As the Warriors continue their dynasty in the Bay, the front office has big decisions to make in the next few years regarding the future of four key players.
Draymond Green, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole are all due expensive contract extensions in the near future.
Although there’s no rule in the collective bargaining agreement that would deny Golden State the ability to give all four big paydays, The Athletic’s Anthony Slater and Marcus Thompson II reported Wednesday, citing sources, that extending offers to all "just isn’t viable for the franchise."
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Green, with two years remaining on his deal (one being a player option), reportedly wants a max contract extension, which the Warriors have “no plans” on giving the forward. Thompson is due $40.6 million and $43.2 million over the next two seasons. Wiggins is entering the final year of his max extension he signed with the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2017, and Jordan Poole will be a restricted free agent next summer if he doesn’t sign a rookie-scale extension by Oct. 17.
Paying all four players over the next 12 months would put Golden State's salary well into unforeseen territory after the luxury tax. The Warriors already owned the NBA's largest salary in history last season at $362 million.
In July, Warriors owner Joe Lacob told The Athletic's Tim Kawakami that the Warriors' payroll at $400 or $500 million per season isn't feasible.
"Those numbers are not even remotely possible," Lacob said. "They're just not. I'm already in trouble with the rest of the league. We are in trouble for being where we are. In fact, Vegas, I'll be at the NBA Board of Governors meeting Tuesday, let me tell you. They're not happy. It's not just us. Other teams are going into the luxury tax now as well. We kind of blew a hole in the system and it's not a good look from the league's perspective. They don't want to see it happen."
Golden State Warriors
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Lacob also was fined $500,000 for his comments criticizing the luxury tax while disclosing information about the governor's meeting on Andre Iguodala's podcast.
The next few moves of the front office will determine the future of the Warriors' franchise. Will general manager Bob Myers prioritize the younger Wiggins and Poole and try to get Green and Thompson on cheaper deals, potentially upsetting Steph Curry and the championship core? Or will the Warriors give Green and Thompson their well-deserved flowers as two-thirds of the team's Big Three and let either Wiggins or Poole walk?
No matter the decisions made, the front office is in for some choppy waters ahead.