Report: NBA salary cap, luxury tax could be higher than projected

The NBA’s salary cap for the 2015–16 season could be as much as $2 million higher than previously projected, according to the National Basketball Players Assocation.

The NBA’s salary cap for the 2015-16 season could be as much as $2 million higher than previously projected, reports CBSSports.com’s Ken Berger.

According to the report, teams active in free agency were operating under the assumption that the cap for next season could be $67.1 million. At the agents’ summit this week, however, the National Basketball Players Association said that the cap could come in $1–2 million over that figure. The report also says that the luxury-tax threshold, projected to be $81.6 million, will also see an increase. The 2014–15 salary cap was $63.1 million, with the luxury tax set at $76.8 million.​

The NBA and NBPA will reveal the salary cap for next season on July 8 after league audits are complete. The next day at midnight is when teams and players can officially sign new deals that were previously agreed on.

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Free agency officially started Wednesday morning, with big names such as New Orleans Pelicans All-NBA forward Anthony Davis and San Antonio Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard reportedly agreeing to maximum contracts with their respective teams.

• MORE NBA: Free agency primer | Position rankings | Burning FA questions

Teams and players who will be become unrestricted free agents next year expect a big increase in salary due to the NBA’s nine-year, $24 billion television rights deal that will kick in at the beginning of the season. 

Some projections have the salary cap for the 2016-17 season at $90 million.

- Scooby Axson