NBA free agency 2022: what is the salary cap for the 2022-23 NBA season?
The Warriors took the 2021 title, the 2022 Draft was completed, and now all eyes are on free agency as rosters get firmed up ahead of the new campaign.
No sooner had the parade for the 2021 championship success taken place for the Golden State Warriors than the 2022 NBA Draft took hold. And now that the selection process of the hottest young talent is out of the way, teams are checking out their cap space to see what deals can be done to complete their rosters to give them the best possible chance for the season ahead.
You may also enjoy:
NBA 2022: free agency salary cap
The last couple of years have been a challenge as the covid pandemic impacted on the finances across the NBA. This saw just nine teams with available cap space going into the 2020 and 2021 offseasons.
For the 2022-23 season the salary cap is expected to be $122 million, with the luxury tax line of $149 million. This clearly limits the movements of some teams but we are looking forward to seeing how teams all across the league use the coming days to reinvigorate an ailing group or bolster an already powerful unit.
Which teams can make big free agency moves?
There is some good news for some of the teams that struggled the most last season. The bottom three Eastern Conference teams, Orlando Magic, Detroit Pistons, and Indiana Pacers, have the most cap space available this offseason. Keep an eye out too on the New York Knicks who may have some room to manoeuvre.
Across in the Western Conference we see that San Antonio Spurs and Portland Trailblazers have the most potential to make a big impact in the market. While Portland struggled without Damian Lillard last season, the Spurs rallied to reach the Play-In Tournament before being eliminated in the first round by New Orleans.
When does the 2022 NBA free agency begin?
For many teams with cap space looking to bolster their roster for the upcoming season, the NBA free agency period is a blessing, and something that can get fans ultra-excited.
Players and teams can begin their negotiations as early as 6 pm ET on Thursday 30 June, with this being the official first day of free agency. Then again, although they may reach an agreement from that time, they will not actually be able to sign the paperwork until 6 July, at 12:01 pm ET, when the league’s moratorium ends.