Cleveland Cavaliers
2026-27 Cap Sheet • Eastern • Central
Over Cap, Below First Apron
First Apron
Thresholds
The first tax apron ($195,945,000 in 2025-26) restricts teams from using the non-taxpayer MLE, bi-annual exception, sign-and-trades to acquire players, and prior-year TPEs. Teams above the first apron can only take back 100% of outgoing salary in trades.
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Over Cap, Below First Apron
First Apron
Thresholds
The first tax apron ($195,945,000 in 2025-26) restricts teams from using the non-taxpayer MLE, bi-annual exception, sign-and-trades to acquire players, and prior-year TPEs. Teams above the first apron can only take back 100% of outgoing salary in trades.
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Tom Dundon's Dream Team
Viewing a shared scenario. Clone it to make your own edits.
Team Salary
$208.3M
126.2% of cap
+ $17.2M cap holds
Cap Hold
Fundamentals
A placeholder amount charged against a team's cap for free agents whose rights they hold. Cap holds count toward team salary even though no contract exists. Teams must renounce a player's rights to remove the cap hold, but doing so means losing the ability to re-sign that player using Bird rights.
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$225.4M
Salary Cap
Salary Cap
Fundamentals
The maximum amount a team can spend on player salaries, set annually by the NBA based on Basketball Related Income (BRI). For 2025-26, the salary cap is $154,647,000. Unlike the NFL, the NBA's cap is a "soft cap" — teams can exceed it using various exceptions.
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$165.0M
Cap Space
Cap Space / Cap Room
Fundamentals
The difference between a team's current salary and the salary cap. Teams with cap space can sign free agents or absorb salary in trades without sending matching salary out.
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-$43.3M
w/ holds:
-$60.4M
Tax Line
Luxury Tax Line
Thresholds
The salary threshold above which teams must pay the luxury tax. Set at $187,895,000 for 2025-26. Separate from the salary cap — a team can be over the cap without paying tax.
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$201.0M
Tax Bill
Luxury Tax
Fundamentals
A dollar-for-dollar (or more) penalty paid by teams whose total salary exceeds the luxury tax line. For 2025-26, the tax line is $187,895,000. Tax rates increase with each bracket and are higher for repeat offenders.
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$7.7M
Roster
Roster Limits
Roster
NBA teams can carry up to 15 players on standard contracts plus up to 3 two-way contracts (18 total). The minimum is 14 on opening day and 13 during the season. If a team has fewer than 12 players, an incomplete roster charge is assessed for each missing spot.
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14/15
+3/3
Cap Position
Cap
Tax
1st
2nd
Cap
Salary Cap
Fundamentals
The maximum amount a team can spend on player salaries, set annually by the NBA based on Basketball Related Income (BRI). For 2025-26, the salary cap is $154,647,000. Unlike the NFL, the NBA's cap is a "soft cap" — teams can exceed it using various exceptions.
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$165.0M
Tax
Luxury Tax Line
Thresholds
The salary threshold above which teams must pay the luxury tax. Set at $187,895,000 for 2025-26. Separate from the salary cap — a team can be over the cap without paying tax.
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$201.0M
1st Apron
First Apron
Thresholds
The first tax apron ($195,945,000 in 2025-26) restricts teams from using the non-taxpayer MLE, bi-annual exception, sign-and-trades to acquire players, and prior-year TPEs. Teams above the first apron can only take back 100% of outgoing salary in trades.
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$209.0M
2nd Apron
Second Apron
Thresholds
The second tax apron ($207,824,000 in 2025-26) imposes the strictest restrictions. Teams above it cannot: aggregate salaries in trades, send cash in trades, use any MLE, send players via sign-and-trade, or trade first-round picks 7 years out. Their distant first-round picks are also "frozen."
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$222.0M
Team $208.3M
w/ Holds
Cap Hold
Fundamentals
A placeholder amount charged against a team's cap for free agents whose rights they hold. Cap holds count toward team salary even though no contract exists. Teams must renounce a player's rights to remove the cap hold, but doing so means losing the ability to re-sign that player using Bird rights.
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$225.4M
Cap Hold
Fundamentals
A placeholder amount charged against a team's cap for free agents whose rights they hold. Cap holds count toward team salary even though no contract exists. Teams must renounce a player's rights to remove the cap hold, but doing so means losing the ability to re-sign that player using Bird rights.
