Joe Lacob

Warriors’ Lacob Talks Payroll, Kerr, Kuminga, Thompson

February 16th, 2024 at 1:07pm CST by Luke Adams

With the Warriors playing better basketball since Draymond Green‘s return from suspension last month, the organization decided ahead of this season’s trade deadline that it didn’t want to take a step backward by essentially selling off a veteran or two, even if it resulted in a significant financial windfall, team owner Joe Lacob said during an appearance on Tim Kawakami’s podcast at The Athletic.

However, Lacob acknowledged that keeping the Warriors’ payroll as high as it’s been for the last several seasons (relative to the luxury tax line) probably isn’t practical going forward, especially with the new Collective Bargaining Agreement introducing punitive roster-building restrictions for teams above the tax aprons.

“Our Plan 1, or 1A, is actually we’d like to be out of the tax, and we think that we have a way to do that,” Lacob told Kawakami. “That kind of is the plan, not just under the second apron. I’ll tell you why that’s important, because the truth is that we need to be out of the tax two years out of the next four, below the tax line, in order to get this repeater thing off our books. We don’t want to be a repeater. It’s just so prohibitive, not to say we wouldn’t do it if we had to, but you’ve gotta look at what the downside is to doing that.

“… There’s a Plan 1B, I guess, and 1B is we could go even further than that and we could make big changes if we had to. If this team were to slide all the way down and not do well the end of the year here, you know there’s gonna be big changes. But if we do really well, we might decide to go the other way. So everything’s open, we have to be flexible, I can just tell you that the goal is to not be a lottery team ever. The goal is to be competitive, the goal is to win and ideally, if it’s possible, to win championships or compete for championships.”

The Warriors have approximately $73MM coming off their books this summer in Klay Thompson‘s and Chris Paul‘s expiring contracts alone. Negotiating a new deal for Thompson would cut into that total, but there’s a path for Golden State to operate below the tax line, which is projected to be around $171MM in 2024/25.

Lacob discussed several more topics of note during his conversation with Kawakami, including his relationship with Green and his expectations for this year’s team. The podcast – or Kawakami’s round-up – is worth checking out in full if you’re a Warriors fan, but here are a few highlights from the discussion:

On the report that the Warriors pursued LeBron James prior to the trade deadline:

“We’re always going to try to be aggressive. … And we’re going to look at everything. When we acquired Kevin Durant many years ago, that was an incredibly aggressive move that we made, where I think half our roster went away to accomplish that. Even though we had a really good team, we felt we could be better, and we did.

“There are these inflection points, these times when sometimes players might be available. Even if it’s not something you maybe have considered, you need to consider it. My answer to your question is I’m always looking, we’re always looking at everything. I always tell (Warriors executives) Mike (Dunleavy Jr.) and Kirk (Lacob) and everybody, nothing is off the table, nothing. So we look at everything, and if the deal’s right, the timing’s right and we have consensus generally inside, then we’ve got to consider this thing.

“As far as the reports … I’m not going to say anything about any specific player or anything. I’m just going to tell you that, you know, we’re aggressive and we’re looking at things all the time.”

On head coach Steve Kerr’s expiring contract:

“I think we will work out a deal with him. He’s a very fair human being. We’ve never underpaid people. We always pay people well. We’re fair. We have to do what’s good overall for business, obviously. … I think he does want to stay coaching the team in the future. And we want him here, to be very clear. We think he’s a great coach. … I think we’ll have a contract done with Steve pretty soon. … I wouldn’t worry too much about it. I don’t think anybody else is going to have Steve Kerr as their coach.”

On Jonathan Kuminga‘s breakout following a report that he had lost faith in Kerr

“I know there’s been a lot of concerns. ‘Why wasn’t JK playing more, did our coaching staff hold him back?’ Look, we can debate all that. But if you look at the bigger picture, he’s 21 years old. He did not play college basketball. And year three historically is the year when players kinda take off or don’t … very rarely in their rookie year can a rookie make an impact, especially on a good team.

“… I think JK has had a tough go of it, Steve has been tough on him, but maybe at the end of the day, he winds up being a much better player and maybe Steve in the long term looks smart. I mean, that’s a possibility. It certainly could be. I think it’s year three, I think he’s taken off, we needed him, it turned out, the opportunity just happened to be right there, and he has fully jumped through the window and taken advantage of it.”

