Tim Bontemps, Bobby Marks and Kevin Pelton contributed to this story.
The one-and-done rule wasn't touched. There's no new super-duper-max contracts. There isn't even an amnesty clause. So the biggest thing to know about the NBA's new CBA is... aprons?
It might not sound exciting, but the modified luxury tax rules in the new collective bargaining agreement between the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association will ensure labor peace in the league through the remainder of this decade. After the two sides pushed back the opt-out deadline on the previous CBA multiple times, they agreed to this new deal April 1, and it runs through June 30, 2029. Last week, the two sides completed the term sheet that lays out important deal points, many of which were reported by ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski with Tim Bontemps and Bobby Marks on April 1.
Inevitably, the new rules will create winners and losers for teams and players.
To help unpack the implications of the CBA, Bontemps and Marks were joined by ESPN NBA Insider Kevin Pelton to discuss their biggest takeaways from what owners and players agreed to change, as well as whether those adjustments will ultimately have the intended benefits for both sides.
Jaylen Brown's future, the NBA's biggest spenders and the 'second apron'
Bobby: There are a lot of items to discuss (the term "sheet" is actually 91 pages!) but let's start with the two big questions people want to know. Tim, are there rules in place to prevent big-spending teams such as the Golden State Warriors and LA Clippers from keeping their roster together? And what impact does the CBA have on the Boston Celtics' Jaylen Brown?
Tim: Let me first start with Brown, whose current contract runs through 2023-24 and pays him $30.7 million next season. Under the old CBA, Brown was limited to signing an extension that paid him 120% of that salary in the first year, which is far less than the max salary he could earn by becoming a free agent.