CapmathThe NBA Cap Ledger
Vol. XI · 2026-27 · Computed live
Vol. XI · 2026-27 · Computed live
LA Clippers · Salary cap report
Clippers are $19.9M over the cap on payroll.
LA Clippers payroll for the 2026-27 season is $184.9M against a $165.0M salary cap.
Payroll, the money committed to the roster, is signed salaries, dead money, and drafted-rookie holds: $184.9M. Counting cap holds for their own free agents, the Clippers' cap number rises to $225.6M, which is why there is no usable cap space until those holds come off the books. Renouncing every free-agent hold would open -$19.9M of room and give up Bird rights. Drafted-rookie holds count against the cap, not the luxury tax.
Run Clippers' offseason yourself→Under the tax on payroll
What the numbers mean
Payroll$184.9M
The salaries actually committed to players right now.
Counts against the cap$225.6M
What the league counts: payroll plus free-agent hold placeholders.
Luxury tax lineUNDERby $15.5M
Cross it and the team pays a penalty on every dollar over.
First apron lineUNDERby $24.1M
A stricter line. Over it, the bigger roster tools freeze.
Where the Clippers 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 | ||||
| Darius Garland | G | $42.2M | $44.9M | – |
| Brandon Ingram | F | $40.0M | $41.9M | – |
| Bogdan Bogdanovic | G | TO$16.0M | – | – |
| Rui Hachimura | F | $13.7M | $14.3M | – |
| Derrick Jones Jr. | F | $10.5M | – | – |
| Brook Lopez | C | TO$9.2M | – | – |
| Gradey Dick | G | $7.1M | – | – |
| Isaiah Jackson | F | $7.0M | $6.4M | – |
| Nicolas Batum | F | TO$5.9M | – | – |
| Kris Dunn | G | $5.7M | – | – |
| Bradley Beal | G | $5.6M | – | – |
| Jordan Miller | G | $4.7M | $5.1M | $5.5M |
| Yanic Konan Niederhauser | C | $2.9M | TO$3.0M | TO$5.4M |
| Kobe Sanders | G | $2.5M | $2.7M | $2.9M |
| Cam Christie | G | $2.3M | TO$2.5M | – |
| Signed subtotal | $175.2M | $120.8M | $13.8M | |
| Draft picks · on roster, rookie-scale hold | ||||
| Keaton Wagler · No. 5ROOKIE | – | $9.7M | – | – |
| Payroll | $184.9M | $120.8M | $13.8M | |
| Cap holds · placeholders, not paid | ||||
| Bennedict MathurinBIRD 300% | G | $27.6M | – | – |
| TyTy Washington Jr.MIN HOLD | F | $2.2M | – | – |
| Norchad OmierMIN HOLD | F | $2.2M | – | – |
| Sean PedullaMIN HOLD | F | $2.2M | – | – |
| Baba MillerMIN HOLD | F | $2.2M | – | – |
| Nick MartinelliMIN HOLD | F | $2.2M | – | – |
| Narcisse NgoyMIN HOLD | F | $2.2M | – | – |
| Darius GarlandBIRD 150% | G | – | – | $56.7M |
| Nicolas BatumEARLY BIRD | F | – | $7.6M | – |
| Yanic Konan NiederhauserBIRD 300% | C | – | – | – |
| Kris DunnBIRD 190% | G | – | $10.8M | – |
| Bradley BealEARLY BIRD | G | – | $7.3M | – |
| Derrick Jones Jr.BIRD 190% | F | – | $19.9M | – |
| Brook LopezEARLY BIRD | C | – | $11.9M | – |
| Isaiah JacksonBIRD 190% | F | – | – | $12.2M |
| Cam ChristieBIRD 300% | G | – | – | $7.5M |
| Bogdan BogdanovicBIRD 150% | G | – | $24.0M | – |
| Brandon IngramBIRD 150% | F | – | – | $62.9M |
| Gradey DickBIRD 300% | F | – | $21.4M | – |
| Counts against the cap | $225.6M | $223.9M | $160.6M | |
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.
Trade exceptions
Trade exception · from the Kobe Brown tradeup to $2.7M
Absorbs one incoming contract up to this amount with no salary matching. Expires Feb 5, 2027.
