The Warriors set a new NBA record by winning 73 regular-season games in 2015/16, but 2016/17 was truly their scorched-earth season. Golden State kicked off the NBA’s new league year last summer by landing Kevin Durant, the top free agent on the market, then cruised to a 67-win regular season and turned it up another notch in the playoffs — the Dubs won 16 of 17 postseason contests en route to their second title in three years.
In the wake of the Warriors’ NBA Finals win over the Cavaliers, NBA observers fretted over Golden State’s dominance, wondering if it’s even worth it for 80% of the league’s teams to make win-now moves this summer. That means this offseason should be a cakewalk for the Warriors, right? Well… maybe not. Although they don’t expect to lose any stars, the Dubs only have five players under contract heading into July, so there’s still plenty of work to do.
Here are five key questions facing the Warriors this offseason:
1. Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant will definitely be back, right?
Yes. As fun it would be to have either of these guys lining up a handful of free agent meetings like Durant did last July, they’re not going anywhere. Both former MVPs will technically become unrestricted free agents on July 1, but they’ll quickly come to terms on new deals with the Warriors. It’s just a matter of figuring out what those new agreements will look like.
For Curry, who is eligible for a Designated Veteran Extension, there’s no reason to think that the Warriors will offer him any less than the full super-max, which currently projects to pay him just over $200MM for five years. The two-time MVP has been one of the NBA’s best bargains on his current four-year, $44MM contract, and the Warriors won’t gain any additional cap flexibility by asking him to accept less than the max.
Durant’s case is a little trickier, but it sounds like he’s willing to settle for less than a maximum salary contract in 2017/18. A true max for Durant is currently projected to be worth $34.5MM next season, but the Warriors would have to create cap room to make such a deal work. By signing another short-term deal and settling instead for about $31.85MM, a 20% raise on last year’s salary, the 28-year-old would let the Warriors to stay over the cap. That would allow the team to hang onto its Bird rights for key contributors like Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston.
2. So will Iguodala and Livingston be back too?
Neither Iguodala nor Livingston is a mortal lock to return, but assuming Durant signs on for a 20% raise, the Warriors have no limitations on what they could offer the duo. It would simply be a matter of determining how high they’re willing to go for players who will be, at best, the fifth and sixth options on the roster.
While Iguodala is probably the better bet to re-sign, he’ll receive plenty of interest in free agency, and a recent report suggested that he may receive offers worth upwards of $20MM annually. The same report indicated that Iguodala will seriously consider other suitors, and if they’re willing to go that high, he’d be crazy not to. But all indications are that he loves playing in Golden State, so if the Warriors are willing to make a competitive offer – even if it’s not the biggest offer – I expect the veteran swingman will be back.
Livingston may not be as high a priority for the Warriors, though he figures to be less expensive than Iguodala. The veteran point guard will turn 32 in September, making this summer one of his last chances at a big payday. If another team makes an offer worth the full mid-level exception (approximately $8.4MM) for two or three years, I could see the Warriors bidding him farewell. If Golden State could get him back for something in the range of $5-6MM per year, a return would be more realistic.
3. Who else will be along for the ride?
Golden State has several more rotation players eligible for free agency, including Zaza Pachulia, David West, JaVale McGee, and Ian Clark. However, the Warriors don’t have Bird rights for most of those players, limiting their ability to offer raises.
The Warriors would certainly like to have some of those players back, but they won’t break the bank for any of them, and it’s not clear if veterans like Pachulia and West – having won the championship they were chasing – will continue to stick around at a discounted rate. Certainly, a younger player like Clark should find a larger payday elsewhere.
If the Warriors’ current contributors don’t want to accept discounts, the team should have no problem finding players that will. Golden State will head into the 2017/18 as a massive favorite to win next year’s title, and free agents in search of a championship will want to get on the fun. Even if Pachulia and West aren’t back, there will likely be new versions of that type of veteran willing to come on board for the minimum.
4. Will Steve Kerr be good to go to start the 2017/18 season?
Kerr’s back issues forced him to miss a good chunk of the postseason this spring, which was just about the only thing that went wrong for the Warriors during the playoffs. The Golden State head coach was able to return to the sidelines for the club during the NBA Finals, and GM Bob Myers said after winning that series that there’s “no doubt” will take his place on the bench again next season. Kerr will be given time off this summer to explore various options for relieving his back pain, and to find answers for why he’s still experiencing issues related to old procedures.
The Warriors showed no signs of slowing down when Mike Brown took the reins during the postseason, and given the talent on their roster, they might still win 60 games with Riley Curry as their head coach. But Kerr has been an impressive presence and leader in Golden State, and it’d be great to see him get to a point where he can avoid another health-related hiatus down the road.
5. How long will the Warriors’ reign last?
Okay, so this isn’t a question that the Warriors can – or should – answer this offseason. But with mega-contracts for Curry and Durant around the corner, there’s a good chance the club dips into luxury-tax territory for the first time this summer, especially if Iguodala and Livingston return.
Team ownership will be fine with pay those penalties in order to keep a championship roster intact, but some long-term planning will be required to determine how long the Warriors can be a taxpayer and how deep into the tax they’re willing to go. Klay Thompson will be up for a mega-contract of his own in 2019 and Draymond Green‘s next payday will come in 2020.
The Warriors won’t have to make decisions on those guys yet, but if they plan to keep them both beyond their current deals, that may affect this offseason’s moves — the club may look to avoid signing players (besides Curry and Durant) for longer than two years, with another max salary (for Thompson) on tap for that third year.
These are first-world NBA problems, but a team that aggressively pursued Durant after winning 73 games is exactly the sort of franchise that will already be thinking about how to win the next five or six titles — not just the next one or two.
Here’s where things currently stand for the Warriors financially:
Guaranteed Salary
- Klay Thompson ($17,826,150)
- Draymond Green ($16,400,000)
- Kevon Looney ($1,471,382)
- Damian Jones ($1,312,611)
- Patrick McCaw ($1,312,611)
- Jason Thompson ($945,126) — Waived via stretch provision.
- Total: $39,267,880
Player Options
- None
Team Options
- None
Non-Guaranteed Salary
- None
Restricted Free Agents
- James Michael McAdoo ($1,724,305 qualifying offer / $1,724,305 cap hold)
- Total: $1,724,305
Cap Holds
- Kevin Durant ($31,848,120) — Played option declined.
- Stephen Curry ($18,168,539)
- Andre Iguodala ($16,697,052)
- Shaun Livingston ($10,986,655)
- Zaza Pachulia ($3,477,600)
- Matt Barnes ($1,471,382)
- Ian Clark ($1,471,382)
- JaVale McGee ($1,471,382)
- David West ($1,471,382)
- Total: $87,063,494
Projected Salary Cap: $99,000,000
Maximum Cap Room: $5,637,386
- Our max cap room scenario for the Warriors assumes that the Warriors renounce all their free agents except for Curry and Durant. Five guaranteed salaries, along with cap holds for Curry, Durant, and five empty roster rosters, would bring team salary to $93,362,614. In that scenario, the team could afford a max contract for Durant, but wouldn’t have any cap room left to sign other players. The more likely outcome – which would give the team a better chance to re-sign Iguodala and Livingston – involves staying over the cap and Durant accepting a 20% raise rather than a true max salary.
Salary information from Basketball Insiders and The Vertical was used in the creation of this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
“if only” Gilbert had just resigned Griffin, there’d be a lot more people excited about the upcoming campaign. One shot in game 2 may have changed the complete complexity of the finals. One freaking lucky shot via KD.
Cavs still have the big 3 plus a very good supporting cast that went through the east like butter. Cavs are still in shape to win in ’18 IF whomever guides the acquisitions and trades doesn’t screw it up.
That wasn’t a lucky shot. KD is heck of a shooter.
Meh lucky isn’t the right word. Unbelievable shot is more like it.
Like he said, that his spot. He’s practiced that one his whole life, blame the defense.
The Cavs problem is Lebron, he just simply does not step up offensively when he is supposed to. Kevin Love is non-existent just how Chris Bosh was in Miami. Its too late to surpass Michael Jordan, Michael would have NEVER let his team slack off in the Finals, Lebron’s team is not behind him 100%.
“Lucky shot” LOL that’s like saying Lebron made a lucky block the year prior. Give the world class athletes credit where it’s due.
if ifs were fifths we all be drunk, If the cavs played defense if the cavs had a better supporting cast
if Da king stays in Cleveland beyond next season,
if
the only question is can kd figure out how to put his own ring on or will he need Steph to hold his hand for that too?
Ray Allen and Kyrie Irving own 2 of Lebron’s rings. Durant did not defer to Curry nor did he depend on last second shots to win the Finals, IT WAS DOMINANCE nothing based on luck like Popovich taking Duncan out of a pivotal possession so Bosh can tip the ball to Ray for a shot that only Ray himself can hit.
None of that answers the question. And fyi I’m not a lebron fan. all you dudes gobbling kd junk assume everyone who don’t like kd likes LeBron. Kd had to latch on to win, that’s the truth
That argument though ignores both KD’s stats and play this season. Makes it sound like he skated through the season or didn’t have to try at all. He was the best GSW player on the floor for, if not the entire playoffs, then at least during the Finals.
Did he leave OKC for the best team in the NBA? Of course. But he was arguably their best player this past season.
he’s playing with 3 current all stars, he better put up stats. My opinion is Steph had to hold his hand, and the proof that he joined a 73 win team says kd agrees with that statement
The facts is thats series looked like KD and Curry vs Lebron and Kyrie and Durant was the best player in the series.
LeBron ring chased in Miami, saw a better option in Cleveland, went ring chasing there. Kd did the same thing, except kd joined a 73 win team that beat him in the finals. I will always think of him as the guy who needed Steph to hold his hand just like LeBron needed wade to hold his hand
Every player needs a team to win.
Unfortunately Russel Westbrook doesn’t think so, thats why he left.
Durant just saw a team that benefited his game more. Russ is the closest thing we have to Kobe right now, he’s second to me after Leonard as the best in the league.
Steph ain’t hold KD hand, he dominated the Finals and Klay and Green did not even play well.
conf finals*
Exactly. If Steph didn’t play guarantee cavs beat the warriors. Steph is just so deadly anywhere past half court that it gives his teammates a lot of opportunities.
Not only is he deadly he is the king of chemistry, he brings the whole team together and LEADS.
You missed the point of his post lmao
Keep Dray, Klay, or Steph over KD
KD will be in the bay for a while, just get used to it. If anyone leaves it will be Klay once his contract is up, he’ll have to decide between winning or being the man somewhere else. Wouldn’t be shocked if Phil signs him when he becomes a free agent once Porzingis and Ntilikina are clicking.
Phil will probably be unemployed in 2019.
I mean everyone wants him fired after the whole putting in Porzingis in the trading block but I doubt he was ever serious about that. Phil is a older guy and some people lack respect for the man as if he never accomplished anything in his NBA career. The man coached the GOAT Michael Jordan, he knows what he is doing people are just choosing to see the negative side of everything.
He was a great coach, now he’s a terrible president, know the difference genius.
I’m not judging Phil’s management of the Knicks just yet. I think he will leave the Knicks in good hands whether he gets fired or not. He has done an exceptional job drafting and sure he overpaid Noah but think about the potential if Noah does stay healthy and gets back on track?
This.
Golden State got a steal in Jordan Bell, if Iguodala decides to leave Bell might be capable of being a great finisher off the bench. Angry Lebron fans, Lebron got beat simple as that, he has his own all-stars its just Lebron does not have that team behind him and he is not a leader like Kobe or Michael.
LBJ he’s everything but a closer. Plus
His free throw shooting. No clutch genes
He is top 10 all time just on his numbers but when it comes to winning and bringing a team from behind Lebron is nowhere to be found. He would be out of his mind to leave a scorer like Kyrie for George and go to LA. Nothing is wrong with Lebron’s roster it’s just he can’t lead that team, Lebron fans will never understand that if Lebron does not get his way in Cleveland after this off-season he is gone once again. Lebron ran all over Mike Brown,David Blatt, and now Tyronn Lue. In Miami he wasn’t pulling that on Spoelstra, Riley is not having that.
I see where you’re coming from. I’ve always thought James as more Magic than MJ. That’s not a knock on him it’s just how I view him. Kobe was like MJ in that if the game is on the line, he’s the ice cold killer you want taking the last shot.
LBJ, wade, bosh and LBJ, Kyrie, Love is a 50/50 each year against anyone in the West. Klay Curry Green is a 50/50 against a Cavs team. Add KD its like 75/25. Definitely more of a latcher on. If Ian Clark looks like a guy that should get paid bc of how he plays along the trio what does that tell You? It’s like how Thompson JR and Shump look good along LBJ up until this finals.
West Coast getting Chemical sprayed in the sky hard today. be aware of what they are doing to us and the weather.
Seek professional help, please.
You need the help if you can’t see this happening. Just google it and do your research
Cloud Seeding!
Cloud seeding is a real activity carried out by different groups and governments since the middle of the 20th century. The ultimate goal of cloud seeding is to trigger precipitation, with goals ranging from “just to see if we can do it” to “preventing hurricanes from growing into monsters.”
lmao you misspelled infowars in the search bar. Must be all those chemical clouds getting to your brain.
After that day of heavy spraying thunder storms and rain. Every time they are changing things you don’t mess with. Just look it up and don’t be blind. Just like all the lumnoti