Do draft picks count against the teams salary cap? If so, how much?
Unsigned first round picks are included in team salary immediately upon their selection in the draft. They count as 100% of the scale salary for that pick, unless there is a verbal agreement for a higher salary. An incident occurred prior to the 1997-98 season when Vancouver’s first round pick, Antonio Daniels, revealed in an interview that he and the team had verbally agreed to a contract starting at the maximum salary (120% of the scale amount). Since verbal agreements apply to the salary cap, the league then changed the team’s cap figure from the scale amount to 120% of scale. Once a first round pick signs a contract, his actual salary is included in the team salary, of course. Unsigned second round picks are not included in team salary. This is a loophole that Houston once tried to use by trading a first round pick for a second round pick in order to clear cap room.
