Cleveland carries a $209.0M payroll, over the $200.4M tax line and level with the first apron. Five contracts hold most of the money, and the picks offer little help.
Where does the payroll put Cleveland?
Cleveland is paying $209.0M against a $165.0M salary cap. That is above the $200.4M luxury tax line and exactly at the $209.0M first apron. The second apron sits at $221.7M. This is a taxpayer, plain and simple, and any move that adds salary has to be weighed against the apron line.
Who is eating the money?
Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley each make $50.1M. James Harden is at $30.6M, Jarrett Allen at $28.0M and Peyton Watson at $20.5M. Sam Merrill follows at $9.2M. After that, nobody else clears $4M. The roster is five big deals, one mid-sized deal and a lot of small ones.
What happens to the books next season?
Not much comes off. For 2027-28 the sheet shows Mitchell at $60.9M on a player option, Mobley at $53.8M, Harden at $32.2M, Allen at $30.2M and Watson at $21.5M. Mitchell told Hoops Rumors he never wants to wear another uniform, so the option looks more like a raise than an exit. Relief isn't coming.
Do the Cavs control their own picks?
Mostly no. The 2027, 2028 and 2029 firsts are all swaps, and only the 2030 first is listed as their own. The seconds are gone too: 2027 to Chicago, 2028 to Utah, 2029 to Atlanta and 2030 to San Antonio. Cleveland has almost nothing in the pick cupboard to sweeten a trade.
So how much flexibility is there really?
Very little. The cheap end of the roster is thin, with Jaylon Tyson at $3.7M this year and $5.6M next, and Cleveland picked up his fourth-year option on October 20. That is a good deal. But with the top five locked in and the picks tied up, the front office is working with the roster it has.
What is the Cavaliers' payroll for 2026-27?
It is $209.0M, above the $200.4M luxury tax line and level with the $209.0M first apron.
Who are the highest-paid Cavaliers?
Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley, at $50.1M each, followed by James Harden at $30.6M and Jarrett Allen at $28.0M.
