Just over two weeks ago, I looked ahead to 2021 and projected how much cap space each team could have for that eventful, star-studded offseason. Since then, the NBA held the 2020 draft and began free agency, giving us a far clearer picture of what general managers intend to do a year from now. The results are stunning.
A whopping 13 teams changed categories, with some truly massive swings. Taking a broader look, the league lost one “Max-Plus” team and four “Could Get to a Max Without Too Much Pain” franchises, so now almost two-thirds of the NBA will likely function over the cap and just under one-third could pay the luxury tax without shedding salary.
These projections include both existing salary and 2021 draft picks since high picks have a major effect on teams’ spending power. It does not include estimates of extensions that are not on the book yet or trades that could happen between now and then but works as a rough outline of where…
