Philadelphia 76ers: 3 players to target with the Bi-Annual Exception

What a whirlwind June 29th turned out to be for the Philadelphia 76ers. The day began with rumblings that not only would James Harden would decline his option and sign for less. In that same report, it was stated that Matisse Thybulle was still on the trade block with the Portland Trail Blazers and Dallas Mavericks listed as primary suitors.

As the day went on, news broke about the salary cap increasing by $1.6 million above previous projections. The surprises didn’t stop there as rumors started to form of the Sixers informing players that they will have their bi-annual exception available.

All of this reached a boiling point as news about James Harden’s contract situation started to come forward. The future Hall of Fame member declined his option, with the Philadelphia 76ers deciding instead to take a lower salary for the upcoming season. Based on rumored projections of Harden’s contract, it looks as though the Sixers will have access to their Bi-Annual Exception.

Thanks to James Harden’s sacrifice, the Philadelphia 76ers will be able to sign a player to a Bi-Annual Exception this season.

A common question to follow would be, “what does the bi-annual exception do, and how does it work?” Much like the Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception, the Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception, and the Cap Room Exception (which the Sixers won’t be eligible for a long, long while), the Bi-Annual Exception allows a team over the salary cap to sign a player for more than the minimum. In the case of the Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception, the allowable amount is up to $10.3 million, while the Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception is up to $6.3 million.

The Bi-Annual Exception is lower than all three, yet the benefit is that and can be used in addition to any Mid-Level exception, or MLE, while you can only use one single MLE. The drawback to the Bi-Annual Exception can be found right in the name itself. This exception can only be used every other season at the most. By forgoing the exception last season, the Sixers were potentially eligible for it this season. With the latest news surrounding the Sixers’ cap situation, they look to officially qualify for it.

This invites the next great question. Who could the Sixers sign with the Bi-Annual Exception? To that question, there are many answers.