The Warriors will continue to play the waiting game until the NBA is able to calculate the exact financial ramifications of the coronavirus pandemic.
And the league won't be able to set the 2020-21 salary cap and luxury tax level until it sees how the resumption of the 2019-20 season plays out in Orlando, Fla.
If all goes according to plan -- meaning the "seeding games" begin in late July and a full playoff slate concludes in mid-October -- the consequences won't be as severe.
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That would be good news for the Warriors, who are projected to have a very, very steep payroll next season. And speaking of good news, Golden State might not be as hard hit as previously thought.
"From everything I hear, the Warriors are not in severe trouble financially," The Athletic's Tim Kawakami wrote Tuesday. "To be sure, the Warriors are not making nearly as much as they expected and they’ve poured enormous dollars into building that arena (Chase Center). But they’ve taken in all that personal seat license money, they’ve got the massive sponsorships and their debt-service commitment is large but not crippling at about $30 million a year."
Even still, owner Joe Lacob and general manager Bob Myers don't know yet if they will be in position to use some or all of their $17.2 million traded player exception, as well as the taxpayer mid-level exception (in the $6 million range).
And don't forget that the Warriors are slated to land a top-five pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, which comes with a hefty price tag.
Golden State Warriors
"But from what I know about Lacob, (Peter) Guber and Myers, I wonder if this might be the exact time for the Warriors to spend even more, to flex their financial might once and for all in a way that could set themselves up for years to come," Kawakami wrote. "It could also burn up every sensible plan they’ve ever made, but hey, you’ve got to spend money to make money, right? And if hardly anybody else has enough money to spend to improve their rosters, isn’t that when the Warriors’ money would be even more significant?"
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This is a very fair perspective, and it reminds us of the following conversation from early April:
Kawakami: "Knowing you and your aggression -- I'm assuming it would take a lot for you to say, 'Well, let's back off this season.' Especially given Steph (Curry) and Draymond (Green) and Klay (Thompson). Is that your mindset still -- we're still gonna be going for it, that's who we are, that's the Warriors?"
Lacob: "I would agree with that supposition on your end just now that we realize those guys -- with their ages -- we're in a certain window of opportunity. And we would certainly like to take advantage. And that was our plan -- and still until further notice -- is our plan for next year and the next few years.
"However, a lot of things could change. And we're gonna have to adjust -- just like every other team -- to whatever the new situation is in the NBA. It's so up in the air right now. I just don't know."
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The situation is very fluid and frequently evolves. The Warriors are preparing for a bunch of different scenarios, and it's safe to assume Lacob will be as aggressive as possible to field a championship contender again.
But nobody really has a clue how any of this will unfold. There are tons of dominoes yet to fall.
So as mentioned, the waiting game drags on.