After the NBA completes a condensed and hectic 20-21 season, the league will look to get back to a more normal schedule for 21-22. That means free agency will revert back to a summertime exercise.
The 2021 NBA offseason looked like it would feature a loaded free agent class. Many players were lined up to be free agents after signing four-year contracts back in 2017. In addition, a blockbuster draft class was set to reach restricted free agency.
Now, after many contract extensions, this summer’s player movement could be somewhat muted. That’s unfortunate for teams who planned (some for several years) to have cap space in 2021. They could be left looking at trades as a way to fill out their rosters, versus signing max free agents.
There are still several quality players poised to hit the market. Kawhi Leonard will likely opt out of his deal with the LA Clippers. Veterans like LaMarcus Aldridge, DeMar DeRozan, Mike Conley and Andre Drummond will all be free agents. Players that were unable to reach a rookie scale contract extension like John Collins, Lauri Markkanen, Lonzo Ball and Jarrett Allen headline the restricted free agent group.
Lining up to pay these players are a group of nine teams that currently project to have cap space in 2021. Several others could join them, and a handful are going to be over the cap almost no matter what.
A few notes on the projections in the tables:
- The current cap projection of just over $112 million is used. This represents the minimum three percent growth as agreed to by the NBA and NBPA.
- Rookie Scale, Minimum Scale and Exceptions all bump up accordingly by the percentage of the cap increase.
- Projections are made on which options will be picked up (both player and team), and which partial/non-guaranteed players will be waived or kept.
- Draft Pick Cap Holds are factored in based on projected 2021 order of finish by 538.
- Starting Cap Space = the amount of space each team will have without renouncing or waiving any players/picks. Projected 2021 draft picks not included.
- Maximum Cap Space = the amount of space each team could have if they waived or renounced all players/picks who are not fully guaranteed.
- Projected Cap Space = the amount of space each team is projected to have after roster decisions are made.
Starting Cap Space
|
Team |
Starting |
|
New York |
$ (6,436,378) |
|
Detroit |
$ (10,210,005) |
|
Charlotte |
$ (18,602,424) |
|
Oklahoma City |
$ (22,313,283) |
|
Memphis |
$ (22,941,864) |
|
Atlanta |
$ (23,773,069) |
|
Phoenix |
$ (25,895,465) |
|
Sacramento |
$ (26,893,844) |
|
Cleveland |
$ (32,024,827) |
|
Boston |
$ (34,874,682) |
|
New Orleans |
$ (40,842,459) |
|
Indiana |
$ (45,097,496) |
|
Dallas |
$ (45,312,915) |
|
Portland |
$ (47,158,572) |
|
Chicago |
$ (48,648,749) |
|
Denver |
$ (51,118,166) |
|
LA Lakers |
$ (52,998,707) |
|
Orlando |
$ (55,309,068) |
|
LA Clippers |
$ (55,594,940) |
|
Houston |
$ (56,208,819) |
|
Minnesota |
$ (59,416,708) |
|
Utah |
$ (65,309,686) |
|
Philadelphia |
$ (65,537,089) |
|
Toronto |
$ (66,903,491) |
|
Milwaukee |
$ (67,558,954) |
|
Brooklyn |
$ (67,840,810) |
|
Washington |
$ (69,930,500) |
|
Miami |
$ (76,980,036) |
|
Golden State |
$ (89,645,701) |
|
San Antonio |
$ (94,168,642) |
Maximum Cap Space
|
Team |
Maximum |
|
New York |
$ 72,794,572 |
|
Oklahoma City |
$ 60,716,123 |
|
San Antonio |
$ 51,807,340 |
|
Chicago |
$ 51,237,948 |
|
Detroit |
$ 46,021,187 |
|
Dallas |
$ 34,458,606 |
|
Toronto |
$ 33,287,347 |
|
Cleveland |
$ 33,040,711 |
|
Charlotte |
$ 30,009,634 |
|
Miami |
$ 28,104,730 |
|
Memphis |
$ 27,477,952 |
|
New Orleans |
$ 19,956,339 |
|
Sacramento |
$ 15,881,154 |
|
LA Clippers |
$ 15,804,884 |
|
Atlanta |
$ 14,572,747 |
|
Indiana |
$ 10,442,197 |
|
Portland |
$ 9,060,415 |
|
Orlando |
$ 5,233,912 |
|
Denver |
$ 3,388,135 |
|
LA Lakers |
$ (4,336,563) |
|
Milwaukee |
$ (4,421,554) |
|
Philadelphia |
$ (8,881,625) |
|
Washington |
$ (10,371,796) |
|
Phoenix |
$ (15,190,095) |
|
Minnesota |
$ (17,137,029) |
|
Houston |
$ (18,586,712) |
|
Utah |
$ (20,081,227) |
|
Boston |
$ (21,092,406) |
|
Brooklyn |
$ (31,649,336) |
|
Golden State |
$ (45,357,606) |
Projected Cap Space
|
Team |
Projected |
|
New York |
$ 63,856,680 |
|
San Antonio |
$ 47,862,458 |
|
Oklahoma City |
$ 43,617,008 |
|
Dallas |
$ 34,458,606 |
|
Miami |
$ 26,950,162 |
|
Cleveland |
$ 23,915,849 |
|
Toronto |
$ 22,423,993 |
|
Charlotte |
$ 21,220,235 |
|
Chicago |
$ 14,104,053 |
|
Detroit |
$ (13,814,333) |
|
Memphis |
$ (20,191,384) |
|
Atlanta |
$ (27,156,709) |
|
Phoenix |
$ (29,110,145) |
|
Sacramento |
$ (30,880,659) |
|
Boston |
$ (37,427,802) |
|
Washington |
$ (42,962,806) |
|
New Orleans |
$ (43,502,019) |
|
Indiana |
$ (44,121,856) |
|
Portland |
$ (49,331,952) |
|
Denver |
$ (53,024,017) |
|
Houston |
$ (54,515,847) |
|
LA Clippers |
$ (56,242,520) |
|
Orlando |
$ (57,782,778) |
|
Minnesota |
$ (59,370,868) |
|
LA Lakers |
$ (63,425,103) |
|
Philadelphia |
$ (65,044,085) |
|
Milwaukee |
$ (68,659,452) |
|
Utah |
$ (68,964,246) |
|
Brooklyn |
$ (70,377,928) |
|
Golden State |
$ (94,410,051) |