Report: Deal with Raymond Felton puts OKC in record salary territory with $150M tax bill
The Oklahoma City Thunder agreed to a one-year, $2.4 million deal with veteran point guard Raymond Felton on Tuesday, Adrian Wojnarowski reports.
Free agent guard Raymond Felton has agreed to a one-year deal to return to Oklahoma City, league source tells ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 4, 2018
Bringing back their backup point guard isn’t what’s interesting here. It’s the report about what Felton’s deal means for the Thunder’s salary situation. Wojnarowksi’s ESPN colleague Bobby Marks reports that the new deal will put the Thunder into historic salary territory, complete with a $150 million tax bill.
Oklahoma City crosses an historic threshold as the first $300M team in salary and projected luxury tax with the Raymond Felton signing. The Thunder now have a tax bill of $150M.
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) July 4, 2018
While many lament the Golden State Warriors’ willingness to go into the tax threshold, this demonstrates one thing. Even small market NBA teams that make first-round exits from the playoffs are swimming in enough cash to pay massive tax bills if ownership is willing to spend it.
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