Pelicans trade machine
Pelicans 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.
What the Pelicans can still do
Figures come from the current 2026 offseason feed; exceptions already spent in the feed stay spent.
Biggest Pelicans salaries, 2026-27
Common questions
Can the Pelicans use the mid-level exception?
Yes — $15.0M of the non-taxpayer MLE fits under their ceiling, though using it hard-caps them at the first apron.
Can the Pelicans 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 Pelicans 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 Pelicans trade a first-round pick?
Yes — they control their own future firsts plus 1 incoming, subject to the Stepien rule's ban on trading firsts in consecutive future drafts.