Nets trade machine
Nets 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. They operated as a cap-room team this July, so the MLE/BAE toolbox is already off the table — the sim arrives with that enforced.
What the Nets can still do
Figures come from the current 2026 offseason feed; exceptions already spent in the feed stay spent.
Biggest Nets salaries, 2026-27
Common questions
Can the Nets use the mid-level exception?
No — the Nets operated as a cap-room team this July, which forfeits the non-taxpayer MLE and bi-annual exception for the season. They keep the smaller Room MLE.
Can the Nets 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 Nets hard-capped?
Not yet — but using the full MLE, the BAE, expanded matching, a sign-and-trade acquisition, or signing a waived player whose prior contract topped the mid-level would freeze the first apron ($209.0M) as their ceiling; the taxpayer mid-level, combining salaries in a trade, or sending cash can freeze the second apron.
Can the Nets trade a first-round pick?
Carefully — they already owe 1 future first, 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.