What situation would prevent a team from using the taxpayer mid-level exception?

The taxpayer mid-level exception is a salary cap provision that allows teams over the salary cap, but below the luxury tax threshold, to sign players. Engaging in a sign-and-trade contract can affect a team's ability to utilize this exception. When a team completes a sign-and-trade, they are often acquiring a player while simultaneously sending a player away, which can result in specific cap implications that remove access to the taxpayer mid-level exception.

In contrast, being below the salary cap, exceeding the salary cap limit, or signing multiple free agents doesn't inherently prevent a team from using the taxpayer mid-level exception. In fact, teams below the salary cap have a variety of options available, while exceeding the salary cap usually indicates a team may be utilizing contracts that exceed the typical mid-level provisions for signing players. Thus, engaging in a sign-and-trade can explicitly restrict a team's ability to access the taxpayer mid-level exception due to its specific rules and the changes in salary cap space it incurs.