Daily Thunder Cap Cruncher: Preview

2026-29 TAX PAYMENTS
$728.2M
130.2% of cap
PEAK SHOWN YEAR
$338.1M
2028-29 — 167.3% of cap
ROSTER COUNT
15/15
selected fiscal year
CAP SCENARIO
Baseline growth
default projection
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team option player option rookie-scale option non-guaranteed designated rookie max
Player / roster slot2026-2715/152027-2815/152028-2915/15
Roster count
Active standard roster slots15/1515/1515/15
Retained
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander$40.8M$60.6M$65.5M
Chet Holmgren$41.2M$44.5M$47.9M
Jalen Williams$41.2M$44.5M$47.9M
Isaiah Hartenstein$25.0M$25.0M$25.0M
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Ajay Mitchell$2.9M$25.8M$27.8M
Cason Wallace$7.4M$28.0M$28.0M
Alex Caruso$19.6M$21.0M$22.4M
Aday Mara$5.8M$6.1M$6.4M
Thomas Sorber$4.9M$5.1M$7.8M
Bennett Stirtz$4.7M$5.0M$5.2M
Luguentz Dort$17.7M
Jaylin Williams$7.8M$7.8M
Jared McCain$4.4M$6.8M$18.4M
Nikola Topić$5.4M$7.5M
Otega Oweh$2.5M$2.6M$2.7M
Exits
Kenrich Williams
Isaiah Joe
Aaron Wiggins
Available Assets
2027 first-round pick$5.0M$5.2M
Brooks Barnhizer
2027 second-round pickPUSHED ASSETPUSHED ASSET
2028 first-round pick$5.0M
2028 second-round pickPUSHED ASSET
2029 first-round pick
2030 first-round pick
2029 second-round pick
Payton Sandfort
Minimum contracts$1.5M
Minimum contracts
Minimum contracts
Minimum contracts
2028 second-round pick (pushed from 2027 second-round pick)
2030 second-round pick (pushed from 2028 second-round pick)
Cap projection
Cap / tax projection: Baseline estimate: cap growth stays elevated while new national media-rights money flows in, then eases after 2027-28.
The damages
Tax payroll$231.3M$295.2M$316.6M
Tax line$207.2M$227.9M$246.2M
Repeater?NoNoNo
Luxury tax payment$61.3M$328.9M$338.1M
Tax % of cap36.0%175.7%167.3%
Salary + tax$292.6M$624.1M$654.7M