ($3,750,000)
- Steven Adams ($3,140,517)
- Andre Roberson ($2,183,072)
- Cameron Payne ($2,112,480)
- Mitch McGary ($1,526,040)
- Josh Huestis ($1,191,480)
- Total: $65,906,301
Player Options
- None
Team Options
- None
Non-Guaranteed Salary
- Anthony Morrow ($3,488,000)
Restricted Free Agents (Qualifying Offers/Cap Holds)
- Dion Waiters ($6,777,589/$12,846,075)
Unrestricted Free Agents (Cap Holds)
- Kevin Durant ($25,894,800)1
- Randy Foye ($5,956,500)
- Nazr Mohammed ($980,431)
- Total: $32,831,731
Other Cap Holds
- Derek Fisher ($980,431)
Projected Salary Cap: $92,000,000
Footnotes:
- The cap hold for Durant will be the maximum salary for a veteran of 7-9 seasons. The number shown here is an estimate based on the projected cap figure.
The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of this post.
Offseason Salary Cap Digest Series
As we approach the 2016 NBA draft and free agent period, Hoops Rumors has been examining each team’s cap situation, breaking down the guaranteed salaries, non-guaranteed salaries, options, free agents, and cap holds on the books for each of the league’s teams. We’re also previewing each club’s offseason in more depth, but these salary cap digests provide a bare-bones look at where teams are at with their spending, how much cap room they figure to have this summer, and which players may not be safe, given their salary situation.
You can find the link to your favorite team’s offseason salary cap digest below. If we haven’t covered your team yet, we’ll likely do so within the next week, so you can find this post on our right-hand sidebar under “Hoops Rumors Features” and check back.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Atlantic Division
Central Division
Southeast Division
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Northwest Division
Pacific Division
Southwest Division
Offseason Salary Cap Digest: Milwaukee Bucks
After earning a postseason berth in 2014/15, the Bucks took a step back this past season, but the team has some solid building blocks in place and now will have to decide how to best retain and build around those core pieces. Veteran contributors like O.J. Mayo, Jerryd Bayless, and Miles Plumlee face free agency, while Michael Carter-Williams and Giannis Antetokounmpo are eligible for extensions this year. Even with the salary cap on the rise, the salaries for Greg Monroe, Khris Middleton, and John Henson account for about half of the projected 2016/17 cap, and with paydays around the corner for some of the team’s younger players, it will be time to decide which players should be retained for the long haul and which should be traded or allowed to depart in free agency.
See how Milwaukee’s cap situation looks for 2016/17 as Hoops Rumors continues its offseason salary cap digest series.
Guaranteed Salary
- Greg Monroe ($17,145,838)
- Khris Middleton ($15,200,000)
- John Henson ($12,267,606)
- Jabari Parker ($5,374,320)
- Michael Carter-Williams ($3,183,526)
- Giannis Antetokounmpo ($2,995,421)
- (Larry Sanders $1,865,547) — Salary remaining from release via stretch provision
- Rashad Vaughn ($1,811,040)
- Tyler Ennis ($1,733,880)
- Total: $61,577,178
Player Options
- None
Team Options
- None
Non-Guaranteed Salary
- Damien Inglis ($980,431)
- Johnny O’Bryant ($980,431)
- Total: $1,960,862
Restricted Free Agents (Qualifying Offers/Cap Holds)
- Miles Plumlee ($3,113,318/$5,273,235)
Unrestricted Free Agents (Cap Holds)
- O.J. Mayo ($12,000,000)
- Greivis Vasquez ($9,900,000)
- Jerryd Bayless ($3,900,000)
- Steve Novak ($980,431)
- Total: $26,780,431
Other Cap Holds
- No. 10 pick ($2,140,500)
Projected Salary Cap: $92,000,000
The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of this post.
Offseason Salary Cap Digest: Toronto Raptors
Plenty of teams around the NBA will have more cap space than they know what to do with this offseason due to the impending leap from $70MM to an estimated $92MM. That’s not the case in Toronto though, where new contract extensions for Jonas Valanciunas and Terrence Ross will help increase the team’s total guaranteed salary to nearly $70MM. All that guaranteed money will make it very difficult for the Raps to find a way to keep both of its marquee free agents — DeMar DeRozan figures to sign for the max, while Bismack Biyombo‘s strong finish to the season could land him a deal in the $15MM-per-year range. Toronto only has Biyombo’s Non-Bird rights, so if the Raptors intend to keep both players, they’ll have to get creative, a challenge GM Masai Ujiri will likely welcome.
