When is the calculation done to determine if a team is over or under the Apron?

The calculation to determine if a team is over or under the Apron occurs after the full sign-and-trade transaction has been completed. This timing is crucial because the Apron, which is a salary cap limit set above the luxury tax threshold, directly impacts a team’s ability to make roster moves, including trades and free agent signings.

In the context of the NBA, the Apron is a critical factor during the free agency period and must be accounted for after any sign-and-trade arrangements are finalized. A team will evaluate its salary commitments against the Apron to understand its restrictions and options moving forward, especially in regard to signing additional free agents or engaging in trades. This process takes into account the contracts that have been altered or created through sign-and-trade transactions, which can push a team's total salary over the specified threshold.

The other options do not provide the correct context for when the Apron calculation occurs. For instance, calculating before any player signings wouldn't reflect the actual salary commitments that impact a team's position relative to the Apron. Similarly, evaluating at the end of the regular season or after pre-season games would be too late for decisions made regarding roster construction during the offseason. Therefore, the accurate moment for this calculation is indeed after