The NBA just jacked up its 2027-28 salary cap projections by a cool $2 million, folks. This isn’t just some dusty accounting tweak; it’s a significant shift that could provide some much-needed financial breathing room for teams across the league, especially for a squad like the Lakers that’s been making big moves. What was initially pegged at $174 million for the cap is now looking like a $176 million cap and a whopping $213 million luxury-tax line.
The Cap’s Unexpected Bounce Back (Kind Of)
This updated projection, reported by Fred Katz and John Hollinger of The Athletic, is a direct response to a few turbulent years. Remember how the league’s initial plan was for these massive 10 percent annual salary-cap increases after the new national TV contract? Well, a crash in the local TV market put a serious damper on that party. Last year’s raise was barely half of that at 5.2 percent, and the forecast for 2027-28 was looking similar at 5.5 percent. Now, with this new info, the projected raise for 2027-28 is up to 6.7 percent. It’s still a far cry from that maximal 10 percent, but hey, it’s definitely closer to what star players expect in their annual contract raises. Every bit helps, right?
How the Lakers Are Cashing In
This news is a serious sigh of relief for the Lakers after their spending spree this past offseason. When guys like Walker Kessler, Quentin Grimes, Sandro Mamukelashvili, and Collin Sexton all changed teams this summer, their contracts were limited to standard 5 percent annual raises. But now, with that 2027-28 cap growth hitting 6.7 percent, it’s expected to slightly outpace those raises. Talk about timing! Mamukelashvili’s deal is a prime example of unique structuring: he’s at $13 million this year, dips to $12.35 million in 2027-28, then climbs back to $13.0 million in 2028-29, with a $13.65 million player option in 2029-30. And let’s not forget Austin Reaves. The dude did them a solid, taking $5 million less than initially reported. Instead of full 8 percent annual raises, he took only about a 4 percent bump in 2027-28, which also trimmed what he could get in the final two years of his deal. All of this gives the Lakers an additional $2 million in financial wiggle room thanks to the higher cap projection.
So what’s the plan? They’re likely eyeing access to the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception. Here’s the kicker: all salary-cap exceptions increase at the same rate as the cap itself. So, if the cap goes up by roughly 6.7 percent, that mid-level exception is going up right along with it. It means they’re getting more bang for their buck. The league just handed them a little extra cash, and you can bet they’re already plotting how to spend it.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Silver Screen and Roll.
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