Why the Celtics are hard-capped this season
The full mid-level exception used on Mitchell Robinson comes with a ceiling attached.
Boston is hard-capped this season, and the reason has a name: Mitchell Robinson. The Celtics signed him to a three-year, $47.4 million deal using their full non-taxpayer mid-level exception. Using that exception triggers a hard cap at the first apron, which means the team's payroll cannot go above $209,015,000 for any reason in 2026-27.
Robinson's 2026-27 salary is $15,044,000, and the deal includes a player option in 2028-29.
Where Boston stands
The Celtics' payroll is $198,722,406, so they have $10,292,594 of room before the hard cap. They are also $1,705,594 under the $200,428,000 luxury tax line, which matters for the tax bill and for the repeater-tax clock.
What a hard cap limits
- Payroll can't go over $209,015,000, whatever moves are made.
- Adding salary in a trade has to fit under that ceiling.
- Two-way and training-camp deals don't count against it until they're guaranteed or converted.
See the full picture, with every contract and a tracker for both lines, on our contracts page.