The Thunder currently has $111 million in salary against a salary cap of $99 million. There’s no wiggle room for free agents.

That’s where the non-taypayer mid-level exception comes in. The Thunder can spend up to $8.4 million toward a free agent who will not count against its cap. For a team that doesn’t want to cross the projected luxury tax line of $119 million, the MLE could provide the best avenue toward a free agent signing.

Below is a list of some potential candidates for the Thunder’s mid-level exception.