Tony Snell needs an NBA team to sign him by the end of the week, or else he'll miss out on a retirement benefits program.
According to an article published by Yahoo Sports, Snell has to find his way onto a team's active roster by Friday and signed for the rest of the season, or he won't be able to get the players association's retiree benefits program for players entering their tenth year of service. He will also be eligible for the union's premium medical plan if signed, which would cover his family, including his two sons, Karter, three, and Kenzo, two, who were both diagnosed with autism.
"It's something I truly need," Snell told Yahoo. "Not only for myself, but for my wife and my kids."
Snell is currently signed to the Maine Celtics of the NBA G League. He was drafted by the Chicago Bulls in 2013 and played for several teams, including the Milwaukee Bucks, Detroit Pistons, Atlanta Hawks, and more. The Los Angeles native revealed in June 2023 that he was diagnosed with autism during an interview with TODAY's Craig Melvin.
According to Snell, he received his diagnosis after noticing his son Karter had missed some developmental crossroads. Snell and his wife, Ashley, took their son to a doctor who then recommended the boy get tested for autism.
Karter's diagnosis had Snell reflect on his own childhood, where he told Melvin, "I was always independent growing up, I've always been alone. ... I just couldn't connect with people (on) the personal side of things. I'm like, if (Karter) is diagnosed, then I think I am too. ... That gave me the courage to go get checked up."