See how Toronto’s cap situation looks for 2016/17 as Hoops Rumors continues its offseason salary cap digest series.
Guaranteed Salary
- Jonas Valanciunas ($14,382,023)
- DeMarre Carroll ($14,200,000)
- Kyle Lowry ($12,000,000)
- Terrence Ross ($10,000,000)
- Cory Joseph ($7,315,000)
- Patrick Patterson ($6,050,000)
- Lucas Nogueira ($1,921,320)
- Bruno Caboclo ($1,589,640)
- Delon Wright ($1,577,280)
- Norman Powell ($874,636)
- Total: $69,909,899
Player Options
- DeMar DeRozan ($10,350,000)
Team Options
- None
Non-Guaranteed Salary
- None
Restricted Free Agents (Qualifying Offers/Cap Holds)
- None
Unrestricted Free Agents (Cap Holds)
- DeMar DeRozan ($15,500,000) — pending player option
- Luis Scola ($3,480,000)
- Bismack Biyombo ($3,376,800)1
- James Johnson ($3,250,000)
- Jason Thompson ($980,431)
- Total: $26,587,231
Other Cap Holds
- No. 9 pick ($2,253,300)
- Nando De Colo ($1,901,900)
- No. 27 pick ($996,700)
- Total: $5,151,900
Projected Salary Cap: $92,000,000
Footnotes:
- Biyombo has declined his player option for 2016/17.
The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of this post.
Offseason Salary Cap Digest: Sacramento Kings
At the time the Kings finished their 2015/16 campaign, Rajon Rondo was the only player on the roster on track for unrestricted free agency. Since then, James Anderson and Quincy Acy have opted out of their contracts, and Caron Butler could follow suit, but Rondo will be the key free agent to watch. If Sacramento doesn’t bring him back, the team will need to address its point guard situation — Darren Collison is the only player under contract at the position, and he was recently arrested on a domestic violence charge, which could affect his availability for next season, depending on how the case plays out. The guaranteed contracts on the Kings’ books, along with the No. 8 overall pick, amount to about $64MM, so the team should have a good chunk of cap room to utilize if Rondo lands elsewhere.
See how Sacramento’s cap situation looks for 2016/17 as Hoops Rumors continues its offseason salary cap digest series.
Guaranteed Salary
- DeMarcus Cousins ($16,957,900)
- Rudy Gay ($13,333,333)
- Kosta Koufos ($8,046,500)
- Marco Belinelli ($6,333,333)
- Darren Collison ($5,229,454)
- Ben McLemore ($4,008,882)
- Willie Cauley-Stein ($3,551,160)
- Omri Casspi ($2,963,814)
- (Wayne Ellington $882,630) — Salary remaining from release via stretch provision
- Total: $61,307,006
Player Options
- Caron Butler ($1,551,659)
Team Options
- None
Non-Guaranteed Salary
- Duje Dukan ($874,636)
Restricted Free Agents (Qualifying Offers/Cap Holds)
- Seth Curry ($1,215,696/$1,215,696)1
- Eric Moreland ($1,180,431/$1,180,431)
- Totals: ($2,396,127/$2,396,127)
Unrestricted Free Agents (Cap Holds)
- Rajon Rondo ($11,400,000)
- Quincy Acy ($980,431)1
- James Anderson ($980,431)1
- Total: $13,360,862
Other Cap Holds
- No. 8 pick ($2,451,200)
Projected Salary Cap: $92,000,000
Footnotes:
- Curry, Acy, and Anderson all declined player options for 2016/17.
The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of this post.
Offseason Salary Cap Digest: Denver Nuggets
Even if Darrell Arthur opts out of his contract, the Nuggets will have just three unrestricted free agents from this year’s roster – Arthur, D.J. Augustin, and Mike Miller – and none of them are crucial, long-term pieces. That leaves Denver with 12 contracts (nine guaranteed) on its books for 2016/17 and no glaring holes to fill, but there’s still plenty of room for the club to get involved in free agency if opportunities arise.
The Nuggets’ three highest-paid players, Danilo Gallinari, Kenneth Faried and Wilson Chandler, missed some – or all – of the 2015/16 campaign with injuries, and it’s unlikely that any of them would be the No. 1 option on a legit contender. But those aren’t albatross contracts, and there are multiple solid values elsewhere on the Nuggets’ roster, including promising young guard Emmanuel Mudiay and inexpensive wing Will Barton. With three top-20 picks in hand, Denver is in good position to continue adding young, affordable players to its roster.
