Cleveland Cavaliers: Complete 2021 NBA Free Agency preview

Complete 2021 NBA Free Agency preview: The Financials

The salary cap for the 2021-22 NBA season is $112.4 million. Here is a breakdown of every player and their contract amounts for next season:

Rookie Scale:

Darius Garland – $7.04 million

Evan Mobley – $6.73 million (expected)

Isaac Okoro – $6.72 million

Collin Sexton – $6.35 million

Dylan Windler – $2.24 million

Veteran Deals:

Kevin Love – $31.26 million

Ricky Rubio – $17.80 million

Larry Nance Jr. – $10.69 million

Cedi Osman – $8.13 million

Non-guaranteed contracts:

Damyean Dotson – $2.00 million

Dean Wade – $1.78 million

Mfiondu Kabengele – $1.70 million

Lamar Stevens – $1.52 million

Additionally, players who are free agents have a “cap hold” that the team holds onto until they “renounce” it or the player signs with another team. It allows them to re-sign a player and go over the salary cap. For unrestricted free agents they are free to sign anywhere, while restricted free agents give their team the ability to match any contract signed.

Cap holds:

Jarrett Allen – 11.73 million

Evan Mobley (until he signs officially) – $8.08 million

Isaiah Hartenstein – $2.03 million

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Given the above numbers, and adding in $1.46 million for J.R. Smith’s stretch contract, the Cavaliers will likely operate as an over-the-cap team. Their combination of contracts, cap holds and dead money adds up to $120.37 million, or about eight million over the salary cap. Renouncing their free agents entirely and waiving every non-guaranteed contract would get them less than $10 million in cap space, and the Ricky Rubio trade in particular illustrates the Cavaliers are planning to stay “over the cap” as they fill out the roster.