Basketball: NBA salary cap set at $86.1m

NEW YORK - The National Basketball Association has set the salary cap for the coming season at US$53.1 million (NZ$86.1m) per team, the league said yesterday.

The announcement came just one day before the cap comes into effect and teams can begin signing free agents.

The luxury tax threshold was increased from US$61.70 million to US$65.42 million for the 2006-07 season.

Any team whose payroll exceeds that figure will pay a dollar-for-dollar on any amount which exceeds US$65.42 million.

The minimum team salary, which is 75 per cent of the cap, was set at US$39.85 million.

- REUTERS