Here is what I was able to get from openai, yes I know the 2021 data limitations. But it's still pretty good. When GPT 4.0 comes out look out baby!
General
Sure, I can explain how the NBA salary cap works in general. The NBA salary cap is a limit on the total amount of money that a team can pay its players in a given season. The salary cap is set each year by the NBA based on the league's revenue. For the 2021-22 season, the NBA salary cap is set at $112.4 million, while the luxury tax threshold is set at $136.6 million.
One of the key components of the NBA salary cap system is the concept of "exceptions." Exceptions are provisions that allow teams to sign players even if they are already over the salary cap. The most common exception is the mid-level exception, which allows a team to sign a player for up to a certain amount of money (currently set at $9.5 million for the 2021-22 season) even if they are over the salary cap.
Another important concept is "Bird Rights." Bird Rights are named after Larry Bird, who was the first player to benefit from these rules. Bird Rights allow a team to exceed the salary cap in order to re-sign their own free agent players. In order to qualify for Bird Rights, a player must have played for his current team for three seasons without being waived or changing teams as a free agent. When a player has Bird Rights, his team can sign him to a contract that exceeds the salary cap, up to a certain limit, without using any of their exceptions. This allows teams to keep their star players even if they are already over the salary cap.
A team can also be "hard-capped" in certain situations. When a team uses certain exceptions, such as the bi-annual exception or the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, they become hard-capped. This means that they cannot exceed a certain level of spending, even if they have Bird Rights or other exceptions available.
If a team is over the salary cap, they can still sign additional players using certain exceptions, such as the mid-level exception or the minimum salary exception. However, the amount of money they can spend is limited by the specific exception they are using, and they may be subject to luxury tax penalties if they exceed the luxury tax threshold.
Bird rights
If a team doesn't have Bird Rights for a player and they are already over the salary cap, the maximum amount they can offer to that free agent or any free agent depends on the specific exceptions they have available to them.
The most common exception for teams over the salary cap is the mid-level exception, which allows a team to sign a player for up to a certain amount of money, currently set at $9.5 million for the 2021-22 season.
However, if a team is
hard-capped, their ability to offer contracts to free agents may be limited. When a team uses certain exceptions, such as the bi-annual exception or the non-taxpayer mid-level exception, they become hard-capped, and they cannot exceed a certain level of spending. For the 2021-22 season,
the hard cap is set at $143.2 million. Q: Do we know the hard cap for 23/24?
So, in order to determine the maximum amount that a team can offer to a free agent if they don't have Bird Rights and are already over the salary cap, we need to know whether they are hard-capped and which exceptions they have available to them.
Q: Using the information above, can you provide to me all the types of exceptions that could be available to a team?> List them and the dollar amount you can sign a non bird right free agent for?
A: Sure, here are some of the exceptions that a team can use to sign a free agent even if they are over the salary cap:
- Mid-Level Exception (MLE): This is the most commonly used exception. It allows a team to sign a free agent for up to a certain amount of money, which varies based on the team's salary situation. For the 2021-22 season, the MLE is worth $9.5 million for non-taxpaying teams and $6 million for taxpaying teams.
- Bi-Annual Exception (BAE): This exception can be used every other year and is worth $3.7 million for the 2021-22 season. A team cannot use the BAE if they used it in the previous season or if they are hard-capped.
- Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception (NT-MLE): This is a version of the MLE that can only be used by teams that are below the luxury tax apron, which is set at $143.2 million for the 2021-22 season. For the 2021-22 season, the NT-MLE is worth $9.5 million.
- Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception (T-MLE): This is a version of the MLE that can only be used by teams that are above the luxury tax apron. For the 2021-22 season, the T-MLE is worth $6 million.
- Minimum Salary Exception (MSE): This exception allows a team to sign a player for the league minimum salary, even if they are over the salary cap.
It's important to note that these exceptions have different limitations and can only be used in certain situations. Additionally, the dollar amounts for each exception can vary from season to season based on the league's revenue and the collective bargaining agreement between the NBA and the players' union.
Q: can you explain to me exactly with detail what the luxury tax apron is? please use the Golden State Warriors as an example.
Sure, I'd be happy to explain the luxury tax apron and use the Golden State Warriors as an example.
The luxury tax apron is a specific point above the salary cap that acts as a hard cap for teams that use certain exceptions. For the 2021-22 NBA season, the luxury tax apron is set at $143.2 million. Once a team's total salary, including any exceptions they have used, reaches the luxury tax apron, they are considered "hard-capped." This means they cannot exceed the luxury tax apron for the rest of the season, regardless of any changes to their roster.
Let's use the Golden State Warriors as an example. For the 2021-22 season, the Warriors have a team salary of around $176 million, which is well above the $112.4 million salary cap. This means they are considered "over the cap" and must pay the luxury tax if their salary exceeds the luxury tax threshold, which is $136.6 million for the 2021-22 season.
Assuming the Warriors use their full mid-level exception of $9.5 million to sign a free agent, their total salary would be $185.5 million, which is above the $143.2 million luxury tax apron. This means they are now hard-capped, and they cannot exceed the luxury tax apron for the rest of the season. The hard cap limit of $143.2 million would be their maximum total team salary for the rest of the season.
In summary, the luxury tax apron is a specific point above the salary cap that acts as a hard cap for teams that use certain exceptions. Once a team reaches the luxury tax apron, they cannot exceed it for the rest of the season, regardless of any changes to their roster. The Golden State Warriors are an example of a team that is currently over the salary cap and could be hard-capped if they use certain exceptions that push them over the luxury tax apron.
So the question I have is are the Suns going to be hard capped? If yes, then I think Ayton and Shamet are going to be traded and CP3 is going too, with his partial guarantee.
Q: Let's say a player making 2 million and is an unrestricted free agent with no bird rights and the team is not hard capped. If that player signs a one year deal for one of the above cap exceptions does the said team gain bird rights moving forward?
No, if a player signs a one-year deal with a team using one of the above-cap exceptions and the team does not have the player's Bird rights, the team will not acquire Bird rights for that player.
In order for a team to acquire a player's Bird rights, they must have had the player on their roster for at least three seasons, or have acquired the player's Bird rights in a trade. Signing a player to a one-year deal with an above-cap exception does not satisfy the requirement for Bird rights, regardless of the amount of money or the type of exception used.
However, if the player signs a one-year deal using the Non-Bird exception, the team may be able to offer the player a higher salary in the following season using the Early Bird exception, provided they meet certain criteria.
The Early Bird exception allows a team to exceed the salary cap to re-sign a player who has been on their roster for two seasons, but only up to a certain amount (175% of the player's previous salary or the league average salary, whichever is greater).
It's important to note that the specific rules and limitations for the various exceptions can be complex, and teams must navigate them carefully in order to manage their salary cap situation effectively.
Openai ******* rocks.
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