NBA Rumors: 2017-18 Salary Cap Projection Lower Than Expected

The NBA’s salary cap skyrocketed this summer thanks to lucrative television deals, which led to the roughly $3 billion spent on free-agent contracts over the last week or so.

Before the NBA free agency moratorium ended last night, there were around 70 reported deals worth about $3.1 Billion in total spending.

— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) July 7, 2016

The spike in the salary cap for 2017-18, however, does not appear to be approaching the originally expected figure.

The NBA's projection for the 2017-18 season has fallen from $107 million to $102 million, filing story shortly at @BBallInsiders

— Eric Pincus (@EricPincus) July 7, 2016

A difference of $5 million isn’t small, and if teams planned their budgets around a cap closer to $107 million, more moves might need to be made to adjust to the new number.

The new projection also isn’t good for teams hoping to spend big next summer, when superstars such as Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook and Chris Paul could be available.