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Season
Swipe salaries to change year. Contract totals include remaining option years, not cap holds.
| # | Player | Pos | Age | 26-27 | 27-28 | 28-29 | 29-30 | 30-31 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Donovan Mitchell
|
SG | 30 | $50.1M | $60.9M | $65.8M | $70.7M | $75.5M PO |
| 2 |
Evan Mobley
|
C | 25 | $50.1M | $53.8M | $57.5M | $61.2M | $41.3M |
| 3 |
James Harden
|
PG | 37 | $29.9M | $32.3M | $34.7M PO | $52.1M | — |
| 4 |
Jarrett Allen
|
C | 28 | $28.0M | $30.2M | $32.5M | $48.7M | — |
| 5 |
Peyton Watson
|
SF | 24 | $20.5M | $21.5M | $22.5M | $23.5M PO | $41.3M |
| 6 |
Sam Merrill
|
SG | 30 | $9.2M | $9.8M | $10.5M | $20.0M | — |
| 7 |
Jaylon Tyson
|
SF | 23 | $3.7M | $5.6M TO | $16.9M | — | — |
| 8 |
Ed Davis
|
C | 37 | $2.5M | — | — | — | — |
| 9 |
Damian Jones
|
C | 31 | $2.5M | — | — | — | — |
| 10 |
Raul Neto
|
PG | 34 | $2.5M | — | — | — | — |
| 11 |
Chuma Okeke
|
PF | 28 | $2.5M | — | — | — | — |
| 12 |
Rajon Rondo
|
PG | 40 | $2.5M | — | — | — | — |
| 13 |
Olivier Sarr
|
C | 27 | $2.5M | — | — | — | — |
| 14 |
Tristan Thompson
|
C | 35 | $2.5M | — | — | — | — |
| 15 |
Thomas Bryant
|
C | 29 | $2.4M | $2.5M | — | — | — |
| 16 |
Mario Hezonja
|
SF | 31 | $2.4M | $2.5M | — | — | — |
| 17 |
Nae'Qwan Tomlin
|
PF | 25 | $2.4M | $2.5M | — | — | — |
| 18 |
Craig Porter Jr.
|
PG | 26 | $2.4M NG | $2.5M | — | — | — |
| 19 |
Tyrese Proctor
|
SG | 22 | $2.2M | $2.5M NG | $2.7M TO | $5.2M | — |
| 20 |
Khalifa Diop
|
C | 24 | $1.4M | $2.3M | $2.7M | $2.9M TO | $5.5M |
| 21 |
Meleek Thomas
|
SG | 20 | $1.4M | $2.3M | $2.7M | $2.9M TO NG | $5.5M |
|
Dead Money
(2 players)
|
||||||||
| — |
Cam Whitmore
Bought Out
|
— | — | $1.8M | $1.8M | $1.8M | — | — |
| — |
Ricky Rubio
Bought Out
|
— | — | $424K | — | — | — | — |
|
Two-Way Contracts
(3 of 3 slots • not counted against the cap or the 15-man roster)
|
||||||||
| — |
Tristan Enaruna
Two-Way
|
SF | 25 | $678K | — | — | — | — |
| — |
Riley Minix
Two-Way
|
SF | 25 | $678K | — | — | — | — |
| — |
Ernest Udeh, Jr.
Two-Way
|
C | 22 | $678K | — | — | — | — |
| Total | $208.3M ($225.4M) | $223.2M ($233.0M) | $233.5M ($250.4M) | $161.3M ($287.3M) | $75.5M ($169.1M) | |||
| Cap Space | -$60.4M | -$51.5M | -$50.8M | -$67.6M | $72.5M | |||
| 1st Apron Space | $739K | $6.7M | $19.4M | $116.9M | $230.5M | |||
| 2nd Apron Space | $13.7M | $21.0M | $35.1M | $134.2M | $249.5M | |||
Legend:
Regular = under contract • Orange
=
Cap Hold
Fundamentals
A placeholder amount charged against a team's cap for free agents whose rights they hold. Cap holds count toward team salary even though no contract exists. Teams must renounce a player's rights to remove the cap hold, but doing so means losing the ability to re-sign that player using Bird rights.
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• Blue
= projected/edited • Struck
= option declined • PO
Player Opt • TO
Team Opt • ETO
Early Term • NG
= non-guaranteed •
Cap projections assume ~10% annual growth