By Eric Pincus|2024-05-20T14:14:26-07:00December 11th, 2023|
Teams generally prefer to stay under the NBA’s luxury tax threshold ($165,294,000) unless they’re a championship contender.
Some may have begun rebuilding (or aren’t as good as they had hoped) but still have large contracts on the books that will soon expire.
As the February 8 trade deadline nears, some franchises will make cost-cutting moves to lower their luxury-tax bill or get under altogether. Others may turn away trade opportunities that push their team payroll into the tax.
Tax is calculated based on a team’s roster as of the last day of the regular season. The bill comes at the end of June, with half of the amount paid going to the NBA, in part to fund the NBA’s revenue-sharing program. The remaining half is sent in equal shares to the teams below the luxury tax line. Teams below the minimum team salary ($122.4 million for 2023-24) would only receive half of the tax kickback—but all reached the floor before the start of the season.
The following shows how close each team is to the luxury tax line, and if over, what they project to pay. Check back, as playoff incentives or late-executed trades (triggering any trade kickers) may swing the balance up until the final day of the postseason.
| Team | Taxable Amount | Under/Over | Penalty |
| Atlanta Hawks | $156,139,798 | -$9,154,202 | $0 |
| Boston Celtics | $183,476,284 | $18,182,284 | $39,092,423 |
| Brooklyn Nets (R) | $151,721,032 | -$13,572,968 | $0 |
| Charlotte Hornets | $137,159,325 | -$28,134,675 | $0 |
| Chicago Bulls | $164,432,853 | -$861,147 | $0 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | $163,939,463 | -$1,354,537 | $0 |
| Dallas Mavericks | $164,631,111 | -$662,889 | $0 |
| Denver Nuggets | $176,890,198 | $11,596,198 | $20,240,495 |
| Detroit Pistons | $135,124,059 | -$30,169,941 | $0 |
| Golden State Warriors (R) | $205,572,662 | $40,278,662 | $176,880,968 |
| Houston Rockets | $145,269,849 | -$20,024,151 | $0 |
| Indiana Pacers | $144,877,509 | -$20,416,491 | $0 |
| LA Clippers (R) | $200,060,815 | $34,766,815 | $142,409,186 |
| Los Angeles Lakers (R) | $168,055,984 | $2,761,984 | $6,904,960 |
| Memphis Grizzlies | $157,895,653 | -$7,398,347 | $0 |
| Miami Heat | $174,969,385 | $9,675,385 | $15,681,924 |
| Milwaukee Bucks (R) | $182,344,527 | $17,050,527 | $52,464,740 |
| Minnesota Timberwolves | $164,528,789 | -$765,211 | $0 |
| New Orleans Pelicans | $165,016,607 | -$277,393 | $0 |
| New York Knicks | $163,008,066 | -$2,285,934 | $0 |
| Oklahoma City Thunder | $160,525,279 | -$4,768,721 | $0 |
| Orlando Magic | $130,964,229 | -$34,329,771 | $0 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | $164,017,084 | -$1,276,916 | $0 |
| Phoenix Suns | $191,331,329 | $26,037,329 | $68,158,648 |
| Portland Trail Blazers | $163,965,367 | -$1,328,633 | $0 |
| Sacramento Kings | $148,776,215 | -$16,517,785 | $0 |
| San Antonio Spurs | $140,880,244 | -$24,413,756 | $0 |
| Toronto Raptors | $160,265,990 | -$5,028,010 | $0 |
| Utah Jazz | $131,791,303 | -$33,502,697 | $0 |
| Washington Wizards | $147,595,496 | -$17,698,504 | $0 |
| Total Salary (Taxable) | $4,845,226,505 | Penalty Total | $521,833,344 |
| Tax Teams | 8 | Non-Tax Team Share | $11,859,849 |
Note: The final numbers may differ slightly (+/- $5.00 based on rounding). Repeat taxpayers are indicated with “(R).” Any set-off will be calculated at the end of the NBA year (June 30).
Email Eric Pincus at eric.pincus@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter@EricPincus.
(Updated on 5/20/24)
About the Author: Eric Pincus
Eric Pincus is a leading expert on NBA player contracts and the league’s Collective Bargaining Agreement. Eric is a Strategist/Capologist/Writer/Instructor for Sports Business Classroom and Bleacher Report.
