NBA slightly hikes salary cap to $58.7 million

NEW YORK — The NBA has set next season's salary cap at $58.7 million, paving the way for contracts to be signed starting Wednesday (Thursday in Manila time).

The tax level is $71.7 million, with harsher penalties starting this season for teams that exceed it. Teams formerly paid $1 for every $1 they were over, but the penalties now start at $1.50 for teams up to $4.9 million over, with increases from there.

Contracts such as the one Dwight Howard agreed to with Houston couldn't be signed during the league's moratorium period while the cap was calculated.

The cap is a slight increase from this season's $58 million.

The mid-level exception for non-taxpayers is $5.15 million. It's $3.2 million for teams over the tax, and there's a mid-level worth $2.7 million for teams with room under the salary cap.