One of the goals of the NBA’s latest Collective Bargaining Agreement is to curb spending. The higher a team’s payroll, the fewer tools they have.
The NBA has a soft cap, which allows teams to spend without limit, provided they have the tools (more formally, “exceptions”) to do so. But certain exceptions will trigger hard spending limits at the first ($195,945,000) or second ($207,824,000) aprons. Once a team chooses to have a hard cap, it cannot exceed it under any circumstances. Similarly, if a team is above an apron, it cannot use an exception that would trigger that spending limit.
The first apron is triggered by the use of the Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception (NTMLE), the Bi-Annual Exception (BAE), or by acquiring a player via a sign-and-trade (S&T). The second apron is triggered by using the Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception (TMLE). Additionally, teams above the apron cannot use the Expanded Traded Player Exception (ETPE), which allows for salary matching above the outgoing amount, or preexisting trade exceptions (pTPE) that were generated before the prior February trade deadline, among other triggers.
The following lists each team, their apron payroll (which includes all player incentives), their apron status and the tools used to trigger a hard cap, if applicable:
First-Apron Hard Cap
- Atlanta Hawks: $186,070,502(-$9,874,498)
—S&T (Nickeil Alexander-Walker)
—pTPE (Alexander-Walker via Dejounte Murray)
—ETPE (Kristaps Porziņģis via Terance Mann/Georges Niang)
—NTMLE (Luke Kennard)
—pTPE (Gabe Vincent via Bogdan Bogdanović) - Charlotte Hornets: $183,823,877 (-$12,121,123)
—ETPE (Vasilije Micić via Mark Williams)
—ETPE (Pat Connaughton via Vasilije Micić )
—ETPE (Coby White via Ousmane Dieng) - Chicago Bulls: $184,983,630 (-$10,961,370)
—pTPE (Isaac Okoro, Dario Šarić via Zach LaVine)
—ETPE (Collin Sexton via Mike Conley) - Detroit Pistons: $183,338,865 (-$12,606,135)
—S&T (Duncan Robinson)
—ETPE (Robinson via Simone Fontecchio) - Houston Rockets: $194,689,411 (-$1,255,589)
—S&T (Clint Capela)
—ETPE (Kevin Durant, Clint Capela via Dillon Brooks, Jalen Green) - Indiana Pacers: $187,678,346 (-$8,266,654)
— ETPE (Jay Huff via James Wiseman) - LA Clippers: $188,796,810 (-$7,148,190)
—NTMLE (Brook Lopez, Bradley Beal)
—ETPE (John Collins via Norman Powell)
—ETPE (Darius Garland via James Harden) - Los Angeles Lakers: $194,457,775 (-$1,477,225)
—NTMLE (Deandre Ayton, Jake LaRavia) - Memphis Grizzlies: $156,606,520 (-$39,338,480)
—ETPE (Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony via Desmond Bane)
—ETPE (Kyle Anderson via Jock Landale, Vince Williams Jr.)
—ETPE (Walter Clayton Jr., Taylor Hendricks via John Konchar) - Miami Heat: $188,788,637 (-$7,156,363)
—ETPE (Norman Powell via Kyle Anderson, Kevin Love) - Milwaukee Bucks: $183,153,171 (-$12,791,829)
—ETPE (Ousmane Dieng via Cole Anthony, Amir Coffey) - New Orleans Pelicans: $193,743,295 (-$2,201,705)
—ETPE (Jordan Poole, Saddiq Bey via CJ McCollum) - Orlando Magic: $188,575,322 (-$7,369,678)
—NTMLE (Tyus Jones) - Portland Trail Blazers: $188,164.262 (-$-7,780,738)
—ETPE (Jrue Holiday via Anfernee Simons)
—STPE with padding (Vit Krejčí via Duop Reath) - Sacramento Kings: $191,690,188 (-$4,254,812)
—S&T (Dennis Schröder)
—pTPE (Schröder via Kevin Huerter)
—ETPE (De’Andre Hunter via Dennis Schröder, Keon Ellis) - San Antonio: $185,964,835 (-$-9,980,165)
—ETPE (Kelly Olynyk via Blake Wesley, Malaki Branham) - Toronto Raptors: $193,362,767 (-$2,582,233)
—NTMLE (Trayce Jackson-Davis via trade) - Utah Jazz: $172,310,700 (-$23,634,300)
—NTMLE (Kyle Anderson)
—BAE (Kevin Love)
—ETPE (Jaren Jackson Jr. via Kyle Anderson, Walter Clayton Jr., Taylor Hendricks, Georges Niang)
—pTPE (Vince Williams Jr. via PJ Tucker) - Washington Wizards: $182,817,329 (-$13,127,671)
—pTPE (Dillon Jones via Patrick Baldwin Jr.; Malaki Branham via Johnny Davis)
—ETPE (Cam Whitmore, CJ McCollum, Kelly Olynyk via Jordan Poole, Saddiq Bey)
—BAE (Blake Wesley)
—ETPE (Trae Young via CJ McCollum, Corey Kispert)
Second-Apron Hard Cap
- Boston Celtics: $187,052,708 (-$20,771,292
—Cash out (Utah Jazz) - Brooklyn Nets: $151,140,152 (-$56,683,848)
—Cash out (Boston Celtics) - Dallas Mavericks: $187,461,433 (-$20,362,567)
—TMLE (D’Angelo Russell) - Golden State Warriors: $204,350,146 (-$3,473,854)
—TMLE (Al Horford) - Minnesota Timberwolves: $194,430,373 (-$13,393,627)
—S&T out (Ayo Dosunmu via Nickeil Alexander-Walker) - New York Knicks $206,675,642 (-$1,148,358)
—TMLE (Guerschon Yabusele) - Oklahoma City Thunder $187,224,316 (-20,599,684)
—Cash out (Utah Jazz) - Phoenix Suns $186,964,942 (-$20,859,058)
—Cash out (Milwaukee Bucks)
No Hard-Cap Restriction
- Cleveland Cavaliers: $211,686,176 ($3,862,176 over second apron)
- Denver Nuggets: $190,870,491 (-$5,074,509 under first apron)
- Philadelphia 76ers: $192,189,783 (-$3,755,217 under first apron)
Check back for updates as teams make transactions throughout the year.
Email Eric Pincus at eric.pincus@gmail.com and follow him on X/Twitter @EricPincus.
(Updated on 2/8/26)
