Wembanyama could lead Castle, Harper to Spurs solution the NBA hasn't cracked

The San Antonio Spurs have the chance to be the first team to beat the second apron. What does that mean? Well, they have a chance to avoid all the drama that teams like the Boston Celtics and Oklahoma City Thunder have fallen victim to. Victor Wembanyama already took a pay cut. If he can convince Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper to do the same, San Antonio could avoid serious roster slashing.

Last summer, the Celtics traded Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis to avoid the second apron. They had Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown on monster deals. The Thunder, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren’s max deals looming, just traded Lu Dort, Isaiah Joe, and Aaron Wiggins this summer.

Wemby already took 25% of the cap instead of 30%. What if Castle and Harper follow suit? Well, that would be a first in the second-apron era.

Wembanyama, Harper, and Castle could take pay cuts to beat the second apron

Wembanyama’s decision to take a pay cut was somewhat unprecedented. Obviously, Jalen Brunson took a pay cut to help the New York Knicks, but Wemby did so on his rookie-scale deal, eligible for the supermax.

He effectively told the Spurs he was willing to earn $10 million less per season in order to help them retain the talent they need to keep competing for championships year in and year out.

That may not seem like a ton of money, but what if Castle and Harper do the same? Saving $10 million a year would instantly go to saving $30 million per year. That’s where things start to stack up.

Look at the Thunder. Right now, with SGA, Williams, and Holmgren on max deals, they are about $2 million over the second apron. They’ll almost certainly be under it by the deadline, but that’s where they stand right now.

What if all three of those guys signed for $10 million less? Well, then the Thunder would have about a $30 million cushion under the second apron. They could have kept at least two of Dort, Joe, and Wiggins by that math.

What about the Celtics? Could they have managed to keep at least one of their guys (Holiday, Porzingis, Luke Kornet, or Al Horford) if Tatum and Brown were making around $10 million less (or more)? Maybe.

Wemby’s sacrifice has given the Spurs a very unique opportunity. If Castle and Harper follow suit, taking pay cuts of their own to help the Spurs win, they could – in a way – beat the second apron.

At least, they’d beat it more than any team before them has been able to.

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