CapmathThe NBA Cap Ledger
Vol. XI · 2026-27 · Computed live
Vol. XI · 2026-27 · Computed live
Memphis Grizzlies · Salary cap report
Grizzlies are $16.3M over the cap on payroll.
Memphis Grizzlies payroll for the 2026-27 season is $181.3M against a $165.0M salary cap.
Payroll, the money committed to the roster, is signed salaries, dead money, and drafted-rookie holds: $181.3M. Counting cap holds for their own free agents, the Grizzlies' cap number rises to $218.9M, which is why there is no usable cap space until those holds come off the books. Renouncing every free-agent hold would open -$16.3M of room and give up Bird rights. Drafted-rookie holds count against the cap, not the luxury tax.
Run Grizzlies' offseason yourself→Under the tax on payroll
What the numbers mean
Payroll$181.3M
The salaries actually committed to players right now.
Counts against the cap$218.9M
What the league counts: payroll plus free-agent hold placeholders.
Luxury tax lineUNDERby $19.1M
Cross it and the team pays a penalty on every dollar over.
First apron lineUNDERby $25.4M
A stricter line. Over it, the bigger roster tools freeze. The apron figure counts $2.4M 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 Grizzlies 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)$181.3M
Unlikely bonuses+$2.4M
Apron figure$183.6M
First apron $209.0MUNDERby $25.4M
Second apron $221.7MUNDERby $38.0M
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 | ||||
| Jerami Grant | F | $34.2M | $36.4M | – |
| Kentavious Caldwell-Pope | G | PO$21.6M | – | – |
| Isaiah Stewart | F | $15.0M | $15.0M | – |
| Brandon Clarke | F | $12.5M | – | – |
| Post | C | $9.5M | $10.0M | $10.5M |
| Ty Jerome | G | $9.2M | PO$9.7M | – |
| Taylor Hendricks | F | TO$7.8M | – | – |
| Zach Edey | C | TO$6.3M | TO$8.1M | – |
| Cedric Coward | G | $6.0M | TO$6.3M | TO$8.3M |
| D'Angelo Russell | G | $6.0M | – | – |
| Kris Murray | F | $5.3M | – | – |
| Walter Clayton Jr. | G | $4.2M | TO$4.4M | TO$6.8M |
| Taj Gibson | F | $3.8M | – | – |
| AJ Johnson | G | $3.2M | $5.5M | – |
| Olivier-Maxence Prosper | F | TO$2.5M | – | – |
| Scotty Pippen Jr. | G | $2.5M | TO$2.8M | – |
| Cam Spencer | G | $2.4M | $2.6M | TO$2.8M |
| GG Jackson | F | TO$2.4M | – | – |
| Jaylen Wells | F | $2.3M | TO$2.5M | – |
| Signed subtotal | $156.8M | $103.2M | $28.4M | |
| Draft picks · on roster, rookie-scale hold | ||||
| Cameron Boozer · No. 3ROOKIE | – | $11.8M | – | – |
| Bennett Stirtz · No. 16ROOKIE | – | $4.7M | – | – |
| Karim López · No. 21ROOKIE | – | $3.7M | – | – |
| Dead money | ||||
| Cole Anthony | – | $3.7M | $3.7M | – |
| Mamadi Diakite | – | $0.5M | – | – |
| Payroll | $181.3M | $106.9M | $28.4M | |
| Cap holds · placeholders, not paid | ||||
| Georges NiangBIRD 190% | F | $15.6M | – | – |
| Christian KolokoNON-BIRD | C | $2.8M | – | – |
| Eric GordonNON-BIRD | G | $2.8M | – | – |
| DeJon JarreauNON-BIRD | G | $2.7M | – | – |
| Lawson LoveringNON-BIRD | $2.4M | – | – | |
| Tyler BurtonNON-BIRD | F | $2.4M | – | – |
| Adama BalNON-BIRD | G | $2.4M | – | – |
| Jahmai MashackMIN HOLD | F | $2.2M | – | – |
| Javon SmallMIN HOLD | F | $2.2M | – | – |
| Richie SaundersMIN HOLD | F | $2.2M | – | – |
| Taylor HendricksBIRD 300% | F | – | $23.4M | – |
| GG JacksonNON-BIRD | F | – | $2.9M | – |
| Taj GibsonNON-BIRD | F | – | $4.6M | – |
| Brandon ClarkeBIRD 190% | F | – | $23.8M | – |
| Olivier-Maxence ProsperNON-BIRD | F | – | $3.0M | – |
| Kentavious Caldwell-PopeBIRD 150% | G | – | $32.4M | – |
| Zach EdeyBIRD 300% | C | – | – | $24.2M |
| Scotty Pippen Jr.BIRD 190% | G | – | – | $5.3M |
| Ty JeromeBIRD 190% | G | – | – | $18.4M |
| Jaylen WellsBIRD 300% | F | – | – | $7.5M |
| Cedric CowardBIRD 300% | G | – | – | – |
| Cam SpencerBIRD 190% | G | – | – | – |
| Walter Clayton Jr.BIRD 300% | G | – | – | – |
| Isaiah StewartBIRD 190% | F | – | – | $28.5M |
| Jerami GrantBIRD 150% | F | – | – | $54.6M |
| Kris MurrayBIRD 300% | F | – | $15.9M | – |
| AJ JohnsonBIRD 300% | F | – | – | $16.5M |
| D'Angelo RussellEARLY BIRD | F | – | $7.8M | – |
| Counts against the cap | $218.9M | $220.7M | $184.8M | |
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 Jaren Jackson Jr. tradeup to $23.6M
Absorbs one incoming contract up to this amount with no salary matching. Expires Feb 3, 2027.
Trade exception · from the Ja Morant tradeup to $8.0M
Absorbs one incoming contract up to this amount with no salary matching. Expires Jun 29, 2027.
Trade exception · from the Santi Aldama tradeup to $17.0M
Absorbs one incoming contract up to this amount with no salary matching. Expires Jul 1, 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
Ty Jerome $9.7M player option, Zach Edey $8.1M team option, Cedric Coward $6.3M team option, Walter Clayton Jr. $4.4M team option, Scotty Pippen Jr. $2.8M team option, Jaylen Wells $2.5M team option.
Expiring after 2026-27
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope $21.6M, Brandon Clarke $12.5M, Taylor Hendricks $7.8M, D'Angelo Russell $6.0M, Kris Murray $5.3M, Taj Gibson $3.8M, Olivier-Maxence Prosper $2.5M, GG Jackson $2.4M come off the books.
Front office
Run the Grizzlies 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 Grizzlies control 15 first-round and 8 second-round picks.
2026
2026 1st (own) · No. 3
2026 1st (via MIN) · No. 21
Minnesota's own first conveyed to Detroit via the Mike Conley pick-swap chain, landing at pick 21; on draft night Detroit traded it to Memphis to move up, and Memphis selected Karim Lopez at 21.
2026 1st (via PHX) · No. 16
Phoenix's own first conveyed to Memphis, landing at pick 16, routed via Orlando from the Desmond Bane trade chain. Phoenix has no 2026 first.
2026 2nd (via IND) · No. 32
Indiana's own second conveyed to Memphis at pick 32, routed via Milwaukee.
Their own 2nd, owed to LAC · No. 36
Memphis's own second conveyed to the Clippers at pick 36, routed via Atlanta and Utah.
2027
2027 1st (via LAL)
Top-4 protected first traded to UTA in the February 2023 Westbrook deal, then to Memphis in the February 2026 Jaren Jackson Jr. trade; if it lands 1-4 LAL instead conveys a 2027 second to Memphis, routed via Utah.
2027 1st (own)
2027 1st (via UTA)
MEM gets the most favorable of the UTA, MIN, and CLE 2027 firsts from the February 2026 Jaren Jackson Jr. trade, unprotected. UTA is the weakest of the trio so its own slot is the one projected to land most favorable and convey to Memphis; UTA keeps the MIN slot as the second most favorable and PHX takes CLE as the least favorable.
Their own 2nd, owed to CHA
Memphis's own second, owed to Houston then sent on to Charlotte in the July 2026 Dorian Finney-Smith trade.
2028
2028 1st (own)
Their own 2nd, owed to BKN
Owed to Brooklyn, unprotected.
2029
2029 1st (own)
2029 2nd (via HOU)
Owed to Memphis, acquired by Dallas via Oklahoma City and Washington then sent on to Memphis in the July 2026 six-team Khris Middleton trade.
2029 2nd (via LAL)
Owed to Memphis, routed via Washington, which sent it on in the July 2026 six-team Khris Middleton trade.
Their own 2nd, owed to BKN
Owed to Brooklyn, unprotected.
2030
2030 1st (via GSW)
Golden State's first is top-20 protected and conveys only if it lands 21-30; if it lands 1-20 Golden State instead sends its 2030 second. Routed to Washington then Dallas, and on to Memphis in the July 2026 six-team trade.
2030 1st (own)
2030 1st (via ORL)
Unprotected first owed to Memphis from the June 2025 Desmond Bane trade.
2030 2nd (via GSW)
Owed to Memphis only if the 2030 first stays top-20 and does not convey; the conditional second travels with the first, sent to Memphis in the July 2026 six-team trade.
Their own 2nd, owed to MIN
Owed to Minnesota, protected 31-50.
2031
2031 1st (own)
2031 1st (via PHX)
Unprotected first traded to UTA in the January 2025 Jazz-Suns deal, then to Memphis in the February 2026 Jaren Jackson Jr. trade. PHX has no 2031 first.
Their own 2nd, owed to DET · Projected
Sent from MEM to DET in a reported trade on 2026-07-13, pending the ledger update. Previously: Memphis's own second sits in the Indiana, Miami, Memphis 2031 pool: Washington takes the more favorable of the Indiana and Miami seconds, Memphis the more favorable of its own or the less favorable of that pair, and Indiana the least of the three. Memphis holds a swap right and retains its slot pending resolution.
2032
2032 1st (own)
2032 2nd (via GSW)
Owed to Memphis, protected 31-50 (conveys only if it lands 51-60).
Their own 2nd, owed to DET · Projected
Sent from MEM to DET in a reported trade on 2026-07-13, pending the ledger update.
2033
2033 1st (own)
2033 2nd (own)
2033 2nd (via OKC)
Oklahoma City's own second conveyed to Memphis in the June 2026 draft-night trade to move up for Bennett Stirtz.
2033 2nd (via WAS)
Washington's own second owed to Memphis in the July 2026 six-team Khris Middleton trade.
Protections and swap conditions in plain English. Full story on the Grizzlies draft picks page.
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