Which NBA teams are projected to pay the luxury tax in the 2022-23 season?
The business of basketball appears to be booming, with the National Basketball Association estimating an increase in the 2022-23 luxury tax.
It appears that there’s no shortage of money in professional basketball, as the NBA announced that the salary cap for the 2022-23 season would be set at $123.66 million, a 10% increase from last year’s figure of $112.4 million.
NBA salary cap and luxury tax higher than expected
This rise is the biggest since the cap leapt from $70 million to $94.1 million in the offseason of 2016, a surge of 34%. Meanwhile, the luxury tax level will be $150.27 million this year.
The final numbers for the salary cap and the luxury tax are slightly higher that what the league had projected earlier this year. In March, the NBA estimated the cap to settle at $122 million, and the luxury tax at $149 million.
Last season, seven teams paid the luxury tax- the Brooklyn Nets, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia 76ers, and Utah Jazz.
There are 11 teams so far which are over the league’s luxury tax threshold for the coming season. Below is the list of franchises, and the amount by which they have exceeded the limit.
Teams over the NBA luxury tax line
| TEAM | AMOUNT OVER LIMIT |
|---|---|
| Los Angeles Clippers | $41.7 million |
| Golden State Warriors | $36.5 million |
| Brooklyn Nets | $31.2 million |
| Milwaukee Bucks | $23.6 million |
| Boston Celtics | $20.1 million |
| Phoenix Suns | $16.2 million |
| Los Angeles Lakers | $16.1 million |
| Dallas Mavericks | $14.6 million |
| Denver Nuggets | $10.5 million |
| Portland Trail Blazers | $1.5 million |
| Atlanta Hawks | $1.2 million |