Capmath

Minnesota Timberwolves

Are the Minnesota Timberwolves over the apron in 2026-27?

Yes, both of them. The Timberwolves are $415K past the second apron for 2026-27.

This includes a projected signing that is not yet official, so these figures are an estimate.

Apron payroll
$222.1M
Unlikely bonuses
$1.8M
First apron
$209.0M (-$13.1M)
Second apron
$221.7M (-$415K)

Their apron payroll is $222.1M against a second-apron line of $221.7M. That is the harshest tier in the CBA: no mid-level exception of any kind, no combining salaries in trades, no sending cash, and a frozen future first-round pick. Their apron payroll counts $1.8M in unlikely bonuses, incentive money a player probably won't earn that counts against the aprons but not the cap or tax.

Practically, a second-apron team can only re-sign its own players with Bird rights and add veteran minimums.

The rule behind this

The second apron is the NBA's harshest spending line, introduced in the 2023 CBA. It sits roughly $20M above the luxury-tax line.

What is the second apron? →What is the first apron? →What is the veteran minimum? →What are unlikely bonuses? →

More Timberwolves questions

Do the Minnesota Timberwolves have cap space in 2026-27?Are the Minnesota Timberwolves in the luxury tax in 2026-27?Do the Minnesota Timberwolves have the mid-level exception in 2026-27?Can the Minnesota Timberwolves sign a max free agent in 2026-27?Who are the Minnesota Timberwolves free agents in 2026-27?What draft picks do the Minnesota Timberwolves have?

Numbers come straight from the live Timberwolves cap sheet, recomputed whenever the data updates.