Tony Snell’s mission to sign with an NBA team this season has develop into some of the widely discussed basketball stories.
The 32-year-old guard plays for the Boston Celtics’ G League affiliate, the Maine Celtics.
He spent the vast majority of his nine-year NBA profession as a job player. He was pushing to sign with a team by a Feb. 2 deadline to achieve retirement advantages for players with at the very least 10 years of service.
Under the collective bargaining agreement, players with a decade of experience can receive lifetime medical insurance for his or her children. Snell’s two young sons have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, and Snell said he was also diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum.
The NBA does offer two profit retirement tiers. Once a player reaches three years of experience, he’s eligible for individual lifetime medical insurance. Players who play ten or more years qualify for premium advantages, which give lifetime medical insurance for relations.
Friday marked the ultimate day Snell could sign with an NBA team to qualify for his tenth yr of service. Snell scored three points within the Maine Celtics’ win over the Grand Rapids Gold Friday.
He has appeared in 14 games on the G League level this season and has averaged 4.1 points. Many G League teams are focused on developing younger players, so playing time is usually hard to return by for older players like Snell.
Earlier this week, basketball Hall of Famer Charles Barkley made an impassioned plea for a franchise to sign Snell before the advantages program deadline passed.
“I’m hoping — you realize, the NBA’s been great to all of us sitting up here — I hope one in every of you guys sign Tony so his two autistic kids can get great medical care,” Barkley said during a segment of “NBA on TNT.”
It’s still possible Snell could land with an NBA team next season.
Snell’s situation has raised awareness in regards to the financial burden related to caring for individuals with autism. It’s unclear if the NBA or the players union will reconsider its eligibility criteria or if Snell will likely be granted an exception.