Pre-Free Agency Salary Cap Info

[shrink]

I just learned something about contracts that I wanted to clarify.

OKC was able to structure their Collison deal

2010-11 $13,270,000
2011-12 $3,272,997
2012-13 $2,929,332
2013-14 $2,585,668
2014-15 $2,242,003

.. because they met two criteria. They were

1. under the cap
2. signing an extension.

Teams can only do this for extensions. If the same rules apply in the new CBA as the old one, the limits on maximum annual raises (i.e., 7.5% of the first year salary for Bird players, and 4.5% otherwise in the new agreement to come) is the same as the limit on maximum annual declines.