Overview
- The league, which informed teams Wednesday, set a $104 million ceiling, a $90.4 million midpoint, a $76.9 million floor, and a $20.8 million maximum salary for any one player.
- The $104 million cap is up $8.5 million from 2025-26’s $95.5 million, the biggest single-season increase since the cap era began in 2005-06.
- The higher ceiling gives cap-tight clubs room to keep key players, and the higher floor forces rebuilding teams to add salary; Pittsburgh projects about $46 million in space yet remains roughly $19.7 million below the floor, while San Jose needs about $14.5 million to reach it.
- Because the individual limit equals 20% of the team cap, the maximum salary rises to $20.8 million, crossing $20 million for the first time and shaping leverage for stars nearing extensions or free agency.
- Projections for 2027-28 show a $113.5 million cap and an $83.9 million floor, which the league says may shift slightly but still give front offices multi-year certainty for planning.