The Spurs have submitted a request for a disabled player exception following Charles Bassey‘s season-ending ACL injury, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
A disabled player exception grants an over-the-cap team some extra spending power when it loses a player to an injury deemed likely to sideline him through at least June 15.
As we explain in our glossary entry, the exception can be used to sign a free agent, to claim a player off waivers, or to acquire a player in a trade. A DPE can only be used on a single player and can only accommodate a player on a one-year deal. A free agent signee can’t get a multiyear contract, and any trade or waiver target must be in the final year of his contract.
The disabled player exception is worth either half the injured player’s salary or the value of the mid-level exception, whichever is lesser. Since Bassey was only earning $2.6M this season, the Spurs’ DPE (if granted) would only be worth $1.3M, so its usefulness would be extremely limited.
Additionally, while the disabled player exception gives a team extra cap flexibility, it doesn’t open up an extra spot on the 15-man roster. The club must have a roster spot available to use the DPE to add a player, which the Spurs currently don’t.
Still, while San Antonio may not end up having any use for a disabled player exception, it can’t hurt to apply and potentially add one more minor asset to its toolbox ahead of next month’s trade deadline.
So far this season, the Bulls, Grizzlies, and Trail Blazers have been granted DPEs, while the Knicks have reportedly applied for one as well.
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