What the projected NBA salary cap increase means for the Dallas Mavericks

2022-23 Projected Cap rises again

The NBA has revised the salary cap projections again. The 2022-23 projected figure has grown from $116 million (August 2nd, 2021) to $119 million (August 2021) to $121 million (February 2022) to $122 million (March 31st).

For all the implications of the increase to the Salary Cap and also to the Tax Line/Tax Apron you’ll have to wait for my Offseason FAQ. That will drop after the season ends... so hopefully mid-June!

Luka getting paid!

I wanted to show how the 5-year extension Luka signed last summer has risen in value with each projection. Luka signed a max contract that would start at 30% of whatever the actual cap land on. Therefore it’s inexact. It’s an estimate until July 2022, that’s when the NBA officially writes the cap figure in ink. Before then it’s in pencil and has been getting erased a lot this season.

August 2nd 2021

When the 2022-23 cap was projected around 116 the figure was 5 years 202 million

August 10th, 2021

Then when the Projection went to 119 the deal was announced as 5 years $207 million.

Exact figures for that here.

February 2022

8 weeks ago the projected 2022-23 cap was revised to $121 million and I was the first I saw to change his projection.

March 31st, 2021

So that brings us to yesterday when it was announced that the projected 2022-23 cap was again revised upward to $122 million.

Now Luka’s 30% max extension is worth a total of $212 million.

That means that since the contract was rumored to be a done deal that value has increased by over $10,000,000. In this case, a rising tide lifts at least Luka’s boat. And yet somehow... Luka Doncic will STILL be underpaid for what he brings to the Mavericks!