Trade exception · from the Chris Paul tradeup to $2.3M
Absorbs one incoming contract up to this amount with no salary matching. Expires Feb 5, 2027.
Trade exception · from the Ivica Zubac tradeup to $1.3M
Absorbs one incoming contract up to this amount with no salary matching. Expires Feb 5, 2027.
Trade exception · from the Kawhi Leonard tradeup to $3.2M
Absorbs one incoming contract up to this amount with no salary matching. Expires Jun 30, 2027.
Trade exception · from the John Collins tradeup to $16.2M
Absorbs one incoming contract up to this amount with no salary matching. Expires Jul 13, 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
Yanic Konan Niederhauser $3.0M team option, Cam Christie $2.5M team option.
Expiring after 2026-27
Bogdan Bogdanovic $16.0M, Derrick Jones Jr. $10.5M, Brook Lopez $9.2M, Gradey Dick $7.1M, Nicolas Batum $5.9M, Kris Dunn $5.7M, Bradley Beal $5.6M come off the books.
Front office
Run the Clippers 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 Clippers control 8 first-round and 7 second-round picks, 2 carrying swap rights.
2026
2026 1st (via IND) · No. 5
Indiana's own first went to the Clippers in the February 5 2026 Ivica Zubac deal; it landed at pick 5 and conveyed.
2026 2nd (via CLE) · No. 52
Cleveland's own second conveyed to the Clippers at pick 52, from the James Harden for Darius Garland trade, February 5 2026.
2026 2nd (via MEM) · No. 36
Memphis's own second conveyed to the Clippers at pick 36, routed via Atlanta and Utah.
Their own 1st, owed to OKC · No. 12
The Clippers' own first conveyed to Oklahoma City, landing at pick 12, from the October 2023 James Harden trade.
Their own 2nd, owed to BKN · No. 43
The Clippers' own second conveyed to Brooklyn at pick 43, routed via Houston.
2027
2027 1st (own, swap rights attached)Stepien-locked
OKC holds swap rights on this first, protected 1-5, from the October 2023 James Harden trade; LAC keeps it unless Oklahoma City swaps. Denver also sits in this first-round arrangement at picks 6-30.
Their own 2nd, owed to UTA
The Clippers' own second owed to Utah, routed via Atlanta and Miami in the July 2025 three-team John Collins trade.
2028
2028 2nd (via DAL)
Owed to the Clippers, unprotected, acquired by Indiana then sent on to the Clippers in the February 2026 Ivica Zubac trade.
Their own 1st, owed to BOS
The Clippers' own first, owed to Philadelphia in the October 2023 James Harden trade then sent to Boston in the July 2026 Jaylen Brown trade. Boston gets it outright at 17-30; if it lands 1-16, Boston instead holds a swap-rights fallback against the Boston and San Antonio 2028 firsts, with the least favorable returning to Philadelphia.
Their own 2nd, owed to CHA
Charlotte takes the more favorable of the Charlotte and Clippers 2028 seconds; the less favorable goes to Detroit. The Clippers slot is the one projected more favorable and goes to Charlotte.
2029
2029 1st (via IND)
Traded to the Clippers, unprotected, in the February 5 2026 Ivica Zubac deal.
2029 1st (own, swap rights attached)
PHI holds swap rights on this first, protected 1-3, from the October 2023 James Harden trade; LAC keeps it unless Philadelphia swaps.
Their own 2nd, owed to SAS
The Clippers' own second owed to San Antonio, routed via Oklahoma City and Philadelphia from the 2023 Harden and 2024 McDermott trades.
2030
2030 1st (own)
2030 2nd (via DET)
Detroit's own second owed to the Clippers, top-55 protected, from the July 2026 six-team trade that sign-and-traded John Collins to Detroit.
Their own 2nd, owed to CHA
Charlotte receives a 2030 second from the Utah and Clippers pool, no protections, in the Collin Sexton deal. Charlotte takes the more favorable of the two; which of Utah and the Clippers retains the less favorable is reported both ways.
2031
2031 1st (own)
2031 2nd (own)
2032
2032 1st (own)
2032 2nd (own)
2033
2033 1st (own)
2033 2nd (own)
Protections and swap conditions in plain English. Full story on the Clippers draft picks page.
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