NBA salary cap for 2022-23 projected to be $121 million

The NBA has let teams know that it’s now projecting a $121 million salary cap and a $147 million luxury-tax line for the 2022-23 season, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

The cap projections for 2022-23 have been steadily on the rise over the last year and a half. During the 2020 offseason, the NBA estimated a $115.7 million cap and a $140 million tax line for ’22-23. In August 2021, the league increased those estimates to $119 million and $145 million.

The latest projections shouldn’t have a significant impact on teams’ plans at this season’s trade deadline. However, teams that project to have cap room this summer can plan on having a little more space than they originally anticipated, while clubs that will be at or above the tax line can expect a small amount of relief.

The NBA’s salary cap for the 2021-22 season is $112,414,000, with a tax threshold of $136,606,000.

If the cap for next season comes in at $121 million, as projected, it would be an increase of 7.6% and $8.6 million on this season’s figure. That would be the biggest single-year bump since 2016, when the cap spiked to $94.1 million from $70 million.