Western Conference Free-Agency Cap-Space Primer
Compared to the Eastern Conference, where just about every team is rolling in cap space this summer, few Western Conference teams are primed to be major players in free agency.
Four teams will enter July with a maximum of $22-plus million in cap space, but only three others are projected to be under the projected $63.2 million salary-cap threshold. That leaves more than half the conference limited to using a non-taxpayer’s mid-level exception and bi-annual exception, at most, to improve their rosters.
The West’s main wild card is Houston. If GM Daryl Morey can move Jeremy Lin, he’ll create nearly enough cap space to offer a max contract to a top-tier free agent, which could cause some serious madness to unfold.
Here’s a look at which Western Conference teams are entering July with cap space, and who those squads could pursue in free agency.
Note: All salary figures courtesy of Spotrac.com. These cap-space calculations include salaries for first-round picks at 100 percent of the rookie-salary scale. They assume that each team has renounced its rights to all free agents, which, of course, won’t actually happen. The figures here thus reflect the maximum amount of cap space each team could have available this offseason, although many teams featured here will have far less (if any at all).
If a team has fewer than 12 players under contract, a cap hold of the rookie minimum salary ($507,336) is factored into the cap calculation for each player fewer than 12. Teams can’t begin signing players until July 10, the first day after the July Moratorium.
1. Phoenix Suns ($33,629,515): Phoenix entered draft night with only $25.7 million in salary commitments, but having three first-round picks adds an extra $4 million to their 2014-15 books (assuming Bogdan Bogdanovic doesn’t play overseas this year). Of greater concern: Eric Bledsoe, a restricted free agent, could very well command a maximum-salary offer sheet from another suitor. If the Suns hope to re-sign Channing Frye, who opted out of his $6.8 million player option, he and Bledsoe will wipe out a large portion of their cap space. According to Yahoo Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski, however, the Suns have bigger aspirations: luring both LeBron and Carmelo Anthony to the desert this summer.
2. Utah Jazz ($26,865,969): As of July 1, the Jazz have only one player set to earn more than $6 million in 2014-15 (Derrick Favors). Swingman Gordon Hayward will assuredly change that if he re-signs in Utah as a restricted free agent, though. The Suns reportedly plan on making Hayward a major offer, perhaps even a max deal, per Jody Genessy of the Deseret News, which Utah is expected to match. If the Jazz change their minds and allow Hayward to walk, they could be one of the offseason’s biggest wild cards, capable of driving up the price on restricted free agents.
3. Dallas Mavericks ($26,114,533): The Mavericks only have seven players under contract after the Tyson Chandler trade, so they have roughly $2.5 million in incomplete roster charges taking up cap space at the moment. More importantly, Dirk Nowitzki is an unrestricted free agent this summer. The Big German has already announced his intention to take a “significant pay cut,” which should allow Dallas to chase a star wing player such as Carmelo Anthony or Chandler Parsons.
4. Los Angeles Lakers ($22,119,362): Amazingly, despite having only five players under contract (including No. 7 overall pick Julius Randle), the Lakers have less cap space than six other squads (including three in the East). Accounting for roughly $3.5 million in incomplete roster charges, the Lakers will only have enough space to add one max-contract player this summer. Using the stretch provision on Steve Nash ($9.7 million) would free up more cap room, but there’s little incentive for L.A. to do so unless it’s in the running to land two top-tier free agents.
5. Houston Rockets ($9,644,762): Houston is poised to make a huge splash this offseason. According to USA Today‘s Sam Amick, the Rockets have a deal “teed up” to send out point guard Jeremy Lin and receive no salary in return—similar to what they did with Omer Asik and the New Orleans Pelicans—which would leave them with just over $18 million in cap space. With a few additional minor moves—namely, waiving the non-guaranteed contracts of Josh Powell and Omri Casspi—the Rockets could come mighty close to freeing up enough cap space to offer a max contract to someone like Carmelo or LeBron.
6. San Antonio Spurs ($7,961,164): It’s almost unfair that the 2014 NBA champion Spurs have nearly $8 million in available cap space this summer. Patty Mills, Matt Bonner and Boris Diaw are all unrestricted free agents, but all three could conceivably sign short-term deals at below-market prices, as is tradition when it comes to Spurs players. Don’t expect San Antonio to make a major free-agent splash—Kawhi Leonard’s contract-extension talks will be the front-and-center issue this summer, with everything else a secondary concern.
7. Portland Trail Blazers ($1,139,176): The Portland Trail Blazers made noise in the 2014 playoffs, but should be relatively quiet during the offseason. They added no first- or second-round picks on draft night, and with only $1.1 million in available cap space, they’ll likely only have the non-taxpayer’s mid-level exception at their disposal after filling out the roster with a cheap veteran or two. Portland is making moves behind the scenes, however, having reportedly offered LaMarcus Aldridge a maximum extension this summer, per Wojnarowski.
At the moment, the Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves, New Orleans Pelicans, Memphis Grizzlies, Oklahoma City Thunder, Denver Nuggets, Sacramento Kings, and Los Angeles Clippers are all projected to be over the salary-cap threshold of $63.2 million.
