The problem with the NBA's second apron

The NBA's second apron has to go.It won't, though, because the league likes what it does.The second apron, set at $221,686,000 for the 2026-27 season, effectively works as a hard salary cap. Exceed that figure, and team-building essentially becomes impossible, because the restrictions are so severe on a franchise's ability to operate in the draft, free agency and trade markets — all the ways in which an organization can improve its roster.It has become the talking point in the NBA, as tank