CapmathThe NBA Cap Ledger
Vol. XI · 2026-27 · Computed live
Vol. XI · 2026-27 · Computed live
Brooklyn Nets · Salary cap report
Nets are $1.8M into the luxury tax.
Brooklyn Nets payroll for the 2026-27 season is $202.2M against a $165.0M salary cap.
Payroll, the money committed to the roster, is signed salaries, dead money, and drafted-rookie holds: $202.2M. Counting cap holds for their own free agents, the Nets' cap number rises to $208.8M, which is why there is no usable cap space until those holds come off the books. Renouncing every free-agent hold would open -$37.3M of room and give up Bird rights. Drafted-rookie holds count against the cap, not the luxury tax.
Run Nets' offseason yourself→In the luxury tax
What the numbers mean
Payroll$202.2M
The salaries actually committed to players right now.
Counts against the cap$208.8M
What the league counts: payroll plus free-agent hold placeholders.
Luxury tax lineOVERby $1.8M
Cross it and the team pays a penalty on every dollar over.
First apron lineUNDERby $6.8M
A stricter line. Over it, the bigger roster tools freeze.
Where the Nets 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 books
2026-27 focused
| Player | Pos | 2026-27 | 2027-28 | 2028-29 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Signed contracts | ||||
| Michael Porter Jr. | F | $40.8M | – | – |
| Julius Randle | F | $33.3M | PO$35.8M | – |
| Terance Mann | G | $15.5M | $16.0M | – |
| Day'Ron Sharpe | C | TO$10.0M | $10.0M | – |
| Keon Ellis | G | $9.0M | $9.0M | – |
| Moritz Wagner | $9.0M | $9.4M | – | |
| Moritz Wagner | C | $9.0M | $9.4M | – |
| Moe Wagner | F | $9.0M | $9.4M | – |
| Mikel Brown Jr. | G | $8.8M | $9.2M | $9.7M |
| Egor Demin | G | $7.2M | TO$7.6M | TO$9.6M |
| Egor Demin | $7.2M | TO$7.6M | TO$9.6M | |
| Noah Clowney | F | TO$5.4M | – | – |
| Josh Minott | F | TO$4.5M | $4.5M | – |
| Armel Traore | F | $4.0M | TO$4.2M | TO$6.5M |
| Drake Powell | F | $3.5M | TO$3.7M | TO$6.1M |
| Ben Saraf | G | $3.0M | TO$3.2M | TO$5.7M |
| Ben Saraf | G | $3.0M | TO$3.2M | TO$5.7M |
| Joshua Jefferson | F | $3.0M | $3.1M | $3.3M |
| Danny Wolf | F | $2.9M | TO$3.1M | TO$5.6M |
| Signed subtotal | $188.3M | $148.5M | $61.8M | |
| Draft picks · on roster, rookie-scale hold | ||||
| Mikel Brown Jr. · No. 6ROOKIE | – | $8.8M | – | – |
| Joshua Jefferson · No. 28ROOKIE | – | $3.0M | – | – |
| Dead money | ||||
| Malachi Smith | – | $2.2M | – | – |
| Payroll | $202.2M | $148.5M | $61.8M | |
| Cap holds · placeholders, not paid | ||||
| Nolan TraoréMIN HOLD | F | $2.2M | – | – |
| Chaney JohnsonMIN HOLD | F | $2.2M | – | – |
| Tyler BilodeauMIN HOLD | F | $2.2M | – | – |
| Day'Ron SharpeEARLY BIRD | C | – | – | $13.0M |
| Michael Porter Jr.BIRD 150% | F | – | $53.0M | – |
| Josh MinottEARLY BIRD | F | – | – | $5.8M |
| Egor DeminBIRD 300% | G | – | – | – |
| Armel TraoreBIRD 300% | F | – | – | – |
| Noah ClowneyBIRD 300% | F | – | $16.2M | – |
| Drake PowellBIRD 300% | F | – | – | – |
| Malachi SmithNON-BIRD | G | – | $2.9M | – |
| Terance MannBIRD 150% | G | – | – | $24.0M |
| Ben SarafBIRD 300% | G | – | – | – |
| Danny WolfBIRD 300% | F | – | – | – |
| Keon EllisEARLY BIRD | G | – | – | $11.7M |
| Julius RandleBIRD 150% | F | – | – | $53.7M |
| Moritz WagnerEARLY BIRD | C | – | – | $12.3M |
| Counts against the cap | $208.8M | $220.6M | $182.3M | |
What they can add
Non-Taxpayer MLEup to $15.0M
The full mid-level signing slot for adding an outside free agent. Using it locks their spending at the first apron for the rest of the season.
