NBA journeyman chases new contract with 'bigger purpose'

Tony Snell #17 of the Portland Trail Blazers is announced before the game against the Detroit Pistons at Moda Center on November 30, 2021 in Portland, Oregon. (Getty Images)

(NewsNation) — A veteran NBA journeyman who entered the league more than a decade ago is hoping to make his seventh roster this week, not only to extend his playing career but to give his sons a brighter future with help from the league.

Tony Snell, 32, has until Friday to be signed by an NBA team to qualify for the Players Association’s premium medical plan. A contract provides Snell with a 10th year of service and allows his family to be covered by league insurance.

Snell’s sons, Karter, 3, and Kenzo, 2, were both diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, which shifted the former first-round draft pick’s priorities after years of climbing the NBA ladder.

“Of course, I want to come back and play, but I have a bigger purpose now,” Snell told Yahoo Sports. “It’s not about me anymore. It’s about my boys.”

Under the NBAPA’s insurance plan, players with up to 10 years of service are covered by the union’s individual medical insurance for the rest of their lives. But after logging 10 years of service, players along with anyone who shares their last name are covered by the plan.

After being traded to the New Orleans Pelicans in 2022, Snell appeared in only 15 games before he became an unrestricted free agent. Since then, Snell — who was drafted by the Chicago Bulls in 2013 — has spent the past two seasons with the Boston Celtics’ G League affiliate.

Snell continues his pursuit of a call-up while playing with the G League’s Maine Celtics, hoping to have his insurance benefits to cover his sons’ ongoing medical condition. But after Karter was evaluated by a specialist and diagnosed with the autistic disorder, Snell also learned that he, too, is on the spectrum, Yahoo Sports reported.

“I honestly felt relief,” Snell told Yahoo Sports. “I always knew I was different from everybody else. Just observing other kids, just observing everyone around me. How they were interested in each other, and they just clicked. I couldn’t find a way to click or relate. Basketball was honestly the only reason I had friends.”

As Snell continues to hope to sign with a team Friday, he not only wants to help support the needs of his young boys, but to help educate others.

“I want to share my knowledge with the young guys,” Snell told Yahoo Sports. “I have enjoyment from helping them out and showing them what I see. I’m at the stage where I want to inspire people and help as many people as I possibly can.”