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 (4)
Trade with DET
Valid
Sent: Trey Murphy III, Jordan Hawkins
Received: Jalen Duren
Picks in: 2027 Rnd 1
Trade with GSW
Valid
Sent: Zion Williamson, Herb Jones
Received: Jimmy Butler, Will Richard
Picks in: 2028 Rnd 1, 2030 Rnd 1
Trade with PHI
Valid
Sent: Yves Missi
Received: Jabari Walker
Picks in: Swap: most favorable of HOU/IND/MIA/OKC/SAS 2027 2nd, 2028 Rnd 2, Swap: less favorable of MEM/PHI 2032 2nd
TPE: $928K
Trade with HOU
Valid
Sent: Dejounte Murray
Received: Jabari Smith Jr.
TPE: $9.1M
Other Teams Modified (1)
DET
Team Salary
$204.9M
124.2% of cap
+ $14.7M 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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$219.6M
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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-$39.9M
w/ holds:
-$54.6M
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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$3.9M
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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16/15
+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).
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at $209.0M
— Non-Taxpayer MLE
($4.1M 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 $204.9M
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 →
$219.6M
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 |
Jimmy Butler
via GSW
|
SF | 37 | $56.8M | $41.3M | — | — | — |
| 2 |
Jalen Duren
via DET
|
C | 22 | $41.3M | $43.3M | $45.5M | $47.8M | $50.1M |
| 3 |
Jordan Poole
|
SG | 27 | $34.0M | $41.3M | — | — | — |
| 4 |
Jabari Smith Jr.
via HOU
|
PF | 23 | $23.6M | $21.8M | $23.6M | $25.5M | $27.4M |
| 5 |
Jeremiah Fears
|
PG | 20 | $7.9M | $8.3M | $10.5M TO | $31.5M | — |
| 6 |
Bennedict Mathurin
|
SG | 24 | $7.5M | $7.9M PO | $15.0M | — | — |
| 7 |
Saddiq Bey
|
SF | 27 | $6.6M | $17.1M | $18.5M | $19.9M | $37.8M |
| 8 |
Derik Queen
|
C | 21 | $5.4M | $5.7M | $8.1M TO | $24.3M | — |
| 9 |
DeAndre Jordan
|
C | 38 | $3.9M | $4.1M | $5.3M | — | — |
| 10 |
AJ Johnson
|
PG | 21 | $3.2M | $5.5M TO | $16.5M | — | — |
| 11 |
Bryce McGowens
|
SG | 23 | $2.6M | $2.9M TO | $5.6M | — | — |
| 12 |
Jabari Walker
via PHI
|
PF | 24 | $2.6M NG | $3.1M | — | — | — |
| 13 |
Josh Oduro
|
C | 26 | $2.5M | — | — | — | — |
| 14 |
Kevin Love
|
C | 38 | $2.5M MIN | — | — | — | — |
| 15 |
Trendon Watford
|
PF | 25 | $2.4M NG | $2.5M | — | — | — |
| 16 |
Karlo Matkovic
|
C | 25 | $2.3M | $2.5M | — | — | — |
| 17 |
Will Richard
via GSW
|
SG | 23 | $2.2M | $2.5M | $2.7M TO | $3.3M | — |
|
Dead Money
(1 player)
|
||||||||
| — |
Taj Gibson
Bought Out
|
— | — | $148K | — | — | — | — |
|
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 | $204.9M ($219.6M) | $119.0M ($209.5M) | $109.0M ($151.3M) | $93.2M ($152.3M) | $77.6M ($115.3M) | |||
| Cap Space | -$54.6M | -$28.0M | $48.4M | $67.3M | $126.3M | |||
| 1st Apron Space | $4.1M | $110.9M | $143.9M | $185.0M | $228.4M | |||
| 2nd Apron Space | $17.1M | $125.2M | $159.6M | $202.3M | $247.5M | |||
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