Bi-Annual Exceptionup to $5.4M
A smaller signing slot, usable every other year. Using it also locks their spending at the first apron.
Bird rightsLets them re-sign their own free agents for more than other teams can offer, up to the max.
Decisions ahead
Option calls before 2027-28
Julius Randle $35.8M player option, Egor Demin $7.6M team option, Egor Demin $7.6M team option, Armel Traore $4.2M team option, Drake Powell $3.7M team option, Ben Saraf $3.2M team option, Ben Saraf $3.2M team option, Danny Wolf $3.1M team option.
Expiring after 2026-27
Michael Porter Jr. $40.8M, Noah Clowney $5.4M come off the books.
Front office
Run the Nets 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 Nets control 15 first-round and 20 second-round picks, 2 carrying swap rights.
2026
2026 1st (own) · No. 6
2026 1st (via DET) · No. 28
Detroit's own first lands at pick 28. Minnesota controlled it through the Mike Conley pick-swap chain, then sent it to Brooklyn in the June 2026 Julius Randle trade.
2026 2nd (via LAC) · No. 43
The Clippers' own second conveyed to Brooklyn at pick 43, routed via Houston.
Their own 2nd, owed to MIN · No. 33
Brooklyn's own second conveyed to Minnesota at pick 33, in the June 2026 Julius Randle trade.
2027
2027 1st (own, swap rights attached)
Houston holds the right to swap its 2027 first for Brooklyn's, from the January 2021 James Harden trade. Brooklyn keeps its slot unless Houston swaps.
2027 1st (via NYK)
Unprotected first owed to Brooklyn from the June 2024 Mikal Bridges trade.
2027 2nd (via LAL)
Owed to Brooklyn, unprotected. The non-conveyance package the Lakers owe if the 2027 first stays top-4 protected runs to Memphis, not Utah.
Their own 2nd, owed to WAS
Washington takes the more favorable of the Brooklyn and Dallas 2027 seconds and Milwaukee the less favorable; Detroit's earlier claim moved to Milwaukee in the July 2026 six-team trade. Brooklyn's own slot lands with Washington or Milwaukee.
2028
2028 1st (own, swap rights attached)
BKN takes the most favorable of its own 2028 first, the PHX 2028 first, and the NYK swap from the Bridges trade; the own slot is retained pending that resolution.
2028 1st (via PHI)
Owed to Brooklyn, top-8 protected, from the February 2022 Ben Simmons trade; if it lands 1-8 it does not convey and Philadelphia instead sends its 2028 second to Brooklyn.
2028 2nd (via ATL)
Owed to Brooklyn, unprotected.
2028 2nd (own)
2028 2nd (via MEM)
Owed to Brooklyn, unprotected.
2029
2029 1st (own)
2029 1st (via NYK)
Unprotected first owed to Brooklyn from the June 2024 Mikal Bridges trade.
2029 1st (via PHX)
Houston takes the two most favorable of the HOU, DAL, and PHX 2029 firsts and Brooklyn receives the least favorable of the three; on current projections Phoenix's slot is the least favorable and conveys to Brooklyn. From the Nets-Rockets arrangement via the February 2023 Kevin Durant trade.
2029 2nd (own)
2029 2nd (via DAL)
Owed to Brooklyn, unprotected.
2029 2nd (via GSW)
Owed to Brooklyn, unprotected.
2029 2nd (via MEM)
Owed to Brooklyn, unprotected.
2030
2030 1st (own)
2030 2nd (via BOS)
Unprotected second owed to Brooklyn.
2030 2nd (own)
2030 2nd (via DAL)
Owed to Brooklyn, unprotected.
2030 2nd (via LAL)
Owed to Brooklyn, unprotected.
2031
2031 1st (own)
2031 1st (via NYK)
Unprotected first owed to Brooklyn from the June 2024 Mikal Bridges trade.
2031 2nd (own)
2031 2nd (via LAL)
Owed to Brooklyn, unprotected.
2032
2032 1st (own)
2032 1st (via DEN)
Owed to Brooklyn, unprotected, from the July 2025 Michael Porter Jr. for Cameron Johnson trade.
2032 2nd (own)
2032 2nd (via DEN)
Owed to Brooklyn, from a separate trade-deadline deal involving Hunter Tyson.
2032 2nd (via MIA)
Traded to Brooklyn with Haywood Highsmith in the August 2025 trade.
2032 2nd (via TOR)
Toronto's own second conveyed to Brooklyn in the February 2026 three-team Chris Paul trade.
2033
2033 1st (own)
2033 2nd (own)
Protections and swap conditions in plain English. Full story on the Nets draft picks page.
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