NBA Lowers Projected Salary Cap For 2017-2018 Season

The NBA has projected that the salary cap will increase to $102 million for the 2017-2018 season, the league office announced to its teams via internal memo earlier today according to Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders.

The estimated $102 million cap figure for next season represents an increase over the current cap of $90 million, but is short of the $107 million that the league originally projected. Pincus explains that the change in estimates comes as a consequence of the big money contracts announced over the last week:

Back in April, the league originally expected teams to fall below their proscribed obligation to the players of near 51 percent of Basketball Related Income (BRI) by $375 million.

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The NBA now expects teams to spend more this season, with the higher salary cap and luxury tax threshold ($113.3 million). The league also didn't expect quite as much high-level spending on free agents this July.

This estimates may turn out to be irrelevant as the league and players can opt out of the current collective bargaining agreement in December. If either side does opt out, a strong likelihood, the NBA's cap calculations will be re-negotiated and the $102 million estimate will be null and void.