magoo wrote:I don't understand the term "max contract." It certainly can't mean the maximum. From what I read, Bosh signed a 5yr/118million "max" contract. Carmelo signed a 5yr/124million contract that was less than the 129 max he could have signed for. I think they came from the same draft, and they both signed with their current teams. What's the deal? Does the "max" number depend on the contract they just finished- as Carmelo is coming off of a max and Bosh is not?
That is what I thought. I was thinking Bosh was making less the year before and could only start out at 105% of his previous salary, but this reads the opposite.
A free agent's maximum salary in the first year of a new contract is never less than 105% of his salary in the last year of his previous contract. For example, a ten-year veteran free agent who most recently earned $20 million has a maximum salary of at least $21 million, even if that is above the league-wide maximum. A free agent does not need to remain with the same team in order to receive 105% of his previous salary, although the team that signs him is subject to the same salary cap restrictions as with any other free agent.
That quote above is from here
http://www.cbafaq.com/salarycap.htm#Q16 which has a chart of max salaries.
From what I just looked at and read, it seems like Bosh should have been able to get the 5 year, $129 million contract that Melo could have gotten.
There are max salaries based on how long you have been in the league. 0-6 years, you can get 25% of the cap, 7-9 years 30% of the cap, 10+ years, 35% of the cap (seems like both Bosh and Melo fit here, and Kobe can even go higher because of the 105% thing).
Also, there is a chart here
http://basketball.realgm.com/nba/info/salary_cap that shows all the max salaries, minimum salaries, different exception amounts, etc.