NBA TRADE SIMULATOR
Two- or three-team trades with picks. We check the 2026-27 salary rules, tell you if each front office would say yes, grade every side, and project each team's wins before and after.
More than a trade machine
A trade machine tells you if a deal is legal. This NBA trade simulator also tells you if it would happen. Each front office judges the deal from its own seat: talent, age and contract value, weighted by whether it's rebuilding or chasing a title. You get an accept or decline from every team and a grade for each side.
Then we answer the real question: who got better? Every team's 2026-27 record is projected by simulating the season with our game engine and the real rosters. After the trade the rotations are rebuilt and you see each team's projected wins before and after.
The salary rules we check
Teams that finish under the $164.96M cap can absorb salary. Below the first apron, salary matching uses the CBA bands: up to 200% plus $250K when sending out under $7.5M, plus $7.5M in the middle band, and 125% plus $250K above $29M. Over the $209.02M first apron a team can take back at most 110%. Over the $221.69M second apron it can't take back more than it sends or combine salaries.
We also check 13-15 player rosters and the Stepien rule (no team can be left without a first-round pick in back-to-back future drafts). First-round picks that have already been traded show up under their new owner, with a via tag. You can add a protection. A protected pick is worth less, because it might stay with the original team. Second-round picks are each club's own for 2027 and 2028. Pick swaps are not included.
FAQ
How does the NBA trade simulator check if a trade is legal?
It applies the 2026-27 salary rules for every team: a team that ends up under the $164.96 million cap can absorb salary, teams below the first apron use the salary-matching bands (200% plus $250,000 for small salaries, plus $7.5 million in the middle band, 125% plus $250,000 for big salaries), teams over the first apron can take back at most 110%, and teams over the $221.69 million second apron can't take back more than they send or combine salaries. It also checks roster sizes and the rule against trading first-round picks in back-to-back years.
Can I trade draft picks?
Yes. First-round picks from 2027 to 2031 are the ones each team actually owns, including picks that were already traded, shown with a via tag. You can put a top-4 through top-20 protection on a first, which makes it worth less because it might not convey. Second-round picks for 2027 and 2028 are each team's own. Pick swaps are not included. A pick is valued from the original team's projection, how far away the draft is, and the protection.
How do you decide if a team would accept the trade?
Each front office values talent first, then age and contract, with a tilt for its timeline: rebuilding teams pay up for youth and picks, contenders for players in their prime. A team says yes when it gets nearly as much as it gives, and it will take a small loss to make a deal. If it says no, Make the calls comes back with the cheapest one or two assets that would change the answer. A one-sided deal is still rejected.
What does the projected wins number mean?
We project every team's 2026-27 record by simulating the full season with our game engine. After a trade, each team's rotation is rebuilt and its win projection is adjusted by how much its playing strength changed, so you can see which team actually gets better.
Is the trade simulator free and official?
It is free with no sign-up. It is an independent fan tool and is not affiliated with the NBA. Contracts come from reported deals where available; a minority are labeled estimates.