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According to Eddie Scarito of Hoops Rumors – who did some impressive legwork for his piece – the Portland Trail Blazers rank dead last in the NBA’s 2015-16 payroll projections. With just $49,375,118 in total cap commitments, they are more than $20M below the $70M salary cap. At the other end of the spectrum, the Cleveland Cavaliers are not only $40M over the salary cap, but $25M into luxury tax territory, with $109,845,352 in total cap commitments.
- Cleveland Cavaliers: $109,845,352
- Oklahoma City Thunder: $97,157,411
- Los Angeles Clippers: $96,452,986
- Golden State Warriors: $95,487,927
- Miami Heat: $90,269,303
- Chicago Bulls: $89,024,375
- Houston Rockets: $87,263,972
- San Antonio Spurs: $86,393,645
- Brooklyn Nets: $83,332,111
- Memphis Grizzlies: $82,491,067
- New Orleans Pelicans: $81,680,265
- Washington Wizards: $81,495,782
- Boston Celtics: $77,554,204
- Charlotte Hornets: $76,792,845
- Detroit Pistons: $76,654,794
- Phoenix Suns: $74,555,313
- New York Knicks: $73,780,604
- Sacramento Kings: $72,671,296
- Dallas Mavericks: $72,544,449
- Milwaukee Bucks: $72,323,736
- Indiana Pacers: $72,146,260
- Toronto Raptors: $71,969,710
- Los Angeles Lakers: $71,965,372
- Atlanta Hawks: $71,547,369
- Minnesota Timberwolves: $71,466,973
- Denver Nuggets: $68,615,742
- Orlando Magic: $68,460,002
- Utah Jazz: $62,736,415
- Philadelphia 76ers: $59,874,618
- Portland Trail Blazers: $49,375,118
Sporting a current record of 6-10 while paying $10M less than the next-most thrifty franchise (Sixers: 0-16) the Blazers are, in some respects, doing a lot with a little. Even as all-star point guard Damian Lillard’s max extension money kicks in next year, Portland should still have plenty of room to continue building, given the projected cap spike of about $19M for the 2016-17 season. The front office has managed to create extreme flexibility without going into tank mode – something to be thankful for.
To see Scarito’s extensive breakdown of the Blazers’ cap commitments, click here. To see Scarito’s full cap breakdown of the Blazers’ roster, click here.