Portland Trail Blazers roster is set at 14, no more signings likely for now

In his first press conference, Portland Trail Blazers GM Neil Olshey said they wouldn’t go into the luxury tax, meaning that the roster is set at 14 players.

Portland Trail Blazers general manager Neil Olshey had his first press conference of the 2021 season a few days into free agency. He discussed the recent signings that had been made and the roster’s overall construction.

After second-round pick CJ Elleby had been signed, the Blazers sat at 14 players on the roster, one less than the NBA’s limit of 15. But more importantly, they were just $600 thousand under the luxury tax limit.

Because the Blazers have been in the luxury tax the previous years, they have serious financial penalties if they go into the tax again this season. The repeater penalty for teams in the luxury tax for multiple years means that you have to pay $2 or $3 back to the league for every dollar you spend. So if a team is over by $1 million, they need to pay an extra $2 million to the league.

These financial implications, combined with wanting to keep some flexibility, means that Olshey is right in wanting to keep the roster at 14.

If there was an injury and they had 15 players, then he would have to cut someone to make a move for a replacement. By keeping the roster at 14, Olshey has a roster spot up his sleeve for later in the season.

This could also come in handy if someone comes up on the buyout market. Because salaries are pro-rated throughout the season, they could get a player for just $200 thousand at the end of the season while still staying out of the dreaded repeater tax.

Though there was some uncertainty around CJ Elleby’s signing to a full roster spot, the Blazers can use both their two-way spots for limited minutes in the case of injuries.

The Blazers roster is now locked in at 14 spots. After an excellent offseason, Blazer fans can look forward to one of the best seasons in recent memory.