The Cleveland Cavaliers came into this trade deadline with a clear financial target: try to sneak under the NBA’s second apron - that restrictive salary threshold that limits flexibility in roster building. They got close.
Really close. But when the dust settled, they were still about $3.9 million over the line, and they’ll finish the season above it.
Now, let’s unpack what that actually means.
The Cavs made a few moves to trim salary, including sending Lonzo Ball and two second-round picks out the door. That helped ease some of the financial pressure, and they also saved money in the De’Andre Hunter deal.
But they stopped short of making the kind of move that would’ve pushed them completely under the second apron. Why?
Because doing so would’ve meant sacrificing a key rotational player - and for a team trying to contend in the East, that was a non-starter.
Cavs president of basketball operations Koby Altman put it plainly: “For us to get under the second apron, we would’ve had to lose a rotational piece right now. That was hard for us to do. Let’s make this run.”
And that’s the crux of it. The Cavaliers weren’t willing to compromise their current rotation just to gain some financial breathing room.
They’re playing for now. They believe in this group, and they weren’t going to weaken the roster in the middle of a playoff push.
But while the Cavs prioritized the present, there are longer-term consequences to staying above the second apron.
First, they lose the ability to trade a first-round pick seven years out - a key tool for teams looking to make big moves. That means the 2032 first-rounder is off-limits unless the team gets under the apron in three of the next four seasons. Until then, that pick is essentially frozen and, even if it’s eventually unlocked, it’ll be treated as a late first-rounder in value.
That’s a big deal for a front office that’s been aggressive in building this roster. The second apron doesn’t just hit your wallet - it limits your options.
It restricts trades, contract aggregation, and even some free agency maneuvers. So while the Cavs were comfortable absorbing that hit this season, they’ll need to be strategic moving forward if they want to regain some of that flexibility.
The silver lining? There’s a path to get under the apron this summer. And if the Cavs can do that, they’ll reopen doors that are currently closed - including the ability to package contracts in trades and unfreeze that valuable future first-round pick.
For now, though, this was a deadline about preserving what’s working. The Cavs didn’t chase savings at the expense of chemistry or competitiveness. They doubled down on the group they’ve built, and they’ll deal with the financial implications in the offseason.
In the big picture, this deadline was less about cap gymnastics and more about belief - belief that this team, as currently constructed, has what it takes to make noise in the playoffs. And for a franchise looking to climb back into the Eastern Conference elite, that’s a bet worth making.