The second apron restrictions are effective but have also troubled some fans as to whether they are producing the best results for the league.
The first problem is that not being able to keep key players who were part of successful runs – as happened with Caldwell-Pope and Thompson – is not exciting for fans of the old teams. Successful teams are expensive to maintain and deep into those runs the players tend to get worse as they get older while still earning huge salaries from their past victories.
The second problem is that teams that draft well will struggle to retain their talent — and perhaps more importantly, will have to make tough decisions about who to keep long-term.
Take popularity as an example. (At least) they have three players who are your typical type of major extension candidates: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (on second contract), Jalen Williamsagain Holmgren said (both have two seasons before their extensions). The biggest contracts in the NBA range from 25 to 35 percent, so if you have three the total amount spent. Part of the reason for collaboration Josh Giddey (in a positive change for the Thunder) he probably didn’t want to deal with the next contract – being able to pay Giddey a big contract was out of the question. Better move on now.
Traditionally, continuing to build a team smartly are the very traits you want to reward, and punishing teams for doing a good job in those traits feels unfair. Is it a mistake that popularity will be forced to take their small pieces because it is difficult to maintain?
An interesting question is how NBA teams will deal with this problem of keeping their players. For older players it can be difficult and nothing is done except to hope that they agree to play for you in order to reduce the salary. Jalen Brunson took it a reduction in earnings of more than $100 million in his next contract and that gives the Knicks a huge advantage in building a team.
By definition, big contracts are where the biggest savings are possible because many players offering a small percentage of their contract can mean adding a top-tier player to the roster. NBA contracts may be so big that players are willing to pay more dollars than ever before.
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When teams negotiate with their younger players, in theory, they have more leverage in extension contracts. A second contract in the hundreds of millions gives a person a chance (a better life). It will be interesting to see if teams are looking for small discounts even harder than before because every penny counts in these big contracts. If you’re a player close to a major league contract but still have a lot to prove, you may be willing to sacrifice dollars to ensure a big payday as soon as possible.
This idea didn’t work at all during the 2024 free agency period, as the Magic quickly exited. Franz Wagner and the Raptors did the same Scottie Barnes. But those are the types of contracts that lock them into the bottom line unless their young players are Top 10 quality.
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