CapmathThe NBA Cap Ledger
Vol. XI · 2026-27 · Computed live
Vol. XI · 2026-27 · Computed live
Atlanta Hawks · Salary cap report
Hawks are $10.0M over the first apron.
Atlanta Hawks payroll for the 2026-27 season is $217.6M against a $165.0M salary cap.
Payroll, the money committed to the roster, is signed salaries, dead money, and drafted-rookie holds: $217.6M. Counting cap holds for their own free agents, the Hawks' cap number rises to $255.0M, which is why there is no usable cap space until those holds come off the books. Renouncing every free-agent hold would open -$52.7M of room and give up Bird rights. Drafted-rookie holds count against the cap, not the luxury tax.
Run Hawks' offseason yourself→Over the first apron
What the numbers mean
Payroll$217.6M
The salaries actually committed to players right now.
Counts against the cap$255.0M
What the league counts: payroll plus free-agent hold placeholders.
Luxury tax lineOVERby $17.2M
Cross it and the team pays a penalty on every dollar over.
First apron lineOVERby $10.0M
A stricter line. Over it, the bigger roster tools freeze. The apron figure counts $1.4M in unlikely bonuses on top of payroll: incentive money a player probably won't earn, which counts against the aprons but not the cap or tax.
Where the Hawks land · payroll against the cap lines
Cap$165.0MTax$200.4MApron 1$209.0MApron 2$221.7M
The solid bar is real payroll. The hatched extension is a free-agent hold crossing the cap line. Renounce it and the room clears.
The apron math · what counts toward the aprons
Payroll (contracts, dead money, drafted rookies)$217.6M
Unlikely bonuses+$1.4M
Apron figure$219.0M
First apron $209.0MOVERby $10.0M
Second apron $221.7MUNDERby $2.7M
Free-agent cap holds never count toward the aprons. Only payroll (with drafted rookies booked as signed) and unlikely bonuses, incentive money a player probably won't earn, do.
The books
2026-27 focused
| Player | Pos | 2026-27 | 2027-28 | 2028-29 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Signed contracts | ||||
| Jalen Johnson | F | $30.0M | $30.0M | $30.0M |
| Dyson Daniels | G | $25.0M | $25.0M | $25.0M |
| Jonathan Kuminga | F | TO$24.3M | – | – |
| CJ McCollum | G | $21.0M | – | – |
| Onyeka Okongwu | F | $16.1M | $16.9M | – |
| Nickeil Alexander-Walker | G | $14.4M | $15.2M | PO$15.9M |
| Jock Landale | C | $14.0M | – | – |
| Corey Kispert | F | $14.0M | $13.0M | $13.0M |
| Zaccharie Risacher | F | TO$13.8M | TO$17.4M | – |
| Buddy Hield | G | $9.7M | PO$10.1M | – |
| Aaron Wiggins | G | $9.0M | $8.2M | $8.2M |
| Devin Carter | G | $5.2M | $7.4M | – |
| Asa Newell | F | $3.4M | TO$3.6M | TO$6.0M |
| N'Faly Dante | C | $2.4M | – | – |
| Mouhamed Gueye | F | TO$2.4M | – | – |
| Nikola Durisic | G | $2.2M | $2.5M | – |
| Signed subtotal | $206.8M | $149.2M | $98.2M | |
| Draft picks · on roster, rookie-scale hold | ||||
| Kingston Flemings · No. 8ROOKIE | – | $7.3M | – | – |
| Zuby Ejiofor · No. 23ROOKIE | – | $3.5M | – | – |
| Payroll | $217.6M | $149.2M | $98.2M | |
| Cap holds · placeholders, not paid | ||||
| Gabe VincentBIRD 190% | G | $21.9M | – | – |
| Keaton WallaceNON-BIRD | G | $3.1M | – | – |
| Duop ReathNON-BIRD | C | $3.0M | – | – |
| Caleb HoustanNON-BIRD | G | $2.8M | – | – |
| Tony BradleyNON-BIRD | C | $2.2M | – | – |
| RayJ DennisMIN HOLD | F | $2.2M | – | – |
| Henri VeesaarMIN HOLD | F | $2.2M | – | – |
| Mouhamed GueyeBIRD 300% | F | – | $7.2M | – |
| Jonathan KumingaEARLY BIRD | F | – | $31.6M | – |
| N'Faly DanteEARLY BIRD | C | – | $3.3M | – |
| Onyeka OkongwuBIRD 150% | F | – | – | $25.3M |
| Nikola DurisicBIRD 300% | G | – | – | $7.6M |
| Buddy HieldBIRD 190% | G | – | – | $19.2M |
| Zaccharie RisacherBIRD 250% | F | – | – | $43.6M |
| Nickeil Alexander-WalkerBIRD 150% | G | – | – | – |
| Corey KispertBIRD 190% | F | – | – | – |
| Asa NewellBIRD 300% | F | – | – | – |
| Aaron WigginsBIRD 190% | F | – | – | – |
| Devin CarterBIRD 300% | F | – | – | $22.1M |
| Counts against the cap | $255.0M | $191.3M | $217.5M | |
What they can add
Taxpayer MLEup to $6.1M
A smaller mid-level signing slot, the only one this high. Using it locks their spending at the second apron.
Bird rightsLets them re-sign their own free agents up to the max.
