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Tony Snell caught the attention of Charles Barkley.
Thursday, Barkley spoke on “Inside the NBA” on Snell, asking teams to sign the 32-year-old so he can receive his 10th year of NBA service. This means Snell may qualify for the NBPA’s premium health plan, which provides health care benefits for him and his family. Under the collective bargaining agreement, Friday is the last day this season that a team could sign him for Snell to qualify for his 10th year of service, earning premium retirement benefits.
Snell said on “The Today Show” in June 2023 that he was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder at age 31. His children, Karter and Kenzo, are also diagnosed with autism.
“I hope one of you hire Tony so that your two autistic children receive excellent medical care,” Barkley said, in response to a story about Snell’s situation. in which Snell spoke with Yahoo Sports.
Snell entered the league in 2013 when the The Chicago Bulls selected him with the 20th pick in the NBA Draft. He has played for the Bulls (2013 to 2016), milwaukee dollars (2016 to 2019), Detroit Pistons (2019 to 2020), Atlanta Falcons (2020 to 2021), Portland Trail Blazers (2021 to 2022) and the New Orleans Pelicans (2022). Snell is currently with the Maine Celtics, the G League affiliate of the Boston Celtics.
The NBPA voted unanimously to provide funded health insurance to retired players with at least three years of service in July 2016.
What happens if a team signs Snell? What are the benefits as a player with 10 years of service compared to what Snell has now? And which teams have the roster spots to sign Snell?
Below are the answers to those questions:
What are the NBPA rules for its retiree benefits program?
If a player has three or more years of service, he is eligible to receive health insurance as long as the NBA and NBPA continue to agree to it in the collective bargaining agreement. This covers medical, hospital and prescription drug coverage and reduced out-of-pocket costs for the player and his family, according to the policy.
For seven or more years of service, the player gets a premium plan that has lower deductibles and copays, per NBPA policy.
If he has 10 or more years of service, the player gets that premium plan for himself and his family.
Because Snell has played nine seasons (seven or more years of service), he is currently on a health insurance plan that covers medical, hospital and prescription drug coverage. Snell is among players with three or more years of service (as of the 2001 season) who have access to a $150,000 health reimbursement agreement, according to the CBA. That HRA had no restrictions, but was later capped in the 2017 CBA at $150,000, but no player had to pay back money if he was over that limit. That money is then invested until it is used. Annual contributions to the HRA were also limited to $30,000 in 2017. For a player with that many years of service, the amounts contributed to his account should total more than $200,000.
If Snell signs, he will get the premium health insurance plan, where he and his entire family, including his two children, are covered.
Which teams have a roster spot available?
The Celtics, the Bulls, Cleveland Knights, warriors of the golden state, Indiana Pacers, the Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, minnesota wolvesNew Orleans Pelicans, Portland Trail Blazers and Wizards of Washington There are teams with open standard contract spots available to sign Snell without having to cut anyone.
The Celtics, Warriors, Heat and Lakers would have to pay a multiple of a tax on Snell’s salary in real dollars. For example, it’s about six times the tax for the Warriors, about four times for the Celtics, and about two times for the Lakers. The cost for these teams to sign Snell is higher than his actual salary.
Four of Snell’s previous coaches are current NBA coaches: Tom Thibodeau (Knicks), Jason Kidd (Mavericks), Chauncey Billups (Blazers) and Willie Green (Pelicans).
Where will Snell play this season?
The Maine Celtics acquired Snell on January 27, 2023. A well-liked player, Snell played 19 games for Maine in 2022-23, averaging 10.8 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game with a 43 .2 percent field goals.
After the Warriors offered Snell a workout in August, he returned to Maine in October. He played fewer games in 2023-24 and his numbers went down. Through 14 games, Snell is averaging 4.1 points, 2.4 rebounds and 0.6 assists on 35.7 percent shooting from the field.
Why the trade deadline complicates Snell’s chances
With the trade deadline on February 8, Snell’s chances of getting a contract are complicated. Teams often need empty roster spots to execute 2-for-1 or 3-for-1 trades. They are less likely to sign him and inherit the value of the contract if they need to cut him to complete a trade before February 8. Once signed, he cannot be traded as the contract lasts for the rest of the season.
If the health insurance deadline was next Friday, it would have been easier for teams to sign Snell, as there could have been more spots open in last-minute trades for teams to fill out their respective rosters.
— The AthleticMike Vorkunov contributed reporting to this story.
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(Photo: Stephen Lew / USA Today)
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