NBA Salary Cap

[Ultra GSP]

I have a question about the cap and luxury Tax. I know if teams go over the cap they have to pay a tax but is every team allowed to go over the cap freely or only in certain situations?

Because Miami Heat were hesitant to sign any free agents before they signed Lebron, Wade and Bosh because they wanted to make room for them under the cap BUT, why would they be afraid to go over the cap? If you are going to win a championship and championships make you lots of money, why do you care if you go a couple of million over the cap? There must be a rule set in place or the Miami owner is really a cheap skate.

So whats the rule on going over the cap?

 

[llperez22]

You can only go over the cap by using "exceptions". You can not freely go over at will.

Some of these exceptions include the mid-level exception which is approximately 5 mill per year teams can spend when they are over the cap already. The Larry bird exception which allows you to resign your own players who have been with team for 3+ seasons to go over cap.

There's other issues and it's not super simple. Your example of Lebron, wade and bosh was that they had to clear space to sign each of them under the cap before any exceptions would kick in. Those 3 accepted lesser deals to give some room to sign Haslem then they were maxed out. Mike miller got the mid level exception that was then available. The rest the team was filled with league minimum salaries to fill out roster.

 

[iwhoopedbatman]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NBA_salary_cap

 

[Ultra GSP]

You can only go over the cap by using "exceptions". You can not freely go over at will.

Some of these exceptions include the mid-level exception which is approximately 5 mill per year teams can spend when they are over the cap already. The Larry bird exception which allows you to resign your own players who have been with team for 3+ seasons to go over cap.

There's other issues and it's not super simple. Your example of Lebron, wade and bosh was that they had to clear space to sign each of them under the cap before any exceptions would kick in. Those 3 accepted lesser deals to give some room to sign Haslem then they were maxed out. Mike miller got the mid level exception that was then available. The rest the team was filled with league minimum salaries to fill out roster.

so why didn't Miami just sign all the other big name free agents and fill up the cap. Lebron, Wade and Bosh have been there for over 3 years so they would have been able to sign them anyway over the cap. That would have made more sense. They could have had a really loaded amazing team.

 

[Dem Bones]

Doesn't quite work like that. The cap holds on their free agents would severely limit their ability to sign any big name free agents.

 

[Madmick]

Reading about this shit always makes me want to swallow a bottle of drain-O.