NBA free agency is not over, but what was expected to be a wild few days that would shake up the basketball landscape fell well short. For Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green, the explanation is simple: the league's new CBA has effectively killed free agency as we know it.
The CBA, which took effect on July 1, 2023 and runs through the 2029–30 season, includes a punitive "second apron" above the salary cap that effectively becomes a hard cap for teams that exceed it. Whereas franchises previously faced additional charges for becoming tax payers, the second apron prevents teams from utilizing the mid-level exception and places significant limits on trades. A team loses most of its flexibility during years in which it is surpasses the second apron, limiting how much teams are willing to shell out in free agency.
