The LA Clippers' 2023 Salary Cap Situation

An In-Depth Analysis

The LA Clippers are one of the most exciting teams in the NBA, with a young and talented roster led by Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. However, the Clippers are also facing some financial challenges, as they are currently over the salary cap and have a limited amount of cap space to work with.

Salary Cap History

The NBA salary cap is a hard cap, which means that teams cannot exceed the cap without paying a luxury tax. The salary cap has been increasing in recent years, and it is currently set at $123.6 million for the 2022-23 season. The Clippers are currently over the cap by approximately $10 million.

Largest Guarantee

The Clippers have the largest guaranteed salary in the NBA, with Kawhi Leonard earning $42.5 million for the 2022-23 season. Paul George is also making a significant amount of money, with a salary of $39.3 million. These two players account for over 50% of the Clippers' salary cap.

Player Option

Player options are contracts that give the player the option to terminate their contract after a certain number of years. Kawhi Leonard has a player option for the 2024-25 season, which means that he can opt out of his contract and become a free agent after the season.

Team Option

Team options are contracts that give the team the option to terminate a player's contract after a certain number of years. The Clippers have a team option for Paul George's contract for the 2024-25 season, which means that they can choose to keep him on the team or release him after the season.

Qualifying Offer

Qualifying offers are contracts that teams can offer to restricted free agents. Restricted free agents are players who have completed their rookie contracts and are still under the control of their original team. The Clippers have a qualifying offer for Ivica Zubac for the 2023-24 season, which means that they can match any offer sheet that he signs with another team.

Non-Guaranteed

Non-guaranteed contracts are contracts that are not guaranteed by the team. This means that the team can release the player at any time without having to pay them the remaining amount of their contract. The Clippers have a non-guaranteed contract for Amir Coffey for the 2023-24 season.

Early Termination

Early termination clauses are clauses in contracts that allow players to terminate their contracts before the end of the contract term. Kawhi Leonard has an early termination clause in his contract for the 2024-25 season, which means that he can terminate his contract and become a free agent after the season.

Not With Team

Players who are not with the team are players who have been waived or released by the team. The Clippers have two players who are not with the team: DeMarcus Cousins and Jay Scrubb.