[MENTION=3123]Cappy_Smurf[/MENTION] - Here's some more info: http://www.basketballinsiders.com/2017-nba-collective-bargaining-agreement-deal-points/Interesting. Here are two sources which give the higher number I was remembering:
http://basketball.realgm.com/nba/info/salary_cap - says $8.4 million (and indicates a huge jump from 2016 to 2017)
http://www.basketballinsiders.com/projecting-2017-18-nba-cap-room-under-new-deal-terms/ - also says $8.4 million
Not sure which is accurate, but my guess is the larger number.
The following is a summary of the principal changes made to the NBA/NBPA Collective Bargaining Agreement, per the NBA. With limited exceptions, new CBA terms take effect on July 1, 2017.
...
Exception Amounts. The Mid-Level Exceptions and Bi-Annual Exception for 2017-18 will be increased 45% from the amounts in the 2011 CBA.
So again, I think the larger amount is correct. Larry Coon's numbers don't reflect a 45% jump in the MLE, but the $8.4 million figure is about that.