NBPA's David Kelly Says NBA's Second Apron System Falls Unfairly On Players

The useful part

Kelly argued the restriction has made it increasingly difficult for teams to retain talent. Maybe there's 30 or 31 [fans], if you include Adam," he said, referencing team owners and commissioner Adam Silver. The second apron functions as an upper salary cap threshold that many teams now treat as a de facto hard cap.

How it works

• "We had a very good system that was working," Kelly said.
• The restriction has influenced roster decisions for contending teams including the Denver Nuggets and Oklahoma City Thunder, and some players have reportedly accepted pay cuts to help their teams retain...
• Kelly disputed the league's rationale that the second apron promotes competitive balance, pointing to the NBA's eight different champions over the past eight seasons as evidence parity existed under the...
• Dort, Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins this offseason amid second apron concerns.
• Kelly said the financial pressure created by the apron falls disproportionately on players rather than team ow...

Details worth keeping

NBPA executive director David Kelly voiced strong opposition to the NBA's second luxury tax apron, a mechanism the union agreed to in the league's last round of collective bargaining negotiations that were led by Tamika Tremaglio and CJ McCollum. "We are no fan of the second apron," Kelly told Front Office Sports. "I would say there is no fan of the second apron.