How do players who die while under contract (Reggie Lewis, Drazen Petrovic, Nick Vanos, Bobby Phills) count against the cap?
A player who dies or who suffers a career-ending injury or illness, and whose contract is terminated, may be excluded from his team’s team salary. If the death, injury, or illness occurs between July 1 and December 31, the salary can be excluded beginning on the second July 1 following the death, injury, or illness. If the termination occurs between January 1 and June 30, the salary can be excluded beginning two years after the death, injury, or illness. However, a team may decide not to terminate the contract and continue to pay the player. For example, the Lakers continued to pay Magic Johnson after he was forced to retire because of his HIV status, so his salary was included in the Lakers’ team salary. Teams do not receive an exception to acquire a replacement player if a player’s contract is terminated for medical reasons. However, a disabled player exception (see question number 17 ) may be granted by the league in the event of a player’s death. For example, the league granted Cha
