The NBA salary cap will jump from $40.5 million to $43.8 million ...

[Mavs_Rule2003]

...for the 2003-2004 season, ESPN's David Aldridge reports, a financial bonanza for signed veteran players and free agents.

For example, Jermaine O'Neal, who re-signed with the Indiana Pacers for $122 million, now goes to $126 million. And Nets star Jason Kidd's salary jumps $4 million to $103 million. The mid-level exception for veteran players such as Gary Payton rises to $4.91 million.

The new figure also aids teams like Miami and Utah, which lost big-name stars to free agency but will now have significant cap room to sign players.

Players received almost 65 percent of basketball-related income before they gave 10 percent of their salaries as a result of the escrow tax. After the escrow tax payments, the players received 59.5 percent of basketball related income.

Does it help MAvs in anyway?

[Mandyahl]

i don't think so because we are way, way over the cap, and we already knew the exception would be about $4.9 million.

[DNNF]

We gonna depending on the MLE for years to come.