No. 1: Salary cap higher than expected — This year’s free agents (those getting max contracts, in particular) are in for bigger deals than they had previously thought. Thanks to more money than expected flowing into the league, the projected salary cap for the 2016-17 season will be $94 million instead of $92 million, Yahoo‘s Shams Charania reports:
The NBA has informed all 30 teams that the salary cap for the 2016-17 season is projected to be $94 million, higher than its previous estimates, league sources told The Vertical.
The NBA sent a memo on Friday afternoon that the Basketball Related Income (BRI) for this past season is ongoing and that the increased projection for the next salary cap is due to “business outperformance since the previous estimates.”
The salary cap for the 2015-16 season was $70 million.
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No. 2: Bucks working on Kidd extension — The Milwaukee Bucks took a step backward this season, falling out of the playoffs and winning eight fewer games than they did in 2014-15. But that doesn’t mean that they’re not still moving forward or that they’re unhappy with head coach Jason Kidd, who has one year left on his current contract. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel‘s Charles Gardner reports that the Bucks and Kidd are close to an agreement on an extension:
A key front office hiring and a three-year contract extension for coach Jason Kidd have kept Milwaukee Bucks ownership busy in recent days.
Now throw in Saturday’s ceremonial groundbreaking on the new downtown arena.
It’s all part of the plan to build a championship team, according to Bucks owner Wes Edens, who met with reporters after the draft prospects workout on Friday.
Edens said the extension for Kidd is close to being finalized and praised the addition of assistant general manager Justin Zanik, who recently agreed to a multiyear contract.
“It’s well-deserved,” Edens said of Kidd’s deal. “Jason has done a terrific job the last couple years. We’re very happy with the continuity and where the team and the organization are headed. Jason obviously is a big, big part of that.”
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SOME RANDOM HEADLINES: The Bulls and Pistons made a minor trade … and the Blazers have hired Kevin Calabro as their new play-by-play man.
