Cavs’ Koby Altman knows second apron clock is ticking

Cavaliers president Koby Altman knows what’s coming. You can only hang around the NBA’s new second apron for so long before it eats your flexibility — and probably your roster.

For now, Cleveland’s core is still young. Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen are all in their 20s and locked in. But unless this group starts winning bigger, and soon, it’ll get tricky to keep everyone under one payroll roof.

Altman admitted that the financial squeeze is inevitable.

“The question will come for us,” he said, via ESPN’s Brian Windhorst . “How do you navigate this collective bargaining agreement and the restrictions that we have? For us, we’ve set ourselves up to have a runway with the guys we have.”

It’s a fair point. Boston lived in the luxury tax while winning a title, and ownership paid roughly $100 million in taxes to make it happen. Cleveland doesn’t want to be there unless it’s hanging banners.

The Cavs have been bounced early twice in the past three postseasons, including that five-game loss to Indiana after a 64-win campaign. Another exit like that, and tough choices are coming faster than anyone in Cleveland wants to admit.

Altman’s runway looks fine today. But in this new NBA economy, even short flights can get expensive.

RELATED | Dribbles: One game, one loss, plenty of promise for Cavs