Empty Roster Spots Salary (Free Agency)

[sportscrazy]

I know there is a minimum salary applied to each roster spot missing to complete the roster, but what is the total amount needed to be met, 12 or 13?

For example, a team has 6 guys holding roster spots, would the empty roster spot salary count multiplied by 7 against the salary cap (to get to 13) or multiplied by 6 (to get to 12)?

[DBoys]

"For example, a team has 6 guys holding roster spots, would the empty roster spot salary count multiplied by 7 against the salary cap (to get to 13) or multiplied by 6 (to get to 12)?"

The answer depends on what question you are answering.

Just for easy math and illustration, say that the cap is 90M and that the rookie min salary is 500,000. And we'll say Team X has 70M in salaries among 6 players. We'll assume they have renounced their cap holds on all their free agents and have no unsigned 1st rounders. Using that as our working info, then ...
1 Calculating their Team Salary at that point as they sit, to get to a minimum roster of 13 players would require adding 500,000 for each of 7 empty slots. That would mean Team X's Team Salary is 73.5M for the mandated 13 roster slots.
2 But if we want to know Team X's cap "room" available for a free agent (as defined in the CBA), we take 90M, subtract 70M for 6 filled slots, and then subtract another 500,000 for each of 6 empty slots. In effect, we have accounted for 12 slots, and end up with 17M of "room" to spend on a player to fill that 13th slot. The next player to be signed (until a team has reached 13 slots filled in one way or another) is always player 13 and "room" for his salary is calculated accordingly.

[Smitty731]

"For example, a team has 6 guys holding roster spots, would the empty roster spot salary count multiplied by 7 against the salary cap (to get to 13) or multiplied by 6 (to get to 12)?"

The answer depends on what question you are answering.

Just for easy math and illustration, say that the cap is 90M and that the rookie min salary is 500,000. And we'll say Team X has 70M in salaries among 6 players. We'll assume they have renounced their cap holds on all their free agents and have no unsigned 1st rounders. Using that as our working info, then ...
1 Calculating their Team Salary at that point as they sit, to get to a minimum roster of 13 players would require adding 500,000 for each of 7 empty slots. That would mean Team X's Team Salary is 73.5M for the mandated 13 roster slots.
2 But if we want to know Team X's cap "room" available for a free agent (as defined in the CBA), we take 90M, subtract 70M for 6 filled slots, and then subtract another 500,000 for each of 6 empty slots. In effect, we have accounted for 12 slots, and end up with 17M of "room" to spend on a player to fill that 13th slot. The next player to be signed (until a team has reached 13 slots filled in one way or another) is always player 13 and "room" for his salary is calculated accordingly.

I can't tell you how many times I had to read through this to understand. I finally got it when I sat down and used examples to run the actual math. It definitely is confusing when you are first trying to figure it out!

[DBoys]

Confusion in the math? In my wording? or in the logic of why it works as it does?

[Smitty731]

Confusion in the math? In my wording? or in the logic of why it works as it does?

No not the way you explained it. Your explanation is far more straightforward than the wording in the CBA itself and in the FAQ. I got tripped up on the 12 vs 13 thing forever. Had I had access to you and your explanation years ago, it would have helped quite a bit!

[DBoys]

Thanks