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The second apron
The second apron is punitive enough that a team has to break up its roster at some point. That is why Oklahoma City collects draft assets: a team can't carry three max players, and if one of them turns out to be hurt or not what was expected, the team is in deep trouble.
Luck and contracts
A team also has to get lucky. San Antonio has Wemby on a rookie contract, while Oklahoma City has a player who is not on one any longer, so it has to be even more careful.
The rules change the strategy behind building a roster. Teams need to be much better at putting a team together than they were before, and they have to get lucky.
How does the second apron work?
The 2023 collective bargaining agreement set a payroll line above the luxury tax threshold, called the second apron. A team over it cannot combine players' salaries in trades and cannot use the taxpayer mid-level exception to sign free agents. The tax rates on payroll above the threshold are also steeper. The rules took effect with the 2023-24 season.
Why do rookie contracts help contenders?
First-round picks are paid on a fixed scale tied to draft position for their first four seasons. That pay sits well below what established stars earn, so a team gets high-level play for little payroll. When the contract ends, the player becomes eligible for a much larger deal. The scale is set in the collective bargaining agreement between the league and the players' union.
Why have NBA three-peats been so rare?
Winning three straight titles requires keeping a core together through injuries, aging, and rising salaries. The Chicago Bulls did it twice, in 1991 to 1993 and 1996 to 1998, and the Los Angeles Lakers did it from 2000 to 2002. The league added its luxury tax in the 1999 collective bargaining agreement. The Lakers' run from 2000 to 2002 is the most recent three-peat.
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