See how Denver’s cap situation looks for 2016/17 as Hoops Rumors continues its offseason salary cap digest series.
Guaranteed Salary
- Danilo Gallinari ($15,050,000)
- Kenneth Faried ($12,078,652)
- Wilson Chandler ($11,233,146)
- Jameer Nelson ($4,540,525)
- Will Barton ($3,533,333)
- Emmanuel Mudiay ($3,241,800)
- Jusuf Nurkic ($1,921,320)
- Gary Harris ($1,655,880)
- Nikola Jokic ($1,358,500)
- (Nick Johnson $980,431)
- Total: $55,593,587
Player Options
- Darrell Arthur ($2,940,630)
Team Options
- None
Non-Guaranteed Salary
- Joffrey Lauvergne ($1,709,719)
- JaKarr Sampson ($980,431)
- Axel Toupane ($874,636)
- Total: $3,564,786
Restricted Free Agents (Qualifying Offers/Cap Holds)
- None
Unrestricted Free Agents (Cap Holds)
- D.J. Augustin ($3,900,000)
- Mike Miller ($980,431)
- Total: $4,880,431
Other Cap Holds
- No. 7 pick ($2,675,700)
- No. 15 pick ($1,656,200)
- No. 19 pick ($1,356,100)
- Total: $5,688,000
Projected Salary Cap: $92,000,000
The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of this post.
Offseason Salary Cap Digest: New Orleans Pelicans
The Pelicans’ 2015/16 season was derailed by injuries, to the point that the team finished the season carrying 18 players on its roster due to multiple hardship exemptions granted by the NBA. Many of those injured players were among the club’s highest-paid veterans, but with at least one big contract (Eric Gordon) coming off the books, and a couple more (Jrue Holiday, Tyreke Evans) entering their final year, New Orleans should gain a little flexibility this offseason.
There’s still plenty of guaranteed salary on the Pelicans’ books for 2016/17, even before taking into account unrestricted free agents like Gordon and Ryan Anderson, but those salary commitments don’t look quite as restrictive with the cap on the rise. The team also caught a break when Anthony Davis failed to make an All-NBA team, limiting his maximum salaries over the next few years. With Davis locked up through 2021, the Pelicans can afford to exercise a little patience in building their roster around him, rather than rushing to add veteran help in hopes of convincing him to stay in New Orleans.
See how New Orleans’ cap situation looks for 2016/17 as Hoops Rumors continues its offseason salary cap digest series.
Guaranteed Salary
- Anthony Davis ($21,597,000)1
- Jrue Holiday ($11,286,518)
- Tyreke Evans ($10,203,755)
- Omer Asik ($9,904,494)
- Alexis Ajinca ($4,638,203)
- Quincy Pondexter ($3,617,978)
- Dante Cunningham ($2,978,250)
- Luke Babbitt ($200,000) — Partial guarantee; non-guaranteed portion listed below2
- Total: $64,426,198
Player Options
- Alonzo Gee ($1,379,400)
Team Options
- None
Non-Guaranteed Salary
- Toney Douglas ($1,315,448)
- Luke Babbitt ($1,027,286) — Partial guarantee; guaranteed portion listed above2
- Bryce Dejean-Jones ($874,636)3
- Total: $3,217,370
Restricted Free Agents (Qualifying Offers/Cap Holds)
- James Ennis ($1,180,431/$1,180,431)
- Tim Frazier ($1,180,431/$1,180,431)
- Totals: ($2,360,862/$2,360,862)
Unrestricted Free Agents (Cap Holds)
- Eric Gordon ($23,271,047)
- Ryan Anderson ($12,750,000)
- Norris Cole ($5,770,163)
- Jordan Hamilton ($980,431)
- Kendrick Perkins ($980,431)
- Total: $43,752,072
Other Cap Holds
- No. 6 pick ($2,931,000)
Projected Salary Cap: $92,000,000
Footnotes:
- Davis’ exact salary on his max contract won’t be determined until July. This figure represents an estimation.
- Babbitt’s full $1,227,286 salary would become guaranteed on July 12th.
- Dejean-Jones died in May, but his contract will remain on the Pelicans’ books until the team makes a roster move.
The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of this post.
