Could you verify which is correct? And I've always been curious to know what do you use as a source for all of your knowledge?
There is a misunderstanding.
According to http://members.cox.net/lmcoon/salarycap.htm#Q67, the minimum roster size during the regular season is indeed 13. The figure of 12 only pertains to the computation of the salary cap during the offseason.
Thank you both and TPs. My reason for asking pertains to the Heat this offseason. Say they have 9 players signed under contract and lets say are at 55 mil. They are looking to sign a 10th man, but want to know how much they can offer him. I guess I'm still confused. How many cap holds do they have where they'd have to pay the penalty if they don't sign somebody? 3 (due to 13 player minimum) or 2 (12 player min)? It sounds like 12. But then with what money do they sign the required 13th?
And say they did offer this 10th player the most they could offer him. Do they now have to only offer their remaining roster fillers the rookie minimum? Or can they still offer players the vet min?
Hope I was clear. Thanks in advance!
Teams at or above the cap can always sign a player to a minimum contract. People often talk about the "rookie minimum" or the "veteran's minimum", but really, all minimum deals are on a sliding scale based upon service time. Players with 0 years of experience make the least (around $478k), and players with 10+ years experience can make the most (over $1m). The only real oddity is that for players with 2+ years experience, only the amount equal to a second year player's minimum is charged against a team's salary cap.
Cap charges for not having enough players are charged at the minimum for a player with no experience. If they later sign a player for a higher salary than the rookie minimum, that cap charge disappears, and the actual contract amount counts against their cap.
Specifically related to the Heat, after they sign Haslem and Miller, they should be looking at only minimum contracts. However, they can offer those contracts to vets or rookies.