Denver Nuggets
2026-27 Cap Sheet • Western • Northwest
Above 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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Above 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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Magic Miracle
Viewing a shared scenario. Clone it to make your own edits.
Team Salary
$216.8M
131.4% of cap
+ $21.5M 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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$238.3M
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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-$51.8M
w/ holds:
-$73.3M
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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$28.1M
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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13/15
+2/3
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 $216.8M
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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$238.3M
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 |
Nikola Jokic
|
C | 31 | $59.0M | $62.8M PO | $57.8M | — | — |
| 2 |
Jamal Murray
|
PG | 29 | $50.1M | $53.8M | $57.5M | $49.5M | — |
| 3 |
Aaron Gordon
|
PF | 31 | $32.0M | $34.5M | $37.1M PO | $55.6M | — |
| 4 |
Cameron Johnson
|
SF | 30 | $23.1M | $33.8M | — | — | — |
| 5 |
Christian Braun
|
SG | 25 | $21.6M | $23.3M | $25.0M | $26.7M | $28.4M |
| 6 |
Zeke Nnaji
|
C | 25 | $7.5M | $7.5M PO | $14.2M | — | — |
| 7 |
Spencer Jones
|
PF | 25 | $6.0M | $5.8M | $7.5M | — | — |
| 8 |
Julian Strawther
|
SF | 24 | $4.8M | $14.5M | — | — | — |
| 9 |
DaRon Holmes II
|
PF | 24 | $3.4M | $5.5M TO | $16.6M | — | — |
| 10 |
Bruce Brown Jr.
|
SG | 30 | $2.5M | — | — | — | — |
| 11 |
Justin Holiday
|
SF | 37 | $2.5M | — | — | — | — |
| 12 |
David Roddy
|
PF | 25 | $2.5M | — | — | — | — |
| 13 |
Marvin Bagley III
|
PF | 27 | $2.4M | $6.7M | — | — | — |
| 14 |
DeMar DeRozan
|
SG | 37 | $2.4M | $2.5M | — | — | — |
| 15 |
Tyus Jones
|
PG | 30 | $2.4M | $2.5M | — | — | — |
| 16 |
Markus Howard
|
PG | 27 | $2.2M | — | — | — | — |
| 17 |
Curtis Jones
|
PG | 24 | $2.2M | — | — | — | — |
| 18 |
Trevon Brazile
|
PF | 23 | $1.4M | $2.5M | — | — | — |
|
Dead Money
(1 player)
|
||||||||
| — |
Jonas Valanciunas
Waived
|
— | — | $666K | $666K | $666K | — | — |
|
Two-Way Contracts
(2 of 3 slots • not counted against the cap or the 15-man roster)
|
||||||||
| — |
Bryce Hopkins
Two-Way
|
SF | 25 | $678K | — | — | — | — |
| — |
KJ Simpson
Two-Way
|
PG | 24 | $678K | — | — | — | — |
| Total | $216.8M ($238.3M) | $193.9M ($256.2M) | $120.3M ($216.3M) | $26.7M ($131.9M) | $28.4M ($28.4M) | |||
| Cap Space | -$73.3M | -$74.7M | -$16.7M | $87.7M | $213.1M | |||
| 1st Apron Space | -$7.8M | $36.0M | $132.6M | $251.5M | $277.5M | |||
| 2nd Apron Space | $5.2M | $50.3M | $148.3M | $268.8M | $296.6M | |||
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