While the shift from $116 million to …

While the shift from $116 million to $115 million was actually smaller than anticipated after the drama with China, it still has a material effect on the league. It is true that a lower cap reduces salaries of max extensions like Ben Simmons, and new max contracts for free agents, including Anthony Davis, but the far bigger deal is that it takes a bite out of every cap space team’s amount and each Mid-Level exception (since it is partially tied to the cap too in the current Collective Bargaining Agreement). Even with so few teams looking to use space in 2020, this should serve as a reminder of how the modern contract ecosystem relies on the cap going up season by season.