Offseason Salary Cap Digest: Minnesota Timberwolves
The Timberwolves are in an enviable position. With the rookie contracts for Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns not set to expire until 2018 and 2019 respectively, the team has at least a couple more years to complement its young stars with higher-priced veterans, before Wiggins and Towns get expensive themselves. If Minnesota keeps its No. 5 overall pick and adds another talented rookie to its core, the Wolves would have committed about $65MM to 12 players for 2016/17. That leaves the club plenty of room to go out and make a splash – or two – in free agency, but also creates no pressure to do so.
Depending on how close the Wolves feel they are to contention and how many chips they want to shove into the pot in the short term, there are a handful of ways Minnesota could approach the offseason, and as long as Wiggins and Towns stay healthy and continue to develop, the franchise should have some margin for error.
See how Minnesota’s cap situation looks for 2016/17 as Hoops Rumors continues its offseason salary cap digest series.
Guaranteed Salary
- Ricky Rubio ($13,400,000)
- Nikola Pekovic ($12,100,000)
- Kevin Garnett ($8,000,000)
- Andrew Wiggins ($6,006,600)
- Karl-Anthony Towns ($5,960,160)
- Nemanja Bjelica ($3,800,000)
- Shabazz Muhammad ($3,046,299)
- Gorgui Dieng ($2,348,783)
- Zach LaVine ($2,240,880)
- Adreian Payne ($2,022,240)
- (Kevin Martin $1,380,305) — Salary remaining from release via stretch provision
- Tyus Jones ($1,339,680)
- Total: $61,644,947
Player Options
- None
Team Options
- Damjan Rudez ($1,199,000)
Non-Guaranteed Salary
- Greg Smith ($1,139,123)
Restricted Free Agents (Qualifying Offers/Cap Holds)
- None
Unrestricted Free Agents (Cap Holds)
- Tayshaun Prince ($980,431)
Other Cap Holds
- No. 5 pick ($3,227,100)
- Justin Hamilton ($980,431)
- Robbie Hummel ($980,431)
- Othyus Jeffers ($980,431)
- Arinze Onuaku ($980,431)
- Total: $7,148,824
Projected Salary Cap: $92,000,000
The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of this post.
Offseason Salary Cap Digest: Phoenix Suns
The Suns’ highest-paid player for next season (Eric Bledsoe) has missed more than 90 games for the team over the last three years, and the club’s third-highest-paid contributor (Tyson Chandler) is entering his age-34 season and is almost certainly past his prime. Throw in the fact that Phoenix wasn’t able to move up from No. 4 pick to land a top-three pick, and this looks like a franchise that’s still at least a couple years away from real contention. Still, the Suns have some decent young pieces, and their top three contracts – Bledsoe’s, Chandler’s, and Brandon Knight‘s – are well below the max, giving the team flexibility to add more salary around those veterans, or potentially explore a variety of trade scenarios involving them. Considering they have three first-round draft picks, it will be interesting to see whether the Suns go into full rebuilding mode, or attempt to package some of those picks and young players in deals to fast-track the roster to playoff contention.
See how Phoenix’s cap situation looks for 2016/17 as Hoops Rumors continues its offseason salary cap digest series.
Guaranteed Salary
- Eric Bledsoe ($14,000,000)
- Brandon Knight ($12,606,250)
- Tyson Chandler ($12,415,000)
- Alex Len ($4,823,621)
- Devin Booker ($2,223,600)
- T.J. Warren ($2,128,920)
- Archie Goodwin ($2,094,089)
- P.J. Tucker ($1,500,000) — Partial guarantee; non-guaranteed portion listed below1
- (Michael Beasley $777,777) — Salary remaining from release via stretch provision
- Total: $52,569,257
Player Options
- None
Team Options
- None
Non-Guaranteed Salary
- P.J. Tucker ($3,800,000) — Partial guarantee; guaranteed portion listed above1
- John Jenkins ($1,050,961)
- Alan Williams ($874,636)
- Total: $5,725,597
Restricted Free Agents (Qualifying Offers/Cap Holds)
- None
Unrestricted Free Agents (Cap Holds)
- Mirza Teletovic ($6,600,000)
- Jon Leuer ($1,966,500)
- Chase Budinger ($980,431)
- Ronnie Price ($980,431)
- Total: $10,527,362
Other Cap Holds
- No. 4 pick ($3,563,600)
- No. 13 pick ($1,835,200)
- Bogdan Bogdanovic ($996,700)
- No. 28 pick ($990,700)
- Total: $7,386,200
Projected Salary Cap: $92,000,000
Footnotes:
- Tucker’s full $5,300,000 salary would become guaranteed on June 30th.
The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of this post.