When the Portland Trail Blazers agreed to buy out center Deandre Ayton this weekend they left open a roster spot and potential dollars to spend. One of the obvious ways they might do it is by employing their Mid-Level Exception this summer.
The Mid-Level Exception, or MLE, is a workaround granted to NBA teams that are over the salary cap, enabling them to sign players they otherwise couldn’t. This year teams with salary ledgers over the cap line but below the first luxury tax apron will be able to offer up to $14.1 million to players in free agency.