The Minnesota Timberwolves’ cap sheet is a dark place. Andrew Wiggins and his $147 million blunder is the starting point, while Jeff Teague’s $19 million player option and the $33.5 million left on Gorgui Dieng’s deal over the next two seasons limit short-term flexibility. Throw in Karl-Anthony Towns’ (well deserved) max deal and there is little-to-no wiggle room for a front office currently undertaking a remodeling.
With that in mind, it’s a godsend that the league allows each team to have a mid-level exception (MLE). The MLE is essentially a present handed to teams by the league, which varies depending on the league salary cap number and whether a specific team is over or under the luxury tax apron.