The Spurs won't have to live with the NBA's annoying salary rules forever

The Spurs have built a strong roster with young talent, and they've done it the right way. But doing things right hasn't stopped them from being victims of the same issues everyone else is facing. Conversations about whether they can keep Luke Kornet, Devin Vassell, and even De'Aaron Fox mostly stem from the same villain: the second apron.

However, there could be an additional silver lining for San Antonio's youth, and it's the timing of the CBA's expiration date. The current deal runs through 2029-30, but either side can opt out after the 2028-29 season, with that window opening in October 2028. That's not forever. That's roughly two more seasons.

The union isn't hiding how it feels about this

The new NBPA executive director, David Kelly, wasn't subtle about their feelings here. "We are not fans of the second apron," he told reporters during Summer League in Las Vegas last month. "We should have done a better job of fighting back against it."

Fred VanVleet is the union president, and he co-signed Kelly's statement, basically saying that they're gearing up for the next CBA negotiations right now. Now, neither of them guaranteed that the players' association would opt out, but that's exactly what they're suggesting, and it's hard to believe they won't pull that lever if the NBA doesn't change course on its own.

Teams are forced to make trades and cuts that they don't want to because of these stiff apron penalties. Fewer players get to stick around because "business decisions" must be made. Free agency has been diminished, and front offices penny-pinch more than ever. Unfortunately, that's how Adam Silver likes it, so making change happen may not be easy.

The league office is a fan of the current CBA

Silver is on the record touting the current deal as a success. They wanted more parity in the league, and they have it. There's been a new champion every single season going back to the Warriors' back-to-back title runs in 2017 and 2018 because there haven't been any super teams capable of establishing dominance.

The Spurs won't be exempt from that reality without either the stars continuing to take pay cuts (which they shouldn't have to do) or a change to the CBA. That change won't come easily, but the players will likely take on that fight. It wouldn't be the first lockout, and it probably won't be the last.

It's only a matter of time before the fight over the apron happens. In the meantime, San Antonio may lose a couple of guys over the next two seasons, but if they can stave off any large losses, they may avoid having to do so altogether.

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