Clippers trade machine
Clippers trades here are checked against the modeled 2023 CBA rules — salary matching, apron limits, hard caps, and pick rules — starting from the current 2026 offseason data, not a blank slate. That includes the part most trade machines miss: the Clippers are already hard-capped at $209.0M for the season (Rui Hachimura NT-MLE).
What the Clippers can still do
Figures come from the current 2026 offseason feed; exceptions already spent in the feed stay spent.
Biggest Clippers salaries, 2026-27
Common questions
Can the Clippers use the mid-level exception?
Yes — $1.4M of the non-taxpayer MLE fits under their ceiling (hard-capped by Rui Hachimura NT-MLE).
Can the Clippers aggregate salaries in a trade?
Yes — they're below the second apron, so they can combine outgoing contracts to match a bigger incoming salary.
Are the Clippers hard-capped?
Yes — at the first apron ($209.0M) for the rest of the season, triggered by Rui Hachimura NT-MLE. Later moves are checked against that line.
Can the Clippers trade a first-round pick?
Carefully — they already owe 2 future firsts, and the Stepien rule bars leaving consecutive future drafts uncovered. The board tracks the current obligations and names the pick that would break the rule.