Locked outUp here they lose the bigger mid-level and the bi-annual slot, can't bring a player in by sign-and-trade, and can't take back more salary than they send out.
Trade exceptions
Trade exception · from the Kobe Bufkin tradeup to $4.5M
Absorbs one incoming contract up to this amount with no salary matching. Expires Sep 16, 2026.
Trade exception · from the Trae Young tradeup to $1.4M
Absorbs one incoming contract up to this amount with no salary matching. Expires Jan 9, 2027.
Trade exception · from the Vit Krejci tradeup to $2.3M
Absorbs one incoming contract up to this amount with no salary matching. Expires Feb 1, 2027.
Trade exception · from the Luke Kennard tradeup to $5.8M
Absorbs one incoming contract up to this amount with no salary matching. Expires Feb 5, 2027.
A trade exception is a credit from an earlier trade, not money on the books, so it does not count toward the cap, tax, or apron. On file as of Aug 1, 2026; may not be complete.
Decisions ahead
Option calls before 2027-28
Zaccharie Risacher $17.4M team option, Buddy Hield $10.1M player option, Asa Newell $3.6M team option.
Expiring after 2026-27
Jonathan Kuminga $24.3M, CJ McCollum $21.0M, Jock Landale $14.0M, N'Faly Dante $2.4M, Mouhamed Gueye $2.4M come off the books.
Front office
Run the Hawks offseason
Take these exact books into the GM Machine and re-sign, sign, waive, stretch, and draft, with every cap rule checked and explained as you go.
Draft picks through 2033
The Hawks control 9 first-round and 8 second-round picks, 2 carrying swap rights.
2026
2026 1st (via CLE) · No. 23
Cleveland's own first conveyed to Atlanta, landing at pick 23, from the De'Andre Hunter trade with Atlanta.
2026 1st (via NOP) · No. 8
New Orleans's own first conveyed to Atlanta, landing at pick 8, as the more favorable of the New Orleans and Milwaukee 2026 firsts. From the June 2025 Derik Queen deal.
2026 2nd (via BOS) · No. 57
Boston's own second conveyed to Atlanta at pick 57, from the June 2025 Porzingis three-team trade.
Their own 1st, owed to SAS · No. 20
Atlanta's own first conveyed to San Antonio as the more favorable of the Atlanta and San Antonio 2026 firsts, landing at pick 20. From the Dejounte Murray obligation to San Antonio.
Their own 2nd, owed to DEN · No. 49
Atlanta's own second conveyed to Denver at pick 49, routed via Brooklyn and Golden State.
2027
2027 1st (via MIL)
Atlanta receives the less favorable of the New Orleans and Milwaukee 2027 firsts, top-4 protected; New Orleans keeps the more favorable on its own slot. From the 2020 Jrue Holiday trade and the Dejounte Murray obligation.
2027 2nd (own)
Their own 1st, owed to SAS
Atlanta's own first is owed to San Antonio unprotected, the final year of the Dejounte Murray obligation. Separately, Atlanta receives the less favorable of the New Orleans and Milwaukee 2027 firsts, top-4 protected, which lands on Milwaukee's slot.
2028
2028 1st (own, swap rights attached)
ATL holds the most favorable of its own first and the less favorable of the UTA and CLE 2028 firsts, from arrangements tied to the earlier Cleveland and Utah trades.
Their own 2nd, owed to BKN
Owed to Brooklyn, unprotected.
2029
2029 1st (own)
2029 2nd (via CLE)
Unprotected second owed to Atlanta, tied to the De'Andre Hunter trade structure.
Their own 2nd, owed to OKC
Charlotte receives the more favorable of Atlanta's and Miami's 2029 seconds and Oklahoma City the less favorable, from the February 2026 Ousmane Dieng trade; Atlanta's slot lands with Oklahoma City if it is the less favorable, otherwise Charlotte.
2030
2030 1st (own)
2030 2nd (via NYK)
Unprotected second routed through Portland and terminal in Atlanta, from the Vit Krejci trade.
Their own 2nd, owed to OKC
Owed to Oklahoma City, unprotected, in the June 2026 Aaron Wiggins trade.
2031
2031 1st (own)
2031 2nd (own, swap rights attached)
Atlanta holds the right to swap its own 2031 second for Houston's, from the July 2025 seven-team Clint Capela trade; Houston's pick is protected 56-60 and routes to Boston in that range. Atlanta keeps its slot unless it swaps.
2032
2032 1st (own)
2032 2nd (via LAL)
Atlanta keeps the more favorable of its own and the Lakers' 2032 seconds and Oklahoma City receives the less favorable; if the Lakers' pick is the less favorable it goes to Oklahoma City instead. From the Kennard trade and the July 2026 Aaron Wiggins trade.
Their own 2nd, owed to OKC
Atlanta keeps the more favorable of its own and the Lakers' 2032 seconds and Oklahoma City receives the less favorable; Atlanta's own slot goes to Oklahoma City only if it is the less favorable of the pair. From the July 2026 Aaron Wiggins trade.
2033
2033 1st (own)
2033 2nd (own)
2033 2nd (via SAC)
Sacramento's own second conveyed to Atlanta in the June 2026 Devin Carter salary-dump trade. Unprotected.
Protections and swap conditions in plain English. Full story on the Hawks draft picks page.
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