The NBA is pushing back strongly against the idea that the second apron has damaged earning opportunities for the league’s middle- and lower-salaried players.
In a statement released by NBA Communications, the league said that since the second apron was implemented, the number of players on NBA rosters has remained unchanged while annual player salaries have increased by nearly $1.3 billion. According to the league, that growth has translated into pay increases of approximately 30 percent across all classes of players.
Recent reports asserted that the second apron is hurting “lower” and “middle” class players. That’s untrue. Since the implementation of the second apron, the number of players on team rosters has remained the same and annual salaries have increased by nearly $1.3 billion resulting in pay increases of approximately 30% for all classes of players.
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) October 9, 2026
The statement appears to be a direct response to growing criticism of the NBA’s current collective bargaining agreement, particularly from veteran players who believe the league’s tougher spending restrictions have squeezed the so-called middle class.
Bruce Brown recently became one of the most prominent players to voice that concern. Brown argued that the current system works well for max-level stars, top free agents and players receiving major rookie extensions, but has made the market considerably more difficult for veterans seeking mid-level contracts.
The second apron was introduced through the 2023 collective bargaining agreement as a higher spending threshold carrying significant roster-building penalties. Teams that cross it face restrictions on trades, free-agent exceptions and, in certain circumstances, future draft-pick flexibility. For the 2026-27 season, the second apron sits at $221.686 million, while the salary cap is $164.961 million and the luxury-tax line is $200.428 million.
The NBA’s argument is essentially that the broader financial data does not support the claim that players as a group are being harmed. Total salary spending has risen significantly, roster opportunities have not contracted and the league says income growth has reached players throughout the salary structure rather than flowing exclusively to superstars.
However, rising league-wide salaries do not necessarily prove that the second apron itself caused those increases. The salary cap has also grown substantially as NBA revenues have expanded, meaning players would naturally be expected to earn more under a system in which compensation is tied to basketball-related income. Critics therefore argue that aggregate salary growth can coexist with a tougher market for a particular category of veteran player.
That is ultimately where the debate sits. The NBA can point to nearly $1.3 billion in additional annual salaries and roughly 30-percent increases across player groups as evidence that the new system has not reduced overall compensation.
Players such as Brown are pointing to a different issue: not how much money exists in total, but how teams are choosing to distribute it under the pressure of the aprons. Both can matter at the same time.
