2026–27 Apron Tracker
The modern NBA's real standings race is against four dollar figures. This season the cap sits at $165.0M, the tax at $200.4M, and the aprons at $209.0M and $221.7M. Right now no team's cap number clears the second apron.
Team payrolls vs the four lines
Hollow bars end at each team's cap number (top-15 cap hits); accent segment = beyond the second apron
Above the second apron
0 teamsOver $221.7M — the CBA's deep freeze: no aggregating salaries in trades, no cash in deals, no sign-and-trade acquisitions, and a frozen first-round pick seven years out.
Above the first apron
8 teamsOver $209.0M — no acquiring more salary than you send out, no signing buyout players who earned above the mid-level, hard-capped here if certain tools were used.
| Team | Cap number | All contracts | vs cap | vs tax | vs apron 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orlando Magic | $221,137,307 | $223,288,224 (16) | + $56.2M | + $20.7M | − $0.5M |
| Denver Nuggets | $221,069,148 | $221,069,148 (14) | + $56.1M | + $20.6M | − $0.6M |
| Golden State Warriors | $219,797,826 | $223,306,506 (17) | + $54.8M | + $19.4M | − $1.9M |
| New York Knicks | $217,948,756 | $217,948,756 (13) | + $53.0M | + $17.5M | − $3.7M |
| Oklahoma City Thunder | $216,156,755 | $216,156,755 (15) | + $51.2M | + $15.7M | − $5.5M |
| Minnesota Timberwolves | $215,327,417 | $215,327,417 (15) | + $50.4M | + $14.9M | − $6.4M |
| Phoenix Suns | $211,071,420 | $216,225,506 (18) | + $46.1M | + $10.6M | − $10.6M |
| Philadelphia 76ers | $209,092,519 | $213,165,808 (18) | + $44.1M | + $8.7M | − $12.6M |
In the luxury tax
6 teamsOver $200.4M — paying the escalating tax bill, but roster building is not yet restricted.
| Team | Cap number | All contracts | vs cap | vs tax | vs apron 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland Cavaliers | $208,545,283 | $208,969,955 (16) | + $43.6M | + $8.1M | − $13.1M |
| Miami Heat | $208,293,719 | $208,293,719 (15) | + $43.3M | + $7.9M | − $13.4M |
| Toronto Raptors | $204,553,767 | $205,911,530 (16) | + $39.6M | + $4.1M | − $17.1M |
| Houston Rockets | $204,129,580 | $205,487,343 (16) | + $39.2M | + $3.7M | − $17.6M |
| Indiana Pacers | $203,715,395 | $203,715,395 (13) | + $38.8M | + $3.3M | − $18.0M |
| Boston Celtics | $201,171,827 | $203,887,353 (17) | + $36.2M | + $0.7M | − $20.5M |
Over the cap, under the tax
12 teamsBetween the $165.0M cap and the tax line — the league's default operating zone.
| Team | Cap number | All contracts | vs cap | vs tax | vs apron 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Lakers | $199,181,842 | $201,332,759 (16) | + $34.2M | − $1.2M | − $22.5M |
| San Antonio Spurs | $198,315,672 | $198,315,672 (15) | + $33.4M | − $2.1M | − $23.4M |
| New Orleans Pelicans | $196,915,087 | $204,259,028 (19) | + $32.0M | − $3.5M | − $24.8M |
| Portland Trail Blazers | $194,243,116 | $194,511,148 (16) | + $29.3M | − $6.2M | − $27.4M |
| Atlanta Hawks | $193,469,573 | $198,336,016 (18) | + $28.5M | − $7.0M | − $28.2M |
| Dallas Mavericks | $192,469,762 | $197,866,094 (18) | + $27.5M | − $8.0M | − $29.2M |
| Sacramento Kings | $191,795,907 | $191,795,907 (13) | + $26.8M | − $8.6M | − $29.9M |
| Washington Wizards | $189,013,104 | $189,013,104 (13) | + $24.1M | − $11.4M | − $32.7M |
| LA Clippers | $185,091,686 | $193,693,925 (19) | + $20.1M | − $15.3M | − $36.6M |
| Milwaukee Bucks | $183,995,564 | $193,808,287 (20) | + $19.0M | − $16.4M | − $37.7M |
| Utah Jazz | $181,863,431 | $181,863,431 (15) | + $16.9M | − $18.6M | − $39.8M |
| Charlotte Hornets | $170,048,467 | $177,055,763 (18) | + $5.1M | − $30.4M | − $51.6M |
Under the cap
4 teamsBelow $165.0M — real cap space (teams must still reach the $148.5M minimum by opening night).
| Team | Cap number | All contracts | vs cap | vs tax | vs apron 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago Bulls | $161,545,080 | $161,545,080 (14) | − $3.4M | − $38.9M | − $60.1M |
| Brooklyn Nets | $160,105,139 | $160,105,139 (15) | − $4.9M | − $40.3M | − $61.6M |
| Detroit Pistons | $153,163,826 | $153,163,826 (15) | − $11.8M | − $47.3M | − $68.5M |
| Memphis Grizzlies | $146,390,562 | $161,078,369 (22) | − $18.6M | − $54.0M | − $75.3M |
Key CBA numbers · 2026–27
- Salary cap
- $165.0M
- Luxury tax
- $200.4M
- First apron
- $209.0M
- Second apron
- $221.7M
- Team minimum
- $148.5M
Methodology & sources
Cap, tax, apron, and minimum figures are the league's official 2026–27 numbers (NBA.com, effective 2026-07-01). Team figures are transcribed from Basketball-Reference's team contracts pages as of Sep 17, 2026, and they are CAP HITS, not actual salaries: the tax and apron lines are measured against cap accounting, where a veteran-minimum contract counts at the two-year-vet rate regardless of what the player is paid. The cap number is the sum of each team's 15 largest cap hits — the regular-season roster shape apron standing is judged from — because offseason rosters carry up to 21 contracts and summing camp deals overstates where a team really sits. The all-contracts column shows that full total and today's contract count; the two converge when rosters cut down. A team belongs to a tier when its cap number exceeds that threshold; sitting exactly on a line keeps you under it. Tier restrictions summarized from the 2023 CBA; the tax is a bill, the aprons are handcuffs.