Rockets trade machine
Rockets 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 Rockets are already hard-capped at $221.7M for the season (Marcus Smart Taxpayer MLE (full)).
What the Rockets can still do
Figures come from the current 2026 offseason feed; exceptions already spent in the feed stay spent.
Biggest Rockets salaries, 2026-27
Common questions
Can the Rockets use the mid-level exception?
Yes — $12.7M of the non-taxpayer MLE fits under their ceiling (hard-capped by Marcus Smart Taxpayer MLE (full)).
Can the Rockets 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 Rockets hard-capped?
Yes — at the second apron ($221.7M) for the rest of the season, triggered by Marcus Smart Taxpayer MLE (full). Later moves are checked against that line.
Can the Rockets trade a first-round pick?
Yes — they control their own future firsts plus 3 incoming, subject to the Stepien rule's ban on trading firsts in consecutive future drafts.