The Associated Press

 

NEW YORK — The NBA has set the 2012-13 salary cap at $58.044 million, same as this season, and teams could begin signing players at 12:01 am EDT Wednesday.

Free agency opened on July 1 and a number of deals have been agreed to, but nothing could become official until the moratorium period ended.

The luxury tax level is also unchanged from last season, remaining at $70.307 million. Any team exceeding that will pay a $1 tax for every $1 by which it is over. The tax will become more punitive starting in the 2013-14 season.

The midlevel exception for teams under the tax is $5 million, and the taxpayer midlevel is $3.09 million. The new “mini” midlevel for teams with room under the salary cap is $2.575 million.