"You Shouldn't Be Penalized For Drafting Well" - If Only Former NBAPA President CJ McCollum Felt This Way When He Negotiated The NBA's New CBA

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It's not exactly a secret that the NBA's new CBA is a real motherfucker. Over the last few years we're seeing the impact of the new rules start to work as intended, as title contenders with expensive rosters have no choice but to peel off legitimate rotation pieces mainly due to the penalties of the new CBA. It was designed to create parity, and we're currently in that weird transition period where teams built their rosters under the old CBA and now have to pivot to live in the new reality of this current CBA. We saw the Nuggets let key pieces walk in free agency after their title because of what it would have meant for their cap sheet, and it proved to be costly in their title defense season. We've just seen the Celtics unload 9 of their 15 players from their championship team, including 4 players that were in the Top 8 of their rotation, all due to the second apron penalties/repeater tax cost. Teams like CLE have started their 2-year 2nd apron clock and will be forced to do the same in a few seasons. Teams like MIN/NYK/ORL etc are all on pace to have to do the same once their time comes, given how their books look. Even a team like OKC, which is prepared unlike any other team in the league, is going to have to deal with this stuff in some fashion once all of their extensions kick in. It's unavoidable.

We now live in a world where if you're an NBA team, you kind of have to pray your homegrown talent doesn't explode into bonafide stars, simply because of what it will mean for your roster going forward. You can bet your ass that a team like the Grizzlies was relieved that JJJ missed out on his supermax, where the Cavs experienced the other end of the spectrum with Evan Mobley's contract going up by $50M since he hit the criteria to jump from 25% to 30% for his max. The Orlando Magic and Oklahoma City Thunder are currently praying for the same, given their Paolo/JDub extensions, and frankly that's bullshit. These rebuilding/small market teams pray to hit on a pick, then they hit on it, only to immediately have to start praying they don't become "too good" to the point where it will become an albatross for their cap sheet. A great example of this is what's happening with the Celtics. Jaylen Brown made an All NBA team the year he was eligible for the supermax, the team had to pay the 35% instead of the 30%, and now we're seeing what something like that is doing to their roster. 

Overall, the biggest pushback to this new CBA seems to be not having some sort of adjustment or protection for this "homegrown" talent. Why should you be penalized for being good at your job and hitting on picks? Isn't that the whole point? But now, if you're "too good" at drafting, you do sort of end up getting screwed. That feels….stupid. You know who agrees? CJ McCollum

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Gee, I wonder who may or may not have been the NBAPA President when these new CBA negotiations were going on?

Is it fair to put this all on CJ? No. But he did represent the players, so part of this is on him. No fucking shit teams shouldn't be penalized CJ! If you feel this way (and I'm sure other players agree), then why did you all allow that to happen! Why didn't you negotiate some sort of relief or adjustment? I'm not even sure why owners would be against it, because ultimately it would lower their tax bill/repeater tax bill, saving them money! I feel like Bill Simmons came up with this idea years ago when the supermax was first created. You have to be a homegrown player to get one of those, so reward them with a salary number that hits 35%, but maybe only count 30% of that number towards your cap. What's so wrong about that? We're also seeing the middle class players get absolutely boned with this new CBA, restricted free agency is cooked, and championship teams are being broken up all for what? Not testing for weed? Extensions being 140% instead of 120%? 

My guess? Once we get to the years where either side can opt out (2029-30), that's going to happen, and something will be changed/adjusted when it comes to this issue. In my opinion, it's really the main thing that has to change. I don't have a problem with the roster penalties of the aprons or even having repeater tax penalties, but it seems pretty stupid that something tied to a media vote (All NBA/supermax) can potentially drastically change the entire direction of a franchise. 

I understand that this is a topic that triggers me greatly given what I've had to witness my favorite basketball team do this summer, but that doesn't mean it's not bullshit. The 2nd apron and the new CBA waits for no team, so unfortunately, it's coming for your favorite team as well, especially if that team is a contender and loaded with talent.