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), Bi-Annual Exception (BAE) or from acquiring a player via 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

  1. Atlanta Hawks: $182,383,921 (-$13561,079), S&T (Nickeil Alexander-Walker), pTPE (Alexander-Walker via Dejounte Murray), ETPE (Kristaps Porziņģis via Terance Mann/Georges Niang), NTMLE (Luke Kennard)
  2. Charlotte Hornets: $176,691,764 (-$19,253,237), ETPE (Vasilije Micić via Mark Williams), ETPE (Pat Connaughton via Vasilije Micić )
  3. Chicago Bulls: $152,259,186 (-$43,685,814), pTPE (Isaac Okoro via Zach LaVine)
  4. Detroit Pistons: $165,540,386 (-$30,404,614), S&T (Duncan Robinson), ETPE (Robinson via Simone Fontecchio)
  5. Houston Rockets: $194,689,411 (-$1,255,589), S&T (Clint Capela), ETPE (Kevin Durant, Clint Capela via Dillon Brooks, Jalen Green)
  6. Indiana Pacers: $182,353,485 (-$13,591,515),  ETPE (Jay Huff via James Wiseman)
  7. LA Clippers: $194,667,024 (-$1,277,976), NTMLE (Brook Lopez, Bradley Beal), ETPE (John Collins via Norman Powell)
  8. Los Angeles Lakers: $194,820,805 (-$1,124,195), NTMLE (Deandre Ayton, Jake LaRavia)
  9. Memphis Grizzlies: $172,007,315 (-$23,937,685), ETPE (Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony via Desmond Bane)
  10. Miami Heat: $192,025,767 (-$3,919,235), ETPE (Norman Powell via Kyle Anderson, Kevin Love)
  11. New Orleans Pelicans: $190,503,565 (-$5,441,435), ETPE (Jordan Poole, Saddiq Bey via CJ McCollum)
  12. Orlando Magic: $194,704,322 (-$1,240,678), NTMLE (Tyus Jones)
  13. Portland Trail Blazers: $188,036,361 (-$7,908,639), ETPE (Jrue Holiday via Anfernee Simons)
  14. Sacramento Kings: $188,415,189 (-$7,529,811), S&T (Dennis Schröder), pTPE (Schröder via Kevin Huerter)
  15. San Antonio: $183,638,561 (-$12,306,439), ETPE (Kelly Olynyk via Blake Wesley, Malaki Branham)
  16. Utah Jazz: $143,910,751 (-$52,034,249), NTMLE (Kyle Anderson), BAE (Kevin Love)
  17. Washington Wizards: $157,264,261 (-$36,680,739), 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)

Second-Apron Hard Cap

  1. Brooklyn Nets: $115,444,499 (-$92,379,501), Cash out (Boston Celtics)
  2. Dallas Mavericks: $206,240,362 (-$1,583,638), TMLE (D’Angelo Russell)
  3. New York Knicks $204,106,498 (-$3,717,502), TMLE (Guerschon Yabusele)

No Hard-Cap Restriction

  1. Boston Celtics: $205,885,215 (-$1,938,765 under second apron)
  2. Cleveland Cavaliers: $227,537,886 ($31,592,886 over second apron)
  3. Denver Nuggets: $193,092,168 (-$2,862,832 under first apron)
  4. Golden State Warriors: $170,969,365 (-$24,975,635 under first apron)
  5. Milwaukee Bucks: $174,186,015 (-$21,758,985 under first apron)
  6. Minnesota Timberwolves: $201,965,739 (-$5,858,261 under second apron)
  7. Oklahoma City Thunder: $187,377,564 (-$8,567,436 under first apron)
  8. Philadelphia 76ers: $186,140,298 (-$9,804,702 under first apron)
  9. Phoenix Suns: $189,668,668 (-$6,276,332 under first apron)
  10. Toronto Raptors: $197,304,305 (-$10,519,695 under second 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 7/30/25)