CapmathThe NBA Cap Ledger
Vol. XI · 2026-27 · Computed live
Vol. XI · 2026-27 · Computed live
Cleveland Cavaliers · Salary cap report
Cavaliers are $0.5M over the second apron.
Cleveland Cavaliers payroll for the 2026-27 season is $222.2M against a $165.0M salary cap.
Payroll, the salaries actually on the books plus dead money, is $222.2M. Counting cap holds for their own free agents, the Cavaliers' cap number rises to $235.9M, which is why there is no usable cap space until those holds come off the books. Renouncing every free-agent hold would open -$58.6M of room and give up Bird rights.
Run Cavaliers' offseason yourself→Over the second apron
What the numbers mean
Payroll$222.2M
The salaries actually committed to players right now.
Counts against the cap$235.9M
What the league counts: payroll plus free-agent hold placeholders.
Luxury tax lineOVERby $21.8M
Cross it and the team pays a penalty on every dollar over.
First apron lineOVERby $13.2M
A stricter line. Over it, the bigger roster tools freeze.
Where the Cavaliers 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 | ||||
| Donovan Mitchell | G | $50.1M | PO$53.8M | – |
| Evan Mobley | F | $50.1M | $53.8M | $57.5M |
| James Harden | G | PO$42.3M | – | – |
| Jarrett Allen | C | $28.0M | $30.2M | $32.5M |
| Max Strus | G | $16.7M | – | – |
| Dennis Schroder | G | $14.8M | $15.5M | – |
| Sam Merrill | G | $9.2M | $9.8M | $10.5M |
| Jaylon Tyson | G | TO$3.7M | TO$5.6M | – |
| Nae'Qwan Tomlin | F | $2.4M | – | – |
| Craig Porter | G | TO$2.4M | – | – |
| Tyrese Proctor | G | $2.2M | $2.5M | TO$2.7M |
| Signed subtotal | $221.8M | $171.4M | $103.3M | |
| Dead money | ||||
| Ricky Rubio | – | $0.4M | – | – |
| Payroll | $222.2M | $171.4M | $103.3M | |
| Cap holds · placeholders, not paid | ||||
| Thomas BryantNON-BIRD | C | $2.8M | – | – |
| Olivier SarrMIN HOLD | F | $2.2M | – | – |
| Tristan EnarunaMIN HOLD | F | $2.2M | – | – |
| Riley MinixMIN HOLD | F | $2.2M | – | – |
| Meleek ThomasMIN HOLD | F | $2.2M | – | – |
| Ernest Udeh, Jr.MIN HOLD | F | $2.2M | – | – |
| James HardenEARLY BIRD | G | – | $55.0M | – |
| Jaylon TysonBIRD 300% | G | – | – | $16.9M |
| Craig PorterNON-BIRD | G | – | $2.9M | – |
| Sam MerrillBIRD 190% | G | – | – | – |
| Jarrett AllenBIRD 150% | C | – | – | – |
| Dennis SchroderBIRD 190% | G | – | – | $29.5M |
| Tyrese ProctorBIRD 300% | G | – | – | – |
| Nae'Qwan TomlinNON-BIRD | F | – | $3.3M | – |
| Max StrusBIRD 150% | G | – | $25.0M | – |
| Donovan MitchellBIRD 150% | G | – | – | $66.1M |
| Counts against the cap | $235.9M | $259.0M | $223.4M | |
What they can add
Veteran minimumup to $2.4M
This high, outside free agents can only be signed for the minimum.
Bird rightsLets them re-sign their own free agents up to the max.
Locked outThe top line freezes the most: no mid-level signing, no combining salaries in a trade, no cash in deals, and a frozen first-round pick.
Trade exceptions
Trade exception · from the De'Andre Hunter tradeup to $6.9M
Absorbs one incoming contract up to this amount with no salary matching. Expires Feb 1, 2027.
Trade exception · from the Darius Garland tradeup to $0.3M
Absorbs one incoming contract up to this amount with no salary matching. Expires Feb 4, 2027.
Trade exception · from the Lonzo Ball tradeup to $10.0M
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 Jul 31, 2026; may not be complete.
Decisions ahead
Option calls before 2027-28
Donovan Mitchell $53.8M player option, Jaylon Tyson $5.6M team option.
Expiring after 2026-27
James Harden $42.3M, Max Strus $16.7M, Nae'Qwan Tomlin $2.4M, Craig Porter $2.4M come off the books.
Front office
Run the Cavaliers 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 Cavaliers control 5 first-round and 2 second-round picks, 1 carrying swap rights.
2026
Their own 1st, owed to ATL · No. 23
Cleveland's own first conveyed to Atlanta, landing at pick 23, from the De'Andre Hunter trade with Atlanta.
Their own 2nd, owed to LAC · No. 52
Cleveland's own second conveyed to the Clippers at pick 52, from the James Harden for Darius Garland trade, February 5 2026.
2027
Their own 1st, owed to PHX
Part of the UTA/MIN/CLE 2027 first-round pool. PHX gets the least favorable of the three from the January 2025 Jazz-Suns deal, and CLE is the strongest of the trio so its slot is the one projected to land least favorable and convey to Phoenix. CLE's first entered the pool unprotected in the September 2022 Donovan Mitchell trade.
Their own 2nd, owed to CHI
Owed to Chicago; originally tied to the De'Andre Hunter to Sacramento three-team trade, February 2026.
2028
2028 1st (own, swap rights attached)Stepien-locked
Cleveland's first sits in a four-team 2028 pool after the July 2026 Kessler trade folded in the Lakers: Utah takes the most favorable of Utah, Cleveland, and the Lakers, the Lakers and Atlanta take middle outcomes, and Cleveland keeps the least favorable of the three. From the September 2022 Donovan Mitchell trade.
Their own 2nd, owed to UTA
Unprotected second owed to Utah from the September 2022 Donovan Mitchell trade.
2029
Their own 1st, owed to UTA
Part of the UTA/CLE/MIN 2029 pool from the Mitchell and Gobert trades: UTA keeps the two most favorable and CHA gets the least favorable. CLE is the strongest of the trio, so its slot is one of the two UTA keeps. CLE's slot entered the pool unprotected in the September 2022 Donovan Mitchell trade.
Their own 2nd, owed to ATL
Unprotected second owed to Atlanta, tied to the De'Andre Hunter trade structure.
2030
2030 1st (own)Stepien-locked
Their own 2nd, owed to SAS
Unprotected second owed to San Antonio, origin in a 2023 salary dump.
2031
2031 1st (own)
Their own 2nd, owed to UTA
Utah holds the more favorable of the Cleveland and Boston 2031 seconds and Boston the less favorable; Cleveland's slot conveys within that pool. From the Donovan Mitchell trade and follow-on deals.
2032
2032 1st (own)
2032 2nd (via SAC)
Sacramento's own second conveyed to Cleveland in the June 24 2026 draft-night deal, pick 29 for pick 34 plus this future second.
Their own 2nd, owed to UTA
Unprotected second owed to Utah from the Lonzo Ball deal.
2033
2033 1st (own)Frozen · 2nd apron
2033 2nd (own)
Protections and swap conditions in plain English. Full story on the Cavaliers draft picks page.
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