Disabled Player Exceptions Expire March 10

There were a record amount of Disabled Player Exceptions (DPE) awarded this NBA season. Teams can petition for a DPE when a player suffers a season-ending injury. That petition is then put before the NBA’s Fitness to Play panel or a NBA-designated physician. If those bodies determine that the player is substantially more likely than not to be out through June 15 of that season, a DPE is granted.

The amount of the DPE is for one-half of the disabled player’s salary, with a cap at the equivalent of the Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level exception. For the 2019-20 season that amount is $9,258,000.

Once a team is awarded a DPE they can use it to acquire one player in any of the following three ways:

  • To sign a player to a salary up to the amount of the DPE
  • To trade for a player whose salary fits within the amount of the DPE
  • To claim a player off waivers whose salary fits within the amount of the DPE

The key with the DPE is that whether a team is signing, trading for or claiming a player, that player’s contract can only run throughout the rest of the current season.

Each season all unused DPEs expire on March 10. The following DPEs remain available for teams:

TeamPlayerAmount
Brooklyn NetsDavid Nwaba$839,427
Cleveland CavaliersDylan Windler$1,017,900
Detroit PistonsBlake Griffin$9,258,000
New Orleans PelicansDarius Miller$3,625,000
Orlando MagicAl-Farouq Aminu$4,629,000
Portland Trail BlazersRodney Hood$2,859,000