The New York Knicks winning the 2026 NBA Championship may have done more than simply snap a long-standing 53-year title drought.
In the aftermath of the club's Finals run and, subsequently, San Antonio's Finals loss, Spurs cornerstone Victor Wembanyama agreed to terms on a brand new five-year, $252 million rookie-scale extension to remain in the Lone Star State, opting to take the 25 percent max rather than the 30 percent supermax escalators to $303 million.
The reasoning behind his decision was to help San Antonio financially over the next several years as they attempt to navigate the CBA's dreaded tax aprons and simultaneously build a rotation that can ultimately push over the hump and successfully run the postseason gauntlet.
Had the Spurs won, there's a realistic chance that Wemby may not have been so willing to take less than supermax money for his monumental role in accomplishing such a feat in only his third year. Being that he's yet to make big-time bucks in the pros, why would he have taken a pay cut if his club had already proven capable of winning it all?
Of course, now that the Knicks epicly highlighted that San Antonio still has some work to do before achieving ultimate glory, Wembanyama seemingly took it upon himself to leave money on the table to help the team address their needs.
According to sources, this doesn't sit right with the NBPA that the onus is now being put on the players to help their clubs out with financial flexibility.
CBA reform buzz arguably stems from Knicks championship run
In a recent piece penned by ESPN's Ben Golliver, it was revealed that David Kelly, executive director of the NBPA, has been quite vocal about his disdain for the league's salary cap and luxury tax system, noting that "we are not fans of the second apron" and arguing players should not be "in the position to carry the burden of keeping a team together."
This kind of rhetoric came in direct response to questions regarding Wembanyama's recent decision to take below the supermax, as he made it a point to say that "players should make decisions for themselves and we should not be ... pocket-watching."
Though Wembanyama's contract decision may be the most recent to be influenced by the existence of the second apron, it is far from the only one the league has seen this summer.
From the Jaylen Brown blockbuster to, sadly, Mitchell Robinson's departure from the Knicks to Boston, there have been a bevy of crucial moves made so far this offseason that have been heavily influenced by the association's tax system.
However, considering how substantial his star power is, Wembanyama's thought process behind putting pen to paper on a new deal is the one that's now creating serious buzz about CBA reform, with Kelly going as far as to argue that the second apron must either be "softened" or flat-out removed.
One could argue that the Knicks winning the NBA Finals is what sparked this uptick in attention to the matter.
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