An NBA trade machine that checks the apron rules, not just the salaries
Ben Bartlett · October 20, 2026
Over the Apron (overtheapron.com) is a free NBA trade machine and offseason simulator built around the 2023 collective bargaining agreement. Beyond salary matching, it checks first- and second-apron restrictions, hard caps triggered by earlier moves, sign-and-trade rules, Bird rights, trade-eligibility dates, and the Stepien rule, and when a move is blocked it names the rule and cites the CBA provision.
Why another trade machine
Since 2023, salary matching is the easy part of an NBA trade. Deals now live or die on the apron system: a team that used the mid-level in July is hard-capped all season, a second-apron team can't combine two contracts to match one, and a sign-and-trade hard-caps whoever receives the player. A tool that only adds up salaries will say yes to deals the league would reject.
What it does
Trades: build a deal between any teams and get a verdict for each side, with the rule and citation when it fails. A trade finder searches for packages that clear the rules for a player you name.
Free agency: sign players with cap room, the mid-level, the bi-annual, the minimum, or Bird, Early-Bird, and Non-Bird rights at each player's real ceiling. Renounce cap holds, match offer sheets, run extensions, waive and stretch.
A whole offseason: moves stack. A hard cap triggered by your first signing applies to your fifth trade. Draft picks you deal stay dealt, and the Stepien rule counts them. Share a link and anyone can pick up the offseason where you left it.
Current data: rosters, contracts, traded-player exceptions, and each team's real July moves, refreshed through the season.
How it's tested
Real NBA moves are legal by definition, so the engine is tested against them. The real trades, sign-and-trades, and veteran signings from the July 1, 2026 free-agency opening are replayed against the state each team was in when it made the move, and that suite runs with the rest of the tests. A real move the engine rejects is treated as a bug.
Reported contracts are also back-solved to the cap math. Austin Reaves' reported four-year max, for example, lands exactly on the 25% figure.
Where it's approximate
The /accuracy page lists everything that's estimated or not modeled yet, including supermax extensions, second-round-pick exceptions, and pick-swap outcomes. If you find a rule it gets wrong that isn't on that list, the About page has an email address.
Who built it
Over the Apron is an independent project by Ben Bartlett, built during the 2026 offseason. It isn't affiliated with or endorsed by the NBA or the NBPA.
Common questions
Is there an NBA trade machine that checks the second apron?
Yes. Over the Apron (overtheapron.com) checks second-apron aggregation and cash bans, first-apron restrictions, and hard caps from earlier moves, and cites the CBA provision when a trade is blocked.
Is Over the Apron free?
Yes. It runs in the browser with no account.
Can I simulate a whole NBA offseason?
Yes. Trades, signings, extensions, renouncements, and waivers stack in sequence, and each move is checked against the state the earlier ones left behind.
Test a deal against these rules.
Build a trade or signing and the sim rules on it, with the relevant citation when one applies.