On Thompson’s up-and-down season and his contract situation:

“Honestly, I love him like a son is the way I feel about that. … He’s had a really tough time. He’s had some severe injuries, he played really well coming back from that until the playoffs last year, obviously wasn’t his brightest moment. And he’s had an up-and-down year this year. … But at the end of the day, I believe in Klay, I think he’s a very impactful player, and I think he’s going to come through for us in the clutch if we make another run here. I stand behind Klay Thompson, too. I know his contract’s expiring … that’s a flexibility-of-a-team thing. … I’d like to have him retire as a Warrior, that’s the bottom line.”

Warriors Notes: Green, Podziemski, Kuminga, Moody, Saric

February 3rd, 2024 at 7:03pm CST by Arthur Hill

Draymond Green expects to receive a large share of the blame if the Warriors can’t get back into title contention, writes Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Green’s absence from the lineup during two suspensions disrupted the first half of Golden State’s season and played a significant role in a 21-24 start. Green has resumed his normal duties since returning from his latest punishment, which resulted in 16 missed games, but he knows fans and the media will single him out if the team fails to reach the playoffs.

“Who we are, what we stand for is enough of a burden,” Green said. “We’re never expected to lose. There’s a standard that’s been set. So for me, that’s enough burden. So I don’t go around thinking every day like, ‘F—, we got to make these games up that I missed.’ But what I do know is if it doesn’t get turned around, then that’s kind of what’s going to be said.”

Green told Slater that he considered signing with the Grizzlies in free agency last summer, but only for “an eensy bit of time.” He credits the Warriors’ front office for being “straightforward” in negotiations, which eventually produced a four-year, $100MM contract with a player option for the final season. Green also said owner Joe Lacob talked to him about expectations regarding his behavior before approving the deal, which had a massive effect on the team’s tax bill.

Green felt like he broke the promises he made to Lacob and didn’t pick up the phone when the owner called after the indefinite suspension was handed down in December.

“I couldn’t answer it,” Green said. “I couldn’t talk to him. I did not talk to him. I didn’t call back. I almost hid. He gave me his word and he stuck by it. I gave him my word and I’ve let him down. It was probably a little cowardly. Like, I couldn’t face the music.”

There’s more on the Warriors:

Klay Thompson returned from an illness Friday night, but coach Steve Kerr replaced him with Brandin Podziemski for the closing minutes of the first half and the game, per Sam Gordon of The San Francisco Chronicle. Podziemski handed out 14 assists, which Gordon notes is the most by any rookie in a single game this season. “Love that group,” Podziemski said, pointing out the flexibility that he and Green bring to the lineup. “Having two of us out there like that, playing with Jonathan (Kuminga) and (Stephen Curry), who are really good scorers, along with (Andrew Wiggins), who picks his spots — I think it’s a good group. We played well together. Most importantly, we got stops when we needed to.”
Kuminga reached rare territory with his eighth straight 20-point game while shooting at least 50% from the field. Gordon states that Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic and Kawhi Leonard are the only other players to accomplish that this season.
Meeting with reporters tonight, Kerr said Moses Moody was able to work out today and should return from his left calf strain sometime in the next three games, Slater tweets. Dario Saric, who was out Friday and tonight due to an illness, is expected to rejoin the team Sunday in New York.

Warriors’ Lacob Talks Kerr, Paul, Poole, More

September 1st, 2023 at 8:31pm CST by Rory Maher

Speaking to Tim Kawakami of The Athletic, Warriors owner Joe Lacob expressed optimism about retaining Klay Thompson long term, as we previously relayed.

However, Thompson isn’t the only key member of the organization entering a potential walk year. As Kawakami writes, head coach Steve Kerr, who is currently coaching Team USA at the World Cup, could also be a free agent in 2024, but there seems to be momentum on a contract extension ahead of training camp.

“We have started to talk with his people, again, same as kind of the Klay situation,” Lacob said. “Very early. There’s plenty of time. Steve is just like Klay, we want Steve to be here for a long time. Hall of Fame coach, we really value him. And I’m sure we’ll be able to work out something that’s fair to both sides.”

