The 2023-2024 salary cap is $136.021 million. What is the best 8-man rotation you can put together that comes under that figure for this season?
Assumptions:
- This is a single season evaluation just for the 2023-2024 season (use this season’s salary for a player and ignore future contract value)
- Player performance is based on this season’s performance (you’re getting 38 year old Lebron, not Heatles Lebron)
- Just choose 8 players (act as if you will fill in the rest of the 15-man roster with players that will not play meaningful minutes)
- Fit matters (balancing positions, play styles, strengths / weaknesses etc is a factor)
- Postseason matters (act as if success is a ship, so playoff experience is a plus)
For consistency, use this source for player 2023-2024 salaries: https://www.espn.com/nba/salaries
This is the best I could do without using rookie contracts or max contracts:
Starters:
- Jalen Brunson, PG: $26,346,666
- Lu Dort, SG/SF: $15,277,778
- Mikal Bridges, SG/SF: $21,700,000
- Lauri Markkanen, PF: $17,259,999
- Mitchell Robinson, C: $15,681,818
Bench:
- Dejounte Murray, PG/SG: $18,214,000
- Miles Bridges, SF/PF: $7,921,300
- Naz Reid, C: $12,950,400
Brunson and Markkanen were on my consideration list, great contract values
Top comment would absolutely rinse this team
Can you read? This example is without max and rookie contracts
I like this but there’s gotta be someone better at the 2. Dort is just Brooks with better PR. Dejounte is way better than him
C Jokic 47M
PF Markkanen 17M
SF Anunoby 18 M
SG Malik Monk 9M
PG Dejounte Murray 18M
Bench
SF Bridges 22M
G Lonnie Walker 2M
C Drummond 3M
Total of 136M, team could use some more interior defense and ball handling, but I would be pretty confident they are the finals favorite. Depth got cut off at the end so there could be some better options but without rookie contracts it’s the best/quickest I could think of.
Pg - Tyreese Haliburton $5M Sg - Anthony Edward’s $9M Sf - Giannis Antetokounmpo F $45 Pf - Chet Holmgren F $11M C - Jokic $45M
6 - Tyrese Maxey G $4M 7 - Isaiah Joe Wing $2M 8 - Sengun C $3M
$125M spent
8 Jeff Greens
Paolo is ROTY and Franz is world champion (FIBA), I think would be wise to pick one or the other. Both on rookie contract as well which helps keep the salary cap low.
Starters:
PG, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (33.4 M)
SG, Mikal Bridges (21.7 M)
SF, Jayson Tatum (32.6 M)
PF, Lauri Markkanen (17.3 M)
C, Claxton (9.6 M)
Bench:
C, Kevon Looney (7.5 M)
F Kyle Anderson (9.2 M)
G, Eric Gordon (3.2 M)
Total Salary used: 134.5 M