New Orleans Pelicans

2026-27 Cap Sheet • Western • Southwest

About this cap sheet

Explore New Orleans Pelicans's contracts, future payroll, draft picks, cap holds, and exceptions. Salary, cap holds, and available spending exceptions are different measures; a team's payroll alone does not determine its available cap room. Cap holds explained · Data and methodology

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. Open in glossary → Hard Capped at 1st Apron Hard Cap Fundamentals A strict salary limit that cannot be exceeded under any circumstances. Teams become hard-capped by certain actions: using the NTMLE (hard-capped at first apron), using the BAE (first apron), receiving a sign-and-trade (first apron), or aggregating salaries (second apron). Open in glossary →

Active GM Challenge

Give NOLA A Fresh Start

Let's be honest... this ain't working in NOLA. Give em a fresh start and a brighter future as a franchise. Only thing is... owner wants to keep his new young players (and DJ for some reason). Fears, Queen, and Jordan are untouchable. He also won't pay the tax, and wants at least 3 first round picks. Get this team a brighter future by selling off anything that still works.

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Team Salary

$196.4M

119.0% of cap

+ $22.1M 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. Open in glossary →

$218.4M

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. Open in glossary →

$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. Open in glossary →

-$31.4M

w/ holds: -$53.4M

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. Open in glossary →

$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. Open in glossary →

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. Open in glossary →

15/15 +2/3

Cap Position

Cap

Tax

1st

2nd

Salary cap $165.0M Teams above this line can no longer use cap space to add salary — they sign and trade using exceptions instead. Luxury tax line $201.0M Total salary above this line is taxed, at escalating rates the further over you go. First apron $209.0M A hard ceiling for some moves — above it a team loses the bi-annual exception, sign-and-trade acquisitions, and the full mid-level. Second apron $222.0M The harshest tier — above it a team loses aggregation, the taxpayer mid-level, and can have future first-round picks frozen.

HARD CAP Hard Cap Fundamentals A strict salary limit that cannot be exceeded under any circumstances. Teams become hard-capped by certain actions: using the NTMLE (hard-capped at first apron), using the BAE (first apron), receiving a sign-and-trade (first apron), or aggregating salaries (second apron). Open in glossary → at $209.0M — Non-Taxpayer MLE ($12.6M room)

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. Open in glossary → $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. Open in glossary → $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. Open in glossary → $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." Open in glossary → $222.0M Team $196.4M 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. Open in glossary → $218.4M

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. Open in glossary →

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	Zion Williamson PF · 2 yrs · $87.1M left	PF	26	$42.2M	$44.9M	$41.3M	—	—
2	Jordan Poole SG · 1 yr · $34.0M left	SG	27	$34.0M	$41.3M	—	—	—
3	Dejounte Murray PG · 2 yrs · $59.5M left	PG	29	$32.8M	$30.8M PO	$46.1M	—	—
4	Trey Murphy III SF · 3 yrs · $87.0M left	SF	26	$27.0M	$29.0M	$31.0M	$41.3M	—
5	Herb Jones SF · 1 yr · $14.9M left	SF	27	$14.9M	$28.3M	—	—	—
6	Jeremiah Fears PG · 3 yrs · $26.7M left	PG	19	$7.9M	$8.3M TO	$10.5M TO	$31.5M	—
7	Bennedict Mathurin SG · 2 yrs · $15.4M left	SG	24	$7.5M	$7.9M PO	$15.0M	—	—
8	Saddiq Bey SF · 1 yr · $6.4M left	SF	27	$6.6M	$12.2M	—	—	—
9	Derik Queen C · 3 yrs · $19.2M left	C	21	$5.4M	$5.7M TO	$8.1M TO	$24.3M	—
10	DeAndre Jordan C · 2 yrs · $7.9M left	C	38	$3.9M	$4.1M	$5.3M	—	—
11	Yves Missi C · 2 yrs · $9.1M left	C	22	$3.5M	$5.6M TO	$16.8M	—	—
12	AJ Johnson PG · 2 yrs · $8.7M left	PG	21	$3.2M	$5.5M TO	$16.5M	—	—
13	Bryce McGowens SG · 2 yrs · $5.5M left	SG	23	$2.6M	$2.9M TO	$5.6M	—	—
14	Brandon Boston SG · No contract	SG	24	$2.5M	—	—	—	—
15	Josh Oduro C · No contract	C	25	$2.5M	—	—	—	—
16	Elfrid Payton PG · No contract	PG	32	$2.5M	—	—	—	—
17	Trendon Watford PF · 1 yr · $2.8M left	PF	25	$2.4M NG	$2.5M	—	—	—
18	Karlo Matkovic C · 1 yr · $2.3M left	C	25	$2.3M	$2.5M	—	—	—
Dead Money (1 player)
—	Taj Gibson Bought Out	—	—	$148K	—	—	—	—
Two-Way Contracts (2 of 3 slots • not counted against the cap or the 15-man roster)
—	Malik Dia Two-Way	PF	22	$678K	—	—	—	—
—	Jaron Pierre Jr. Two-Way	SG	24	$678K	—	—	—	—
	Total			$196.4M ($218.4M)	$144.6M ($231.3M)	$49.6M ($196.1M)	$0 ($97.1M)	$0 ($0)
	Cap Space			-$53.4M	-$49.8M	$3.6M	$122.5M	$241.6M
	1st Apron Space			$12.6M	$85.3M	$203.3M	$278.2M	$306.0M
	2nd Apron Space			$25.6M	$99.6M	$219.0M	$295.5M	$325.0M

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. Open in glossary → • Blue = projected/edited • Struck = option declined • PO Player Opt • TO Team Opt • ETO Early Term • NG = non-guaranteed • Cap projections assume ~10% annual growth

New Orleans Pelicans

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