NBA's Second Apron Creating 'Sandwich Effect' With Trade Explosion Anticipated
The NBA is expected to have a volatile offseason with contrast between the two conferences, along with second apron concerns amongst multiple teams, creating an environment that fosters a number of major trades. The Eastern Conference is suddenly fairly wide open after the Cleveland Cavaliers disappointed in the playoffs while the Boston Celtics will be without Jayson Tatum as they also reset their roster due to second apron machinations. In the Western Conference, the Oklahoma City Thunder have now proven themselves as fulfilling their potential with three young stars in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren to go with a supporting cast and a number of future picks.
The Phoenix Suns, Minnesota Timberwolves and Celtics are each expected to pursue trades that drop them below the second apron. The Suns have been expected to trade Kevin Durant dating back to trade deadline week.
"You have a sandwich effect—the second apron pressing down," said ESPN's Brian Windhorst on The Hoop Collective Podcast. "The teams are in the second apron: Phoenix, Minnesota, Boston trying to get out of it. I think all three of them are going to try to get out of it. You got a couple of teams headed into the second apron—I think Cleveland, one more—but the second apron is not where you want to be for long. So you're going to constantly have teams at the top, you know, potentially squeezing out talent.
"And then you have some teams that have kind of gone all-in over the last couple of years, don't like their hand, and are going to maybe try to exit out. There's a few that I suspect could see 13 teams trying to win in the West next year, and they go, 'You know what?' Actually, probably 14 teams, because I think Portland probably thinks it can win after the way they finished. I don't know if they've got enough talent to compete, but [Chris] Finch the other day said it was 15. I'm not there yet.
"So, but let's just—let's just throw the Blazers a bone and say there's 14 teams. Is there a team or two in there that's like, 'I don't like our standing here, and if there's 14 teams trying to win, maybe we should not...' I'm not going to call those teams' names out, but I have a suspicion that, you know, that they could be in seller mode.
"So you have some teams that are having to lose players because of salary. You have some teams that are ravenously trying to move up. And you have some teams that may try to sell because they see too many buyers. And what you got right there is a marketplace."