Head of NBPA: “We are not fans of the second apron. We should have done a better job of fighting back against the second apron. In the future, we will do a better job of fighting back. We’re seeing it decimate teams. We see that as a problem for our members, but also for the fans and for the game.”
Source: https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/49329997/nbpa-players-carrying-burden-teams-due-second-apron
Note that the head / executive director of the NBPA is distinct from the president. It’s usually a lawyer or executive of some kind though Andre Iguodala served in the role the past 3 years. A new executive director, David Kelly, was appointed this year and he used to be a lawyer for the Warriors. The president of the NBPA is Fred VanVleet.
Selected excerpts and quotes:
Main criticism
“We are not fans of the second apron,” Kelly said. “We did not propose the second apron. We should have done a better job of fighting back against the second apron. In the future, we will have a much more unified union, and we will do a better job of fighting back. … We’re seeing [the apron system] decimate teams and force decisions to be made that are not basketball decisions.”
Background on current NBPA head
Kelly, a former Golden State Warriors executive who succeeded former All-Star Andre Iguodala as the head of the players union in February, disputed NBA commissioner Adam Silver’s contention that the apron system was designed to foster parity. Instead, Kelly argued the system was instituted in 2023 for “control cost purposes” related to player salary.
Uses Boston and New York as examples of teams that are cutting costs instead of keeping good teams together
“I don’t know that fans in Boston would say that everyone’s making out fine [in the current system], or that fans in New York would say that everyone is making out fine,” Kelly said during a news conference announcing the union’s new leadership team. “You have a [Celtics] team that just came off of a championship [in 2024] that will not have those guys together. We see that as a problem for our members, but also for the fans and for the game. … How do we make sure that whatever system we’re putting in place does not hurt fan interests and hurt players for the benefit of some sort of cost control for a certain number of owners?”
VanVleet cites other stakeholders who have had issues
Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet, who serves as the president of the NBPA, said the players are not the only stakeholders raising questions about the impact of the aprons. “We’ve seen more teams, GMs, front offices, owners and agents have issues and concerns with the apron as well,” VanVleet said. “That’s a little bit newer, right? We had to see it play out. It’s almost a consensus that it’s something that needs to be addressed.”
On Wembanyama’s decision to take a paycut
“We think the players should make decisions for themselves and we should not be … pocket-watching,” Kelly said, when asked about Wembanyama. “The system should not require a player to carry all of that burden. We should not put a player in the position to carry the burden of keeping a team together.”
In response to the argument that the apron system creates parity
The apron system has been credited with leveling talent across the NBA’s 30 teams…But Kelly noted that the ongoing parity era commenced before the apron system was installed. “The apron’s been in place for three years,” he said. “For five years leading into the apron, we had parity. I don’t think the apron was necessary to create parity.”
Expresses desire for small reforms to come during the current CBA
Kelly said that it would be “fantastic” if the NBA and National Basketball Players Association could agree to “some tweaks” to the apron system during the current collective bargaining agreement. Otherwise, the issue won’t be addressed until the next round of labor negotiations, which could begin after the 2028-29 season if the owners or players exercise their ability to opt out of the current agreement.