On paper, the decision from the Boston Celtics to deal both Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday in a pair of trades on Tuesday was a bit of a head-scratching one. However, when you consider the league’s recent changes to the CBA and the penalties involved for teams going past the first and second apron, the trade appeared to be a necessity more than a want for the Celtics.
For those unaware of how the first and second aprons work, it is an additional tax for teams that go over a certain team payroll. For 2025, the first apron hard cap is expected to be $ 195.9 million, and the second apron is expected to be $207.8 million.
Teams that enter the second apron receive harsh penalties that limit their roster construction for years to come.
Before the trades, the Celtics found themselves in the second apron. But after moving the big contracts of Porzingis and Holiday, they fell out of the second apron, which is a clear indication that the new restrictions were at least somewhat of a factor in their decision to make the pair of moves.
Reacting to the move on Wednesday, NBC Sports Boston analysts Chris Gasper and Michael Holley aired their grievances with the new apron penalties, detailing that they take away from smart front offices that make savvy moves, such as the Celtics.
“I think the CBA is an absolute disgrace,” said Gasper. “I really do. We’ve been talking about it. Absolute disgrace. First of all, it’s so esoteric. There is no way the average fan can process this or really understand it. But also, think about the Celtics. They did it the right way. They built their team through the draft and true trades. This is not some superteam where guys ganged up. And now they have to dismantle it? Why? Because other teams aren’t as smart? And there are other owners who are lazy and cheap? This is what the league is doing now? It makes no sense. It’s not good for the Celtics. And I also don’t think it’s good for the product.”
“Look, it’s terrible for the league,” added Holley. “Gasper, we have the draft coming up. And instead of talking about the draft and all the moves that teams are going to make, you are asking fans to listen to financial talk. We saw that stat, the Celtics saved $180 million in taxes.’ You don’t care! I want to talk about the players.”
“If it hurts the large-markets teams, they don’t care,” replied Gasper. “But if Oklahoma City gets into a situation where they drafted those three guys, and they can’t pay those guys, then I think they will change it. Because the whole idea is from Adam Silver is, they want teams like OKC to win. They want them to be competitive. The only way a team like that can win is to draft well. And if they can’t keep their guys and keep it going, they will tweak it. The tweak will be an allowance if it’s homegrown guys.”
@nbcsboston“I think the CBA is an absolute disgrace.” 🗣️ Is the new CBA ruining the NBA for fans?♬ original sound – NBC Sports Boston
Perhaps the NBA will consider revising the apron rules in the future if more exceptional teams are compelled to let talented players depart due to salary restrictions. But clearly, the Celtics are among the first who have truly been impacted most devastatingly by the new rules.
About Reice Shipley
Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.