New Orleans Pelicans
2026-27 Cap Sheet • Western • Southwest
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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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).
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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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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).
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Give NOLA A Fresh Start
Viewing a shared scenario. Clone it to make your own edits.
Scenario Trades (5)
Trade with MIA
Valid
Sent: Dejounte Murray
Received: Davion Mitchell, Nikola Jovic
Picks out: Swap: less favorable of NOP/ORL 2030 2nd
TPE: $4.2M
Trade with PHI
Valid
Sent: Saddiq Bey
Received: Anfernee Simons, Justin Edwards
Picks in: 2027 Rnd 1
Trade with SAC
Valid
Sent: Zion Williamson
Received: Domantas Sabonis
Picks in: 2028 Rnd 1
Trade with DEN
Valid
Sent: Yves Missi
Received: Zeke Nnaji
Picks in: 2029 Rnd 1
Trade with LAL
Valid
Sent: Karlo Matkovic, Anfernee Simons
Received: Jaden Hardy
TPE: $2.3M
Team Salary
$196.6M
119.1% of cap
+ $12.3M 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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$208.8M
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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-$31.6M
w/ holds:
-$43.8M
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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$0
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
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
($12.4M 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."
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$222.0M
Team $196.6M
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 →
$208.8M
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 |
Domantas Sabonis
via SAC
|
C | 30 | $45.5M | $48.6M | $49.5M | — | — |
| 2 |
Jordan Poole
|
SG | 27 | $34.0M | $41.3M | — | — | — |
| 3 |
Trey Murphy III
|
SF | 26 | $27.0M | $29.0M | $31.0M | $41.3M | — |
| 4 |
Nikola Jovic
via MIA
|
PF | 23 | $16.2M | $14.9M | $15.1M | $16.2M | $19.4M |
| 5 |
Herb Jones
|
SF | 28 | $14.9M | $28.3M | — | — | — |
| 6 |
Davion Mitchell
via MIA
|
PG | 28 | $12.4M | $14.9M | — | — | — |
| 7 |
Jeremiah Fears
|
PG | 20 | $7.9M | $8.3M | $10.5M TO | $31.5M | — |
| 8 |
Bennedict Mathurin
|
SG | 24 | $7.5M | $7.9M PO | $15.0M | — | — |
| 9 |
Zeke Nnaji
via DEN
|
C | 25 | $7.5M | $7.5M PO | $9.0M | — | — |
| 10 |
Jaden Hardy
via LAL
|
PG | 24 | $6.0M | $6.0M TO NG | $7.2M | — | — |
| 11 |
Derik Queen
|
C | 21 | $5.4M | $5.7M | $8.1M TO | $24.3M | — |
| 12 |
DeAndre Jordan
|
C | 38 | $3.9M | $4.1M | $5.3M | — | — |
| 13 |
Bryce McGowens
|
SG | 23 | $2.6M | $2.9M TO | $5.6M | — | — |
| 14 |
Justin Edwards
via PHI
|
SF | 22 | $2.4M | $2.6M TO | $3.1M | — | — |
| 15 | Empty roster spot | — | — | — | — | — | ||
|
Dead Money
(2 players)
|
||||||||
| — |
Taj Gibson
Bought Out
|
— | — | $148K | — | — | — | — |
| — |
AJ Johnson
Waived
|
— | — | $3.2M | — | — | — | — |
|
Off Roster
(1 player)
|
||||||||
| — |
Josh Oduro
Renounced
|
C | 26 | — | — | — | — | — |
|
Two-Way Contracts
(3 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 | — | — | — | — |
| — |
Julian Reese
Two-Way
|
PF | 23 | $678K | — | — | — | — |
| Total | $196.6M ($208.8M) | $137.4M ($221.9M) | $64.7M ($159.3M) | $16.2M ($113.3M) | $0 ($19.4M) | |||
| Cap Space | -$43.8M | -$40.4M | $40.3M | $106.3M | $222.1M | |||
| 1st Apron Space | $12.4M | $92.5M | $188.2M | $262.0M | $306.0M | |||
| 2nd Apron Space | $25.4M | $106.8M | $203.9M | $279.3M | $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