First and Second Apron Restrictions

[Yuma]

What are the penalties for the first apron?​

The first apron hits when a team's payroll exceeds $172 million. At this point, the following restrictions are triggered:

• Teams cannot acquire a player in a sign-and-trade if that player keeps them above the apron
• Teams cannot sign a player waived during the regular season whose salary was over the $12.2 million midlevel exception
• Salary matching in trades must be within 110 percent, rather than 125 percent for teams not above the apron

What are the penalties for the second apron?​

All of the penalties for the first apron apply to the second apron as well, which is triggered when a team's salary exceeds $182.5 million. For the 2023-24 season, one additional penalty is added when crossing the second apron:

• No access to the $5 million taxpayer midlevel exception

Starting at the end of the 2023-24 season, even more restrictions will be added to the second apron. These include:

• Teams cannot use a trade exception generated by aggregating the salaries of multiple players
• Teams cannot include cash in a trade
• Teams cannot use a trade exception generated in a prior year
• First-round picks seven years out are frozen (unable to be traded)
• A team's first-round pick is moved to the end of the first round if they remain in the second apron for three out of five seasons

These penalties are much more stringent than under the old CBA. Previously, owners with deep pockets could go well into the luxury tax as long as they were willing to pay. Now, teams who enter the second apron will have difficulty adding any sort of new talent via trades or free agent acquisitions.

 

[JerkFace]

​

• A team's first-round pick is moved to the end of the first round if they remain in the second apron for three out of five seasons

I wonder how this works for pick swaps? Does the swap happen and then we are relegated to the end of the first round?

 

[Phrazbit]

I wonder how this works for pick swaps? Does the swap happen and then we are relegated to the end of the first round?

I suspect that the opposing team, or teams, will get first dibs and whatever pick we are left with will be dumped to the end of the round.

 

[GatorAZ]

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[BirdGangThing]

we got our billionaire owner about 5 years too late

 

[taz02]

we got our billionaire owner about 5 years too late

True, but hopefully he will shore up non-financially restricted divisions. Coaching, Scouting, player development and the GM.

 

[Proximo]

we got our billionaire owner about 5 years too late

Since when has spending like a drunk worked in the NBA?

It's about drafting well, and creating a reputation where players want to play for your team.

 

[BirdGangThing]

Since when has spending like a drunk worked in the NBA?

It's about drafting well, and creating a reputation where players want to play for your team.

no - until recently deep pockets were a definite and clear advantage - i imagine it still is - but nothing like it was

and how is paying big money for big talent... nevermind

 

[Proximo]

no - until recently deep pockets were a definite and clear advantage - i imagine it still is - but nothing like it was

and how is paying big money for big talent... nevermind

Name one team in the playoffs still that got there primarily through spending money.

None of them have, they did it primarily through the draft.

 

[Dback Jon]

Name one team in the playoffs still that got there primarily through spending money.

None of them have, they did it primarily through the draft.

Yet the drafter is still employed

Some hits, many misses

 

[BirdGangThing]

Name one team in the playoffs still that got there primarily through spending money.

None of them have, they did it primarily through the draft.

IF YOU HAVE MULTIPLE STARS ON YOUR TEAM THAT AREN'T STILL ON THEIR FIRST CONTRACT YOU ARE SPENDING MONEY - THERE ARE TEAMS THAT DON'T SPEND THAT TYPE OF MONEY

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[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Bucks future is interesting. And a few years out so is the wolves.

 

[Covert Rain]

Bucks future is interesting. And a few years out so is the wolves.

Even Golden State. They appear to be on the downside and Steph isn't getting any younger. I can't imagine they are going to keep having the highest payroll in the league very much longer.

 

[GatorAZ]

Even Golden State. They appear to be on the downside and Steph isn't getting any younger. I can't imagine they are going to keep having the highest payroll in the league very much longer.

Golden St made a mistake a few years ago not cashing in on the Wiseman/Kuminga picks even though they won a title. They could’ve had guys Siakam, Markannen, DeJounte when those guys/picks still had value. They earned that championship but got pretty lucky that Wiggins had that outlier clutch run. @Russ Smith

 

[Russ Smith]

Golden St made a mistake a few years ago not cashing in on the Wiseman/Kuminga picks even though they won a title. They could’ve had guys Siakam, Markannen, DeJounte when those guys/picks still had value. They earned that championship but got pretty lucky that Wiggins had that outlier clutch run. @Russ Smith

From what was rumored at the time this year, Siakam turned down the Warriors he had input on the trade and preferred Indiana, which has worked out for him. Wiseman was the whole issue IMO, if they had the first pick and took Ant they'd have obviously been much better the last few years. 2nd pick they just didn't take the right guy they thought Wiseman would fit and he didn't. Horrible draft but obviously in hindsight they should have taken Haliburton, that likely still has them much closer to elite as great as he is.

The local press is running all these stories because a couple of national guys said the Warriors weren't taking Edwards if they had a chance but even Edwards has been clear about that. He wasn't a hard worker, Kerr told him at the workout you need to work harder than you are working, if we had the first pick I'm not sure we would take you. Edwards took it as motivation, worked harder and everything I saw leading up to the draft said part of the strategy was hoping Minnesota believed it and passed on Edwards so the Warriors could get him.

But Wiseman not panning out was the whole issue, if he was even a starter level player now they'd be much better off. The lack of size has been a huge problem

 

[Yuma]

I wonder how this works for pick swaps? Does the swap happen and then we are relegated to the end of the first round?

The could work for our side of it. It would punish the other team if it occurred before.

 

[Proximo]

IF YOU HAVE MULTIPLE STARS ON YOUR TEAM THAT AREN'T STILL ON THEIR FIRST CONTRACT YOU ARE SPENDING MONEY - THERE ARE TEAMS THAT DON'T SPEND THAT TYPE OF MONEY

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You consider resigning your draft picks spending money?

That isn't how I meant it, and that certainly isn't the way the Suns are operating in the last few years.

 

[Suns_fan69]

You consider resigning your draft picks spending money?

That isn't how I meant it, and that certainly isn't the way the Suns are operating in the last few years.

New York Knicks I guess? The only rotation players right now that they drafted are Miles Mcbride and Mitchell Robinson. Everyone else is trough FA and trades.

 

[Mainstreet]

This would be a good show to catch at 3pm today.

Bobby Marks of ESPN answers salary cap questions for the Suns concerning the second apron.

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[Chaplin]

This would be a good show to catch at 3pm today.

Bobby Marks of ESPN answers salary cap questions for the Suns concerning the second apron.

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Considering how depressing it's going to be, I'm not sure DON'T want to miss this one.

 

[Mainstreet]

Considering how depressing it's going to be, I'm not sure DON'T want to miss this one.

I'm anxious to see if Bobby Marks has some ideas we haven't thought about.

 

[Mainstreet]

Dallas wouldn't trade places with Phoenix. I so disagree with Flex.

Tell them Sal.

 

[Mainstreet]

The players should never have agreed to the new CBA agreement. IMO, it was a huge mistake.

 

[taz02]

The players should never have agreed to the new CBA agreement. IMO, it was a huge mistake.

Yea for the players its bad but will probably help the league.

It just happened at the worst possible time. The first time in history the suns have an owner willing to spend unlimited money....man this team has some bad luck.

 

[Mainstreet]

Bobby Marks says Matt Tellem is one of the best salary cap guys out there so there may be a ray of sunshine out there.