Kerr, who turns 58 later this month, has been Golden State’s lead coach for the past nine seasons, compiling a 473-238 regular season record (.665 winning percentage) and a 99-41 postseason record (.707) en route to six finals appearances, including four championships.

Here are some more highlights from Kawakami’s conversation with Lacob, which is worth checking out in full:

Lacob said the team didn’t plan to exceed $400MM in combined payroll and luxury tax payments for the upcoming season, but noted that trading Jordan Poole for Chris Paul created more financial “optionality” going forward — Paul’s ’24/25 salary is non-guaranteed, while Poole is entering the first year of a four-year, $123MM+ extension. “To some extent, this is a year-by-year league,” he said. “When you’ve got a chance to win, you’ve got to go for it. We did the best thing we thought we could do. This is going for it. So we’ll see what happens.”
Golden State’s owner said the team will take a wait-and-see approach regarding Paul’s future with the team beyond this season. Lacob also said that while he was initially dubious about the trade, eventually the Warriors realized it could make them better this season, since Paul has consistently helped raise the level of the players around him. “We kind of warmed to that idea and the more we processed it the more we thought it really made sense — at least for the short-to-intermediate term,” Lacob told Kawakami. “Certainly longer-term, I’m not going to deny, we gave up a great asset in Jordan Poole, probably has a decade or so left to play in this league. He’s probably going to just get better. We were going short-term versus long-term on this. But for a lot of different reasons, both basketball reasons and financial reasons, it just made sense to do it.”
Poole and Draymond Green had a well-documented dust-up during last year’s training camp, with Green punching the young guard. Kawakami asked Lacob if it was fair to say the Warriors had to pick between the two players this summer after a season filled with tension (Green re-signed on a four-year, $100MM deal). “I don’t want to say absolutely that’s true,” Lacob said. “I think it’s fair to say there was some level of concern going forward whether that was going to be something that would work out. To be honest with you, I think it would’ve worked out, could’ve worked out. But I think it is fair to say that in order to make the numbers work and so on, someone probably was going to be the odd man out. It just turned out, and it wasn’t planned, that it was Jordan.”
Lacob confirmed Golden State hopes to move under the league’s second tax apron next offseason, according to Kawakami. “It is very penal to be above it,” he said. “I think our goal would be to be under it, yeah. You just lose too many options in terms of constructing your roster, draft choices and a variety of things. It is very difficult to contemplate not being under it. But look, it’s a year-by-year thing and we’ll see what happens.”

Warriors’ Lacob Not Ready To Name Myers’ Successor

May 31st, 2023 at 8:53am CST by Luke Adams

Appearing on Tuesday at the press conference announcing Bob Myers‘ departure from the Warriors, team owner Joe Lacob told reporters that he wasn’t ready to announce a successor for the team’s longtime head of basketball operations, as Kendra Andrews of ESPN.com relays.

“We’ll make a decision as soon as we can, but I want to make sure that we make the right decision, and if it happens in a week, great. If it happens in a month, great,” Lacob said. “We’ll make that decision through the natural course, have the right process. I think we are preparing for the draft and free agency and all those things regardless, and we’ll be ready.”

Myers’ contract with the Warriors runs through June 30 and he’s expected to remain around the team for the next month to fulfill the rest of his deal. However, Myers said on Tuesday that he’ll be operating in a support role, so it remains unclear who will be taking the lead on draft night (June 22) and at the start of free agency (June 30).

Multiple reports leading up to Myers’ announcement on Tuesday indicated that the Warriors’ next top basketball executive would probably be promoted from within — VP of basketball operations Mike Dunleavy Jr. was frequently cited as the most likely candidate. Lacob didn’t confirm or deny that plan on Tuesday, though he did express confidence in the group that Myers will leave behind.

“I will say that we do have a very strong organization, and there’s a good possibility it could be an internal candidate,” Lacob said, per Andrews. “But haven’t made a decision, so can’t really give you an answer. We are going to work on that.”

In one obliquely worded section of her report, Andrews cites sources who say that “power struggles” within the Warriors, including between ownership and the front office, may limit Golden State’s ability to bring in a big-name executive from outside the organization, making an in-house promotion more likely.

The team could become more of a “family business” in the coming years, Andrews writes, perhaps alluding to the fact that Lacob is reportedly interested in having his son Kirk Lacob – the Warriors’ executive VP of basketball operations – take on a more prominent role in the front office.

Whoever emerges as the Warriors’ next head of basketball operations will assume a role that Myers says requires “complete engagement,” something he felt he could no longer give. Joe Lacob’s expectations in the post-Myers era will remain high, even as the NBA introduces a Collective Bargaining Agreement that will impose more restrictions on the teams with the highest payrolls.

“We are going to win no matter what. I don’t care what the rules are,” Lacob said. “We are going to figure out a way to do it. That’s what good organizations do.”

Bob Myers’ Future With Warriors Remains Uncertain

May 15th, 2023 at 2:12pm CST by Rory Maher

Warriors president of basketball operations Bob Myers, whose contract expires at the end of next month, “plans to take a couple of weeks” to determine what he wants to do in the future, telling ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski that he’s “torn” on returning largely due to his close relationships with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and head coach Steve Kerr (Twitter video link).

That aligns with a recent report from Ramona Shelburne of ESPN, who heard from sources that Myers was going to take some time before coming to a decision.

One interesting part of Shelburne’s report that got lost in the shuffle was that owner Joe Lacob pitched lucrative contract offers to Myers that would have given him the flexibility to take time off if he so desired. Reading between the lines, it’s clear that the team is well aware of Myers’ career uncertainty.

Myers is the most likely of that longtime core group to depart the Warriors, sources tell Marc Stein in his latest article at Substack. There’s a “strong expectation” within the organization that if Myers doesn’t re-sign, he’s more likely to take “at least” the 2023/24 season off to spend time with family rather than join a rival front office, according to Stein.

A two-time Executive of the Year, Myers is a former college basketball player (UCLA) and sports agent who has been an executive with the Warriors since 2011, winning four championships. A recent report from The Athletic indicated that VP of basketball operations Mike Dunleavy Jr. may take over for Myers if he decides not to return.

Warriors’ Joe Lacob Discusses Wiseman, Payton, Timeline

March 3rd, 2023 at 11:52am CST by Luke Adams

Warriors owner Joe Lacob, who was known to be a fan of center James Wiseman, said in a conversation with Tim Kawakami of The Athletic that it was “very hard” to trade the big man at last month’s deadline, suggesting that the team “might very well regret that one” down the road.

“But as much as I love the guy, I can’t overrule what our basketball ops and our coaches and our players felt was the right thing to do,” Lacob said. “So it’s a consensus thing. We’re ‘we,’ we’re not ‘me.’ And we’re going to do what the best thing is and we felt it would improve our team short term and kind of went for it for Gary (Payton II).

Lacob added that it took some convincing for him to get on board with the idea of sending Wiseman to Detroit and admitted that he’s keeping an eye on how the former No. 2 pick performs with the Pistons.

“I think James is a really good young player and we’re not going to get many opportunities to draft a young guy like that again,” Lacob said. “And he really didn’t … let’s be honest, he didn’t really have a chance; it’s partially his fault, partially bad luck, partially our fault for not playing him enough. But we’re not getting an opportunity to get a big talent like that with size very often. I mean, it was a very hard decision for the organization, to be quite honest.”

Kawakami’s interview with Lacob included a few more intriguing comments from the Warriors’ owner, including his thoughts on how the negotiations with the Trail Blazers for Payton played out.

The conversation is worth checking out in full if you’re an Athletic subscriber, but here are a few highlights:

On how upset the Warriors were when Payton failed his physical following the trade:

“Very. … I think we all were. We were shocked. Because, you know, on the one hand, he was playing (for Portland), which would indicate he was healthy. But when you ask someone … they only have minutes to make these trades at the trade deadline. It’s kind of an honor code here. Forget what’s in the records, which you see later.

“I think we felt that they were disingenuous.”

On whether being able to reacquire Payton was the only reason the Warriors traded Wiseman:

“No. I don’t think (when) we started out we thought he’d be available, to be honest. He was expensive last year, that contract, we couldn’t really afford it. But given what we did with Wiseman, we took some money off the books. Our biggest weakness, you could argue, has been perimeter defense. So we felt it was a good move to make.

“One thing about (Payton) that I did like a lot, assuming he’s healthy and when he’s healthy, he knows how to play with our team. And the coaches know how to coach him. So he’s going to come in right away, there’s no, like … all these guys make these trades with 22 games to go, and I’m not going to name names, but it’s hard to integrate somebody who hasn’t been on your team. That guy’s been on our team. That’s a big advantage.”

On the Warriors’ supposed “two-timeline plan” (of veteran stars and young prospects):

“There’s only one timeline. I don’t know where this two-timelines thing comes from. There’s one timeline. You have a roster that you try to put together given financial constraints and given what’s available and what you can get. And when you have the salary structure at the top of the roster like we do, which is huge, the bottom or lower half of the roster has to be either minimums or young players. Either way, they’re smaller salaries.”

Bob Myers’ Future With Warriors Remains Uncertain

January 25th, 2023 at 10:52am CST by Luke Adams

With Bob Myers‘ contract as the Warriors‘ president of basketball operations set to expire later this year, people around Myers are wondering whether – or even predicting that – his time in Golden State could be coming to an end, according to Anthony Slater, Marcus Thompson II, and Sam Amick of The Athletic.

The Athletic’s trio cites team and league sources who say that Myers believes he should be among the NBA’s highest-paid front office executives, if not the highest, after having built a roster that has won four titles since 2015.

Warriors owner Joe Lacob, who previously stated that the team has made two contract extension offers to Myers, has referred to the executive’s last deal as one that made him one of the NBA’s top three highest-paid general managers, but Slater, Thompson, and Amick suggest that’s not the case.

According to The Athletic, Myers is among the top six or top eight highest-paid basketball executives, but Daryl Morey (Sixers), Masai Ujiri (Raptors), Pat Riley (Heat), Tim Connelly (Timberwolves), R.C. Buford (Spurs), and Leon Rose (Knicks) are believed by industry experts to be paid more.

Myers is well-liked by the Warriors’ stars, including Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, and Lacob and the team’s ownership group have shown a propensity over the years to spend to retain talent wherever possible, so the two sides could certainly still work out a new deal that keeps Myers atop Golden State’s front office for years to come.

If that doesn’t happen, the Wizards, Suns, and Knicks are worth watching as possible suitors for Myers, according to The Athletic’s trio, who also name the Clippers as a possibility being discussed in front office circles. A source with knowledge of the Clippers’ situation pushed back on that idea, however.

Slater, Thompson, and Amick have heard that Lacob has become more involved than ever in the Warriors’ personnel moves in recent years, including scouting draft prospects and creating big boards.

The Athletic’s report doesn’t indicate that Myers has chafed at Lacob’s involvement, but suggests Myers has essentially had to play the role of mediator between the Warriors’ ownership group – which has encouraged the development of young prospects and pushed a “two-timeline” plan – and his veteran stars and head coach Steve Kerr, who may favor more experience on the club’s bench.

Sources close to Myers who spoke to The Athletic wouldn’t rule out the possibility of the veteran executive leaving the NBA altogether and pursuing other opportunities, especially if burnout is a factor.

With several months left until Myers’ contract expires, it’s too early to say how the situation will play out. Two years ago, Ujiri and the Raptors didn’t agree to a new deal until well into the summer, just as his contract was about to expire — it’s possible the Myers situation in Golden State could follow a similar trajectory. For now, it’s worth monitoring as an under-the-radar storyline that could be resolved without further drama or could result in a major shake-up for the defending champs.

Joe Lacob Talks Payroll, Green, Thompson, Wiseman

January 5th, 2023 at 11:45pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Warriors team governor Joe Lacob sat down for a wide-ranging conversation with Tim Kawakami of The Athletic, on his show The TK Podcast, and discussed the possibility of an impeding $450MM payroll for next season’s team.

“It’s not possible without losing quite a bit of money at the bottom line, let’s put it that way,” Lacob said of being open to foot the bill for the 2023/24 season. “I can’t really answer the question right now other than to say: When have you ever known me not to be aggressive? We are aggressive. We’ll do whatever we can do if it makes sense and we’re in a winning, real championship mode.”

Though Golden State won the 2022 championship, the team stumbled out of the gate this season. Thanks in part to long-term injuries to stars Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins, the team is currently just the ninth seed in the West with a 20-19 record.

Kawakami and Lacob also discussed the erratic play of 2020 No. 2 draft pick James Wiseman, the futures of Draymond Green and Klay Thompson in Golden State, and much more.

The whole interview is well worth a read in full, but here are some other highlights:

On whether the Warriors will actually lose money this season, given their already hefty luxury tax bill for 2022/23:

“It depends how far we go in the playoffs. If we go to the finals, we should be OK. If we don’t, we’ll probably lose money… All I could tell you is we’re just trying to keep up. We have a unique situation in that we have this aging but still great set of players. We have championship aspirations, and it costs a lot of money to do that. And we’re going to try like heck to rectify our finances going forward, but not at the expense of being able to win.”

On if Golden State will retain Green, who has a player option for 2023/24, and Thompson, who will reach free agency in 2024:

“I want to keep those guys here. I want them to be here. As long as they’re playing at a very high level, rest assured they will be here. I would love obviously for some of them to sacrifice (in salary) a little bit, or what they perceive as a sacrifice, to stay and to help our organization maintain a great roster. You always hope for that. It usually doesn’t happen. And I can’t blame them because they have limited life spans as players and they want to make as much money as they can.

“… Draymond and Klay, first of all, they’re both under contract for next year, so let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves here… In Draymond’s case, he gets to decide, he has the power. He gets to opt in or opt out, do what he wants. I’d love for him to stay.”

On how the team is weighing Wiseman’s development against the win-now needs of the roster:

“There’s always a timetable in sports, whether we like it or not… But he’s 21 years old. You have to put this in perspective. And he’s an immense talent, he’s an incredibly hard worker, he really cares. These things matter. He had a lot of really bad breaks as we all know, it’s been well chronicled… He’s also in an organization and on a team which is trying to win championships. It’s different than playing somewhere they’re just throwing everybody out there, young guys are putting up numbers, getting a lot of experience. It’s hard for our young guys to do that here.”

Warriors Notes: Green, Roster Openings, Wiggins, Poole, Durant, Lacob

July 23rd, 2022 at 10:35am CST by Dana Gauruder

JaMychal Green officially became a free agent on Friday when he cleared waivers. That opens up a path for Green to sign with the Warriors. He’ll provide necessary depth at forward, since Golden State lost Otto Porter Jr. to Toronto and Nemanja Bjelica decided to play in Europe. Green is a proven 3-point threat and can guard multiple positions, Anthony Slater of The Athletic writes.

We have more on the Warriors:

In the same story, Slater indicates Golden State will likely guarantee only 14 roster spots heading into training camp. Green would fill the 12th spot and rookie Ryan Rollins is expected to sign a multi-year contract. Andre Iguodala could fill the 14th spot if he doesn’t retire.
The Nets are not “super high” on Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole as centerpieces of a deal for Kevin Durant, Zach Lowe of ESPN said on his podcast (hat tip to Ali Thanawalla of Yahoo Sports). That’s one reason why a deal with Golden State didn’t gain traction, even though it had some picks to dangle. “I don’t know if there ever really was a deal there that the Nets would have done. Obviously, you have to explore it if you’re the Warriors,” Lowe said. It’s also worth noting that Brooklyn wouldn’t be able to acquire Wiggins this season as long as Ben Simmons is still on the team.
Owner Joe Lacob made his case with fellow team owners at the recent Board of Governors meeting in Las Vegas that tax penalties should be reduced when teams re-sign players they drafted, Marc Stein reports in his latest Substack article. Three of Golden State’s four highest-paid players — Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green — were draft picks that have only played for one team.

NBA Fines Warriors Owner Joe Lacob $500K

July 20th, 2022 at 9:07pm CST by Rory Maher

The NBA has fined Warriors owner Joe Lacob $500K for violating the league’s policy regarding publicly discussing collective bargaining talks, which are currently ongoing between the league and the Players Association, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Lacob described the NBA’s luxury tax system as “very unfair” last week on the Point Forward podcast hosted by Andre Iguodala and Evan Turner, per Wojnarowski.

“The hardest thing of all is navigating this luxury tax, unfortunately,” Lacob said. “I went back to New York this week for labor meetings. I’m on the committee. And you know, obviously, the league wants everyone to have a chance and right now, there’s a certain element out there that believes we ‘checkbook win…’ We won because we have the most salaries on our team.

“The truth is, we’re only $40 million more than the luxury tax. Now, that’s not small but it’s not