NBA Player Contracts By Team July 14, 2014 NBA Salary Cap The actual amount of the salary cap varies on a year-to-year basis, and is calculated as a percentage of the league's revenue from the previous season; for instance, in 2007–08, the NBA's salary cap was approximately US$55.6 million per team, and for the 2008–09 season it was $58.68 million.[1] Like many professional sports leagues, the NBA has a salary cap to control cost.[2] The salary cap for the 2010–2011 season was $58.044 million and remained at that level for a further 2 seasons, for the 2013-2014 season the salary cap was $58.679 million and for the upcoming 2014-15 season, the salary cap will be $63.065 million, and the luxury tax limit has been raised to $76.8 million.[3] Exceptions Because the NBA's salary cap is a soft one, the CBA allows for several important scenarios in which a team can sign players even if their payroll exceeds the cap. The exceptions are as follows: Mid-level exception Once a year, teams can use a mid-level exception (MLE) to sign a player to a contract for a specified maximum amount. The amount of the MLE and its duration depend on the team's cap status. The MLE was initially set at $5 million for a duration of four years for teams that are over the cap either before or after the signing, but under the luxury tax apron, which is $4M above the tax line. Teams above the luxury tax apron have an MLE that was initially set at $3 million with a three-year duration. Teams with cap room, previously ineligible for the MLE, have a new MLE, initially $2.5 million with a two-year duration. The MLE was frozen at the stated levels through the 2012–13 season, since then, it will increase by 3% per season (with the percentage based on the initial amount of the exception, and not compounded).[6] In turn, this means that MLEs in the current 2014–15 season are: $5.305 million for teams without cap room, below the tax apron $3.278 million for teams over the tax apron $2.575 million for teams with cap room Before the 2011 CBA, the MLE was equal to the average NBA salary for all teams over the cap. Teams with cap room were previously ineligible for the MLE.[6] The Mid-Level Exception for the 2008–09 NBA season was $5.585 million.[24] The MLE was $5.854 million for the 2009–10 NBA regular season.[25] Bi-annual exception The bi-annual exception was used to sign any free agent to a contract starting at $1.672 million. Like the mid-level exception, the bi-annual exception was also split among more than one player, and was used to sign players for up to two years, with raises limited to 8% per year. This exception was referred to as the "$1 million exception" in the 1999 CBA, although it was valued at $1 million for only the first year of the agreement. An example of the bi-annual exception was the Los Angeles Lakers' signing of Karl Malone to a contract before the 2003–04 season. The exception was eliminated for luxury tax paying teams following the 2011 NBA lockout as many high spending teams were using this as a tool to gain top paid players.[6] Rookie exception The NBA allows teams to sign their first-round draft choices to rookie "scale" contracts even if their payroll exceeds the cap. Larry Bird exception Perhaps the most well-known of the NBA's salary cap exceptions is the Larry Bird exception, so named because the Boston Celtics were the first team permitted to exceed the salary cap to re- sign one of their own players (in that case, Larry Bird). Free agents who qualify for this exception are called "qualifying veteran free agents" or "Bird Free Agents" in the CBA, and this exception falls under the terms of the Veteran Free Agent exception. In essence, the Larry Bird exception allows teams to exceed the salary cap to re-sign their own free agents, at an amount up to the maximum salary. To qualify as a Bird free agent, a player must have played three seasons without being waived or changing teams as a free agent. Players claimed after being amnestied have their Bird rights transferred to their new team. Other players claimed off waivers are not eligible for the full Bird exception, but may qualify for the early Bird exception. Prior to an arbitrator ruling in June 2012, all players that were waived and changed teams lost their Bird rights.[26][27] This means a player can obtain "Bird rights" by playing under three one-year contracts, a single contract of at least three years, or any combination thereof. It also means that when a player is traded, his Bird rights are traded with him, and his new team can use the Bird exception to re-sign him. Under the 2011 CBA, Bird-exception contracts can be up to five years in length, down from six under the 2005 CBA.[6] Early Bird exception The lesser form of the Larry Bird exception is the "early Bird" exception. Free agents who qualify for this exception are called "early qualifying veteran free agents", and qualify after playing two seasons with the same team. Players that are traded or claimed off waivers have their Bird rights transferred to their new team. Prior to an arbitrator ruling in June 2012, all players that were waived and changed teams lost their Bird rights.[26][27] Using this exception, a team can re-sign its own free agent for either 175% of his salary the previous season, or the NBA's average salary, whichever is greater. Early Bird contracts must be for at least two seasons, but can last no longer than four seasons. If a team agrees to a trade that would make a player lose his Early Bird Rights, he has the power to veto the trade. A much-publicized example for this was Devean George, who vetoed his inclusion into a larger trade during the 2007–08 season that would have sent him from the Dallas Mavericks to the New Jersey Nets. Non-Bird exception "Non-qualifying free agents" (those who do not qualify under either the Larry Bird exception or the early Bird exception) are subject to the non-Bird exception. Under this exception, teams can re-sign a player to a contract beginning at either 120% of his salary for the previous season, or 120% of the league's minimum salary, whichever amount is higher. Contracts signed under the Non-Bird exception can last up to four years (down from six under the 2005 CBA). Minimum Salary Exception Teams can sign players for the NBA's minimum salary even if they are over the cap, for up to two years in length. In the case of two-year contracts, the second-season salary is the minimum salary for that season. The contract may not contain a signing bonus. This exception also allows minimum-salary players to be acquired via trade. There is no limit to the number of players that can be signed or acquired using this exception. Traded Player Exception If a team trades away a player with a higher salary than the player they acquire in return (the deal hereafter referred to as "Trade #1"), they receive a Traded Player Exception, also known as a "Trade Exception". Teams with a trade exception have up to a year in which they can acquire more salary in other trades (Trade #2, #3, etc.) than they send away, as long as the gulf in salaries for Trade #2, #3, etc. are less than or equal to the difference in salary for Trade #1. This exception is particularly useful when teams trade draft picks directly for a player; since draft picks have no salary value, often the only way to get salaries to match is to use a trade exception, which allows trades to be made despite unbalanced salaries. It is also useful to compensate teams for losing free agents, as they can do a sign and trade of that free agent to acquire a trade exception that can be used later. Note this exception is for single player trades only, though additional cash and draft picks can be part of the trade. Disabled Player Exception Allows a team that is over the cap to acquire a replacement for a disabled player who will be out for either the remainder of that season (for in-season injuries/deaths) or the next season (if the disability occurs during the offseason). The maximum salary of the replacement player is either 50% of the injured player's salary, or the mid-level exception for a non-taxpaying team, whichever is less. This exception requires an NBA-designated doctor to verify the extent of the injury. Under the 2005 CBA, a team could sign a player under this exception for five years; the 2011 CBA now allows this only for one year.[6] Note that while teams can often use one exception to sign multiple players, they cannot use a combination of exceptions to sign a single player. Reinstatement A player banned from the league for a drug-related offense who is reinstated may be re-signed by his prior team for up to his previous salary.[10] HoopsHype Boston Celtics by HoopsHype - Rumors - Roster - On Twitter - Twitters - Instagram Key: Player Option / Team Option / Qualifying Offer / Amnestied Player 2014/15 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 Rajon Rondo $13,000,000 Gerald Wallace $10,105,855 $10,105,855 Jeff Green $9,200,000 $9,200,000 Marcus Thornton $8,697,500 Brandon Bass $6,950,000 Joel Anthony $3,800,000 Avery Bradley $3,581,302 Marcus Smart $2,736,100 $2,859,200 $2,982,400 $3,781,683 $5,044,765 Vitor Faverani $2,090,000 $2,180,000 $2,725,000 Kelly Olynyk $2,075,760 $2,165,160 $3,094,013 $4,279,020 Tyler Zeller $1,703,760 $2,616,975 $3,695,168 Jared Sullinger $1,424,520 $2,269,260 $3,270,003 James Young $1,395,400 $1,458,200 $1,521,000 $2,336,256 $3,298,793 Chris Babb $915,000 $981,000 Christapher Johnson $915,000 $981,000 $1,100,000 TOTALS: $63,178,895 $23,623,255 $0 $0 $0 $0 30 62 11.5K - See more at: