As we head into March and the doldrums of the NBA’s regular season, rosters are, for the most part, decided. Teams are permitted to still make signings and waivings up to and including the last day of the regular season, but rarely if ever do those post-deadline moves make an impact on the team’s cap pictures in future seasons. With this in mind, mostly accurate assessments of how each franchise’s salary cap position projects for the upcoming offseason can be made.

In the NBA’s most recent projections, the 2025-26 salary cap is estimated to be set at $154,647,000, a 10 percent increase from this season’s $140,588,000. This nonetheless still represents a figure that is more than double what it was as recently as 2015-16. Team spending has however grown just as much, if not more, and so while many seasons since 2016 have seen plenty of cap space available around the league – certainly much more than across the previous decade, when a far slower rate of growth meant only a handful of teams having any every year – this number has been shrinking again, to the point that – as can be seen below – there will only be one major cap space market-maker next offseason as things stand.

Nonetheless, even though offseason trades, the volatility of draft night, future extensions and contract options can all significantly change matters, there follows a look at each NBA team’s 2025-26 projected spending as things currently stand.

Brooklyn

2025-26 Cap Figure: $53,193,234

Cap Space Projection: Maximum cap space, and possibly more than that

The Nets will not be far short of having more salary cap space than the rest of the league combined. It has been the plan ever since they made the decision to give up on the Kevin Durant/Kyrie Irving/James Harden trio, and the returning contract of Ben Simmons – which was set to expire even before he was bought out earlier this month – represented a huge part of that cap relief. Eight-figure contracts to Bojan Bogdanovic (also waived), D’Angelo Russell and De’Anthony Melton are also expiring this summer, and although potential new deals for Cam Thomas and Day’Ron Sharpe will have to be accounted for, their relatively small cap holds – $12,123,747 for Thomas, $11,967,366 for Sharpe – will not meaningfully impinge on the cap space. And of course, as restricted free agents, both can re-sign after outside free agents come in.

Detroit

2025-26 Cap Figure: $128,740,963

Cap Space Projection: Potentially up to $25 million in cap space

A resurgent Detroit team still has the opportunity to grow. Tim Hardaway Jr’s $16,193,183 and Dennis Schroeder’s $13,025,250 both expire this summer, and while the kicking-in of Cade Cunningham’s extension eats up many of those savings, the incumbent low payroll will combine with the expected growth in the cap to create another summer with potential cap room. They have a window to make another Tobias Harris-esque signing, a decent veteran on a short-term mid-sized deal who will aid the development of the team without clogging up the cap before too many of the extensions for the young core kick in. Or maybe they can swing something more substantial than that.

Chicago

2025-26 Cap Figure: $134,846,334

Cap Space Projection: Cap space possible, but non-taxpayer mid-level exception is much more likely

For the Bulls to enjoy any cap space, they would have to lose Josh Giddey. Having not extended him last summer, Giddey will enter restricted free agency with a $25,057,101 cap hold that wipes out any space under the $154 million salary cap; the only way to get that space back is to renounce Giddey’s rights, essentially making him unre-signable. They did not trade Alex Caruso for him, then watch him turn into a Reggie Miller-esque shooter out of nowhere, just to then let him walk, so this will not happen. Since it will not, the Bulls will essentially enter this summer with a full non-taxpayer mid-level exception, and need to hit another Caruso-like home run with it.

Memphis

2025-26 Cap Figure: $136,494,593

Cap Space Projection: Cap space possible, but non-taxpayer mid-level exception is much, much more likely

As with Chicago above, the only way for Memphis to have any cap space is to lose a key young player. In this instance, it would be Santi Aldama, who is averaging as-near-as-is 13/7/3 on 39 percent three-point shooting as the first big off the bench. They will not be waving goodbye to that just for a tiny slither of cap space that is no more beneficial to them than operating as an over-the-cap team, so expect them to keep Aldama and spend the mid-level (which would also allow them to retain Luke Kennard, if so desired, without impinging on the luxury tax).

Houston

2025-26 Cap Figure: $141,937,303

Cap Space Projection: A small amount of cap space possible, but non-taxpayer mid-level exception is infinitely more likely

At the top of the Rockets’ payroll figure is Fred VanVleet, who has a $44,886,930 contract for next season. That number however is behind a team option, and it is both logical – and expected – that VanVleet and the team will work out a new deal that will lead to declining that option in favor of a new, longer deal. This may mean a slight pay cut, or maybe a slight pay bump – whichever it is, the fluctuation will not be enough to get Houston under the salary cap, particularly when factoring in that Steven Adams is also going to be an unrestricted free agent.

Atlanta

2025-26 Cap Figure: $143,094,769

Cap Space Projection: Cap space is technically possible but highly unlikely

In dumping De’Andre Hunter at the deadline, Atlanta received the contract of Caris LeVert, whose $16,615,384 contract expires this summer. This was deliberate, as it gives them some freedom under the luxury tax and first apron. The above figure does not include Clint Capela, who enters unrestricted free agency off of a $22,265,280 salary that he would very much like to get again, but his age, declining play and the continued growth of Onyeka Okongwu makes that unlikely. Retaining a cheaper Capela, then, allows the Hawks to bring back all their best players, and still add a non-taxpayer mid-level exception amount, a level of comfort only made possible by the Hunter trade. But will they be better off for it?

San Antonio

2025-26 Cap Figure: $143,318,427

Cap Space Projection: A modicum of cap space is possible, but staying over and using the MLE is much more likely

The only free agent that the Spurs will have who is earning above the minimum salary will be Chris Paul, whose $10,460,000 contract expires this summer. If he wants to come back for season 21, he could perhaps sign another one like that again. And if he does, he can do so using non-Bird rights, without the need to crack open another MLE. This frees it up for use elsewhere, and despite not having cap space due to the presence of multiple mid-size contracts (such as those owed to Keldon Johnson and Harrison Barnes), the Spurs have freedom to both buy and sell, free from tax and apron worries.

Utah

2025-26 Cap Figure: $150,970,457

Cap Space Projection: Either $30 million in cap space or none

In the summer of 2026, John Collins, Collin Sexton, Jordan Clarkson and KJ Martin’s contracts will all expire. If all are still members of the Jazz at that time, that will mean a shade over $68 million coming off of the cap, with only Lauri Markkanen earning more than the rookie scale. And this would put them in a strong position in the summer of 2026. One substantial caveat to that is that Collins’s final season has a player option attached, and thus he could decline it and become a free agent this summer. If he does, the Jazz could then free up approximately $30 million in cap space this summer, bringing that freedom forward a bit. With it, they can be players in free agency, facilitate trades… or maybe just bring back Collins.

New Orleans

2025-26 Cap Figure: $170,557,597

Cap Space Projection: No space and in the proximity of the tax

It is costing the Pelicans a lot of money to be near the bottom of the pile, and any savings that would be forthcoming from the expiration of Bruce Brown‘s $23 million contract have already been allocated to Trey Murphy’s extension. It is however less money than continuing the Brandon Ingram would have cost, and it gives the Pelicans a chance to add talent rather than cut it. At the same time, their spot in the high lottery – the sole saving grace from whatever this season has been – puts the team on a different timeline to much of their roster. So there are probably plenty of deals to come, and not much value in using their full mid-level exception as a result.

LA Clippers

2025-26 Cap Figure: $170,638,781

Cap Space Projection: No space and in the proximity of the tax

Despite the fact that they exercised some selective aggression in attempting to buy low on the veteran Bogdan Bogdanovic at the deadline, this iteration of the Clippers seems unlikely to exist beyond the next few weeks. Norman Powell will enter the final season of his contract in 2025-26 – one he has outperformed – and with the Paul George era finally having come to an end, the Kawhi Leonard era may as well do too. They might also want to consider getting what they can for James Harden, who may be enjoying a second wind but whose value only diminishes from here as his career approaches the 18th tee. Despite being accurate at this point in time, then, the above-stated cap figure could well shift markedly, depending on which direction the Clippers take.

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