Over the Apron

What the league actually did

Oct 2
DETJalen Duren re-signs with Detroit PistonsOct 2LegalDET +2 winsRuling
Real moves
Filed Oct 2
DET

Jalen Duren re-signs with Detroit Pistons

5 years · $200.0M · $34.5M in 2026-27

Legal signing
DETDetroit Pistonssigns
Jalen Duren5 yr · $200.0M · $34.5M year one
Why it works
  • ✓DET can pay $34.5M in year one — Bird rights (own free agent, bird rights)
  • ✓DET moves from $154.3M (below cap) to $188.8M (over cap)
  • ✓Fits under the $209.0M hard cap from the John Collins sign-and-trade with $20.2M to spare
What it does to our win estimate
DET50→52+2
Ruled by the same engine the trade machine uses.Detroit Pistons’ sheet →
TORJamal Shead extends with Toronto RaptorsOct 1LegalRuling
Real moves
Filed Oct 1
TOR

Jamal Shead extends with Toronto Raptors

3 years · $24.0M · $7.4M in 2027-28

Legal extension
TORToronto Raptorsextends
Jamal Shead3 yr · $24.0M · $7.4M from 2027-28
Why it works
  • ✓3 new seasons from 2027-28: $7.4M in year one, $24.0M in all. Nothing moves on the 2026-27 sheet — he is still on $2.3M this season.
  • ✓3 new seasons is inside the veteran extension limit (four new seasons, five in all with the current one, Art. VII §7(a)(1)).
  • ✓$7.4M in 2027-28 is under the extension ceiling of $21.2M — the greater of 140% of his final current-contract salary ($2.3M) and 140% of the estimated average, capped at his 2027-28 maximum on a cap projected at $176.5M (Art. VII §7(a)).
What it turns on
  • ▸The filed raises are not public; the seasons on the sheet are estimates. At raises above 5% of the first year he could not be traded for six months (Art. VII §8(f)(i)); at 5% or less he could.
Ruled by the same engine the trade machine uses.Toronto Raptors’ sheet →
CHACHIChicago Bulls land Buddy Hield from Charlotte HornetsSep 27LegalCHI +1 winsRuling
Real moves
Filed Sep 27
CHA⇄CHI

Chicago Bulls land Buddy Hield from Charlotte Hornets

2 teams · 2 players

Legal trade
CHACharlotte HornetsOver cap
Gets · $6.9M
PGRob Dillingham$6.9M
Cash
Sends · $9.7M
SGBuddy Hield$9.7M
Cash
CHIChicago BullsOver cap
Gets · $9.7M
SGBuddy Hield$9.7M
Cash
Sends · $6.9M
PGRob Dillingham$6.9M
Cash
Why it works
  • ✓CHA takes back $6.9M against $9.7M out — legal under expanded matching, outgoing + $9.1M band
  • ✓CHI takes back $9.7M against $6.9M out — legal under expanded matching, 200% + $250k band
  • ✓CHA stays $34.0M under the hard cap from a real move this offseason (Dorian Finney-Smith’s non-taxpayer mid-level)
  • ✓CHI stays $40.9M under the hard cap from a real move this offseason (Buddy Hield acquired with an expanded traded-player exception)
What it turns on
  • ▸Charlotte Hornets also trigger a second-apron hard cap — they sent cash in the trade (row I) — but the first-apron cap they already carry from Dorian Finney-Smith’s non-taxpayer mid-level is the one that binds.
  • ▸Charlotte Hornets' incoming players can't be aggregated in another trade for ~2 months.
  • ▸Chicago Bulls are now hard-capped at the first apron ($209.0M) for the rest of the season — they used expanded matching, taking back more than 100% + $250k of what they sent out.
  • ▸Chicago Bulls' incoming players can't be aggregated in another trade for ~2 months.
What it does to our win estimate
CHI31→32+1CHA38→38±0
Ruled by the same engine the trade machine uses.Chicago Bulls’ sheet →
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