CapmathThe NBA Cap Ledger
Vol. XI · 2026-27 · Computed live
Vol. XI · 2026-27 · Computed live
Oklahoma City Thunder · Salary cap report
Thunder are $11.6M over the first apron.
Oklahoma City Thunder payroll for the 2026-27 season is $220.1M against a $165.0M salary cap.
Payroll, the money committed to the roster, is signed salaries, dead money, and drafted-rookie holds: $220.1M. Counting cap holds for their own free agents, the Thunder's cap number rises to $228.8M, which is why there is no usable cap space until those holds come off the books. Renouncing every free-agent hold would open -$55.1M of room and give up Bird rights. Drafted-rookie holds count against the cap, not the luxury tax.
Run Thunder's offseason yourself→Over the first apron
What the numbers mean
Payroll$220.1M
The salaries actually committed to players right now.
Counts against the cap$228.8M
What the league counts: payroll plus free-agent hold placeholders.
Luxury tax lineOVERby $19.6M
Cross it and the team pays a penalty on every dollar over.
First apron lineOVERby $11.6M
A stricter line. Over it, the bigger roster tools freeze. The apron figure counts $0.5M 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 Thunder 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)$220.1M
Unlikely bonuses+$0.5M
Apron figure$220.6M
First apron $209.0MOVERby $11.6M
Second apron $221.7MUNDERby $1.1M
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 | ||||
| Chet Holmgren | C | $41.2M | $44.5M | $47.8M |
| Jalen Williams | G | $41.2M | $44.5M | $47.8M |
| Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | G | $40.8M | $60.6M | $65.5M |
| Isaiah Hartenstein | F | TO$23.1M | $25.0M | $26.9M |
| Alex Caruso | G | $19.6M | $21.0M | $22.4M |
| Jaylin Williams | F | $7.8M | TO$7.8M | – |
| Cason Wallace | G | TO$7.4M | – | – |
| Aday Mara | C | $5.8M | $6.1M | $6.4M |
| Nikola Topic | G | TO$5.4M | TO$7.5M | – |
| Kenrich Williams | G | TO$5.0M | – | – |
| Thomas Sorber | C | $4.9M | TO$5.1M | TO$7.8M |
| Bennett Stirtz | G | $4.7M | $5.0M | $5.2M |
| Jared McCain | G | TO$4.4M | TO$6.8M | – |
| Ajay Mitchell | G | $2.9M | TO$2.9M | – |
| Signed subtotal | $214.3M | $236.8M | $229.9M | |
| Draft picks · on roster, rookie-scale hold | ||||
| Aday Mara · No. 12ROOKIE | – | $5.8M | – | – |
| Payroll | $220.1M | $236.8M | $229.9M | |
| Cap holds · placeholders, not paid | ||||
| Brooks BarnhizerMIN HOLD | F | $2.2M | – | – |
| Otega OwehMIN HOLD | F | $2.2M | – | – |
| Josh DixMIN HOLD | F | $2.2M | – | – |
| Cristoph TillyMIN HOLD | F | $2.2M | – | – |
| Cason WallaceBIRD 300% | G | – | $22.3M | – |
| Nikola TopicBIRD 300% | G | – | – | $22.4M |
| Isaiah HartensteinBIRD 150% | F | – | – | – |
| Jared McCainBIRD 300% | G | – | – | $20.4M |
| Ajay MitchellBIRD 190% | G | – | – | $5.4M |
| Alex CarusoBIRD 150% | G | – | – | – |
| Jaylin WilliamsBIRD 190% | F | – | – | $14.8M |
| Kenrich WilliamsNON-BIRD | G | – | $6.0M | – |
| Thomas SorberBIRD 300% | C | – | – | – |
| Counts against the cap | $228.8M | $265.0M | $292.9M | |
What they can add
Taxpayer MLEup to $6.1M
A smaller mid-level signing slot, the only one this high. Using it locks their spending at the second apron.
Bird rightsLets them re-sign their own free agents up to the max.
Locked outUp here they lose the bigger mid-level and the bi-annual slot, can't bring a player in by sign-and-trade, and can't take back more salary than they send out.
Trade exceptions
Trade exception · from the Ousmane Dieng tradeup to $2.4M
Absorbs one incoming contract up to this amount with no salary matching. Expires Feb 4, 2027.
Trade exception · from the Aaron Wiggins tradeup to $9.0M
Absorbs one incoming contract up to this amount with no salary matching. Expires Jul 6, 2027.
Trade exception · from the Isaiah Joe tradeup to $11.3M
Absorbs one incoming contract up to this amount with no salary matching. Expires Jul 6, 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 Sep 15, 2026; may not be complete.
Decisions ahead
Option calls before 2027-28
Jaylin Williams $7.8M team option, Nikola Topic $7.5M team option, Jared McCain $6.8M team option, Thomas Sorber $5.1M team option, Ajay Mitchell $2.9M team option.
Expiring after 2026-27
Cason Wallace $7.4M, Kenrich Williams $5.0M come off the books.
Front office
Run the Thunder 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 Thunder control 11 first-round and 16 second-round picks, 2 carrying swap rights.
2026
2026 1st (via LAC) · No. 12
The Clippers' own first conveyed to Oklahoma City, landing at pick 12, from the October 2023 James Harden trade.
2026 2nd (via DAL) · No. 37
Dallas's own second conveyed to Oklahoma City at pick 37.
Their own 1st, owed to PHX · No. 30
Oklahoma City's own first landed at pick 30. Dallas held it (from the Anthony Davis trade, routed via Washington and Philadelphia) but traded it on 2026 draft night to Phoenix, which selected Koa Peat.
Their own 2nd, owed to WAS · No. 60
Oklahoma City's own second conveyed to Washington at pick 60, routed via San Antonio and Miami.
2027
2027 1st (via DEN)
Owed to Oklahoma City, top-5 protected (DEN keeps it only as a top-5 pick), from the June 2022 JaMychal Green draft-night salary dump to Oklahoma City; OKC may further convey to the Clippers. Rolls to a top-5-protected 2028 first if it does not convey.
2027 1st (own, swap rights attached)
LAC holds a swap right and OKC takes the better of its own or the DEN 2027 first against the Clippers pick; the own slot is retained pending resolution.
2027 1st (via SAS)
SAS's own 2027 first, acquired by SAC in the February 2025 De'Aaron Fox trade and top-16 protected for SAC, goes to Oklahoma City if it lands 17-30 (the likely outcome) from the June 2025 Nique Clifford draft-day deal; if 1-16 SAC keeps it and instead conveys its own 2027 second plus Charlotte's 2027 second to Oklahoma City.
Their own 2nd, owed to PHI
Oklahoma City's own second sits in the OKC, HOU, IND, MIA 2027 pool: Philadelphia takes the most favorable, New Orleans the second, New York the third, San Antonio the more favorable of its own or the least of the four, and Miami the least of five. Oklahoma City keeps none; its own slot routes via Oklahoma City to Philadelphia.
2028
2028 1st (own, swap rights attached)
Oklahoma City holds the right to swap its own 2028 first for Dallas's, from the February 2024 deal. Oklahoma City keeps its slot unless it exercises against Dallas's.
2028 2nd (via UTA)
Owed to Oklahoma City, unprotected, from the Miye Oni deal.
Their own 2nd, owed to PHI
Oklahoma City's own second went to Philadelphia in the February 2026 Jared McCain trade and now sits in a pool from the July 2026 Jaylen Brown trade: Boston takes the most favorable of the Golden State, Milwaukee, and Oklahoma City 2028 seconds, Philadelphia keeps the two least favorable.
2029
2029 1st (via DEN)
Owed to Oklahoma City, top-5 protected, from the 2023 Pickett/Strawther/Tyson trade; conditional on the 2027 DEN first having conveyed first, and it rolls to 2030 if it does not convey.
2029 1st (own)
2029 2nd (via ATL)
Charlotte receives the more favorable of Atlanta's and Miami's 2029 seconds and Oklahoma City the less favorable, from the February 2026 Ousmane Dieng trade; Atlanta's slot lands with Oklahoma City if it is the less favorable, otherwise Charlotte.
2029 2nd (via BOS)
Unprotected second owed to Oklahoma City.
2029 2nd (via MIA)
Charlotte receives the more favorable of Atlanta's and Miami's 2029 seconds and Oklahoma City the less favorable, from the February 2026 Ousmane Dieng trade; Miami's slot lands with Oklahoma City if it is the less favorable, otherwise Charlotte. Origin in the 2023 Victor Oladipo salary dump.
2029 2nd (own)
2030
2030 1st (own)
2030 2nd (via ATL)
Owed to Oklahoma City, unprotected, in the June 2026 Aaron Wiggins trade.
2030 2nd (via DEN)
Memphis takes the most favorable of the Denver, Houston, and Miami 2030 seconds and Oklahoma City the second most and least; Denver's slot goes to Memphis if it is the most favorable, otherwise Oklahoma City. From the June 2026 Memphis-Oklahoma City trade.
2030 2nd (via HOU)
Memphis takes the most favorable of the Denver, Houston, and Miami 2030 seconds and Oklahoma City the second most and least favorable; Houston's own second goes to Memphis if it is the most favorable of the three, otherwise Oklahoma City. From the June 2026 Memphis-Oklahoma City trade.
2030 2nd (via MIA)
Memphis takes the most favorable of the Denver, Houston, and Miami 2030 seconds and Oklahoma City the second most and least; Miami's slot goes to Memphis if it is the most favorable, otherwise Oklahoma City. From the 2023 Victor Oladipo salary dump and the June 2026 Memphis-Oklahoma City trade.
2030 2nd (via MIN)
Unprotected second, owed to Detroit in the Monte Morris trade then flipped to Oklahoma City in the July 2026 Isaiah Joe trade.
2030 2nd (own)
2031
2031 1st (own)
2031 2nd (via DET)
Detroit's own second owed to Oklahoma City in the July 2026 Isaiah Joe trade.
2031 2nd (own)
2032
2032 1st (own)
2032 2nd (via ATL)
Atlanta keeps the more favorable of its own and the Lakers' 2032 seconds and Oklahoma City receives the less favorable; Atlanta's own slot goes to Oklahoma City only if it is the less favorable of the pair. From the July 2026 Aaron Wiggins trade.
2032 2nd (own)
2033
2033 1st (own)
Their own 2nd, owed to MEM
Oklahoma City's own second conveyed to Memphis in the June 2026 draft-night trade to move up for Bennett Stirtz.
Protections and swap conditions in plain English. Full story on the Thunder draft picks page.
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