CapmathThe NBA Cap Ledger
Vol. XI · 2026-27 · Computed live
Vol. XI · 2026-27 · Computed live
Minnesota Timberwolves · Salary cap report
Timberwolves are $0.4M over the second apron.
Minnesota Timberwolves payroll for the 2026-27 season is $220.4M against a $165.0M salary cap.
Payroll, the salaries actually on the books plus dead money, is $220.4M. Counting cap holds for their own free agents, the Timberwolves' cap number rises to $241.9M, which is why there is no usable cap space until those holds come off the books. Renouncing every free-agent hold would open -$55.4M of room and give up Bird rights.
Run Timberwolves' offseason yourself→Over the second apron
What the numbers mean
Payroll$220.4M
The salaries actually committed to players right now.
Counts against the cap$241.9M
What the league counts: payroll plus free-agent hold placeholders.
Luxury tax lineOVERby $19.9M
Cross it and the team pays a penalty on every dollar over.
First apron lineOVERby $13.1M
A stricter line. Over it, the bigger roster tools freeze. The apron figure counts $1.8M 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 Timberwolves 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)$220.4M
Unlikely bonuses+$1.8M
Apron figure$222.1M
First apron $209.0MOVERby $13.1M
Second apron $221.7MOVERby $0.4M
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 | ||||
| Anthony Edwards | G | $48.9M | $52.3M | $55.7M |
| LaMelo Ball | G | $40.8M | $43.6M | $46.4M |
| Rudy Gobert | C | $36.5M | $38.0M | – |
| Jaden McDaniels | F | $26.2M | $28.0M | $29.8M |
| Ayo Dosunmu | G | $19.3M | $20.9M | $22.4M |
| Josh Green | G | $14.7M | – | – |
| Donte DiVincenzo | G | $12.5M | – | – |
| Kyle Anderson | F | $9.7M | – | – |
| Joan Beringer | F | $4.4M | TO$4.6M | TO$7.1M |
| Terrence Shannon Jr. | G | TO$2.8M | TO$5.1M | – |
| Julian Phillips | F | TO$2.4M | – | – |
| Isaiah Evans | F | $2.2M | $2.3M | $2.4M |
| Signed subtotal | $220.4M | $194.7M | $163.7M | |
| Payroll | $220.4M | $194.7M | $163.7M | |
| Cap holds · placeholders, not paid | ||||
| Jaylen ClarkNON-BIRD | G | $3.0M | – | – |
| Nah'Shon HylandNON-BIRD | G | $2.8M | – | – |
| Joe InglesNON-BIRD | F | $2.8M | – | – |
| Mike ConleyNON-BIRD | G | $2.2M | – | – |
| Trey LylesMIN HOLD | F | $2.2M | – | – |
| Enrique FreemanMIN HOLD | F | $2.2M | – | – |
| Zyon PullinMIN HOLD | F | $2.2M | – | – |
| Rocco ZikarskyMIN HOLD | F | $2.2M | – | – |
| Trey Kaufman-RennMIN HOLD | F | $2.2M | – | – |
| Terrence Shannon Jr.BIRD 300% | G | – | – | $15.2M |
| Rudy GobertBIRD 150% | C | – | – | $57.0M |
| Jaden McDanielsBIRD 150% | F | – | – | – |
| Donte DiVincenzoBIRD 190% | G | – | $23.8M | – |
| Julian PhillipsBIRD 300% | F | – | $7.2M | – |
| Joan BeringerBIRD 300% | F | – | – | – |
| Kyle AndersonBIRD 190% | F | – | $18.4M | – |
| Anthony EdwardsBIRD 150% | G | – | – | – |
| LaMelo BallBIRD 150% | F | – | – | – |
| Josh GreenBIRD 190% | F | – | $27.9M | – |
| Counts against the cap | $241.9M | $272.0M | $242.0M | |
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 Mike Conley tradeup to $10.8M
Absorbs one incoming contract up to this amount with no salary matching. Expires Feb 3, 2027.
Trade exception · from the Rob Dillingham tradeup to $6.6M
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
Terrence Shannon Jr. $5.1M team option, Joan Beringer $4.6M team option.
Expiring after 2026-27
Josh Green $14.7M, Donte DiVincenzo $12.5M, Kyle Anderson $9.7M, Julian Phillips $2.4M come off the books.
Front office
Run the Timberwolves 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 Timberwolves control 3 first-round and 4 second-round picks, 2 carrying swap rights.
2026
2026 2nd (via BKN) · No. 33
Brooklyn's own second conveyed to Minnesota at pick 33, in the June 2026 Julius Randle trade.
2026 2nd (via SAS) · No. 59
San Antonio's own second conveyed to Minnesota at pick 59, routed via Indiana.
Their own 1st, owed to MEM · 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.
Their own 2nd, owed to WAS · No. 51
Minnesota's own second conveyed to Washington at pick 51, routed via Detroit and New York.
2027
Their own 1st, owed to UTA
Unprotected first owed to Utah from the 2022 Rudy Gobert trade. Inside the UTA/MIN/CLE 2027 pool this is the slot UTA keeps as the second most favorable, after MEM takes the most favorable (UTA's own) and PHX takes the least favorable (CLE).
Their own 2nd, owed to POR
Unprotected second owed to Portland, acquired in a 2024 three-team trade.
2028
2028 1st (own, swap rights attached)Stepien-locked
Charlotte holds the right to swap its 2028 first for Minnesota's, from the July 2026 LaMelo Ball trade. Minnesota keeps the slot unless Charlotte swaps.
Their own 2nd, owed to DEN
Unprotected second, owed to San Antonio in the 2023 deal then sent to Denver in the June 2026 Tarris Reed draft-night trade.
2029
Their own 1st, owed to CHA
Charlotte gets the least favorable of the UTA, CLE, and MIN 2029 firsts, top-5 protected on Minnesota's slot; if Minnesota lands top-5 it does not convey and Minnesota instead sends its 2029 second to Utah. The July 2026 LaMelo Ball trade added a Charlotte right to swap that least-favorable pool pick for Minnesota's 2029 first, protected 6-30. Charlotte may convey the resulting pick to Phoenix in the pending Miles Bridges trade. Utah keeps the two most favorable. Minnesota's slot entered the pool in the 2022 Rudy Gobert trade.
Their own 2nd, owed to CHA
Owed to Charlotte if Minnesota conveys a first to Utah in 2029, otherwise to Utah. From the July 2026 LaMelo Ball trade.
2030
2030 1st (own, swap rights attached)Stepien-locked
San Antonio holds swap rights from the June 2024 Rob Dillingham trade, and the July 2026 LaMelo Ball trade added a Charlotte right to swap its own 2030 first for a Minnesota-held 2030 first. Minnesota's slot is protected for selection 1 and sits in the more-favorable-of-San-Antonio-and-Dallas structure; Minnesota retains a 2030 first pending resolution.
2030 2nd (via MEM)
Owed to Minnesota, protected 31-50.
Their own 2nd, owed to OKC
Unprotected second, owed to Detroit in the Monte Morris trade then flipped to Oklahoma City in the July 2026 Isaiah Joe trade.
2031
Their own 1st, owed to SAC
Unprotected first owed to Sacramento, acquired in the February 5 2025 De'Aaron Fox three-team trade; originated in the June 2024 Rob Dillingham draft-night trade to San Antonio.
Their own 2nd, owed to CHI
Chicago takes the more favorable of the Minnesota and Golden State 2031 seconds and Detroit the less favorable. Minnesota's slot is the one projected more favorable and goes to Chicago.
2032
2032 1st (own)Frozen · 2nd apron
2032 2nd (via PHX)
Phoenix's own second conveys away in a Houston, Phoenix swap: Chicago takes the more favorable of the Houston and Phoenix 2032 seconds and Phoenix receives the less favorable, which then goes on to Minnesota. From the July 2025 seven-team Durant trade and the February 2026 Chicago-Minnesota deal.
Their own 2nd, owed to CHA
Owed to Charlotte in the July 2026 LaMelo Ball trade.
2033
Their own 1st, owed to CHA
Minnesota's own first owed to Charlotte, unprotected, in the July 2026 LaMelo Ball trade.
Their own 2nd, owed to CHA
Owed to Charlotte in the July 2026 LaMelo Ball trade.
Protections and swap conditions in plain English. Full story on the Timberwolves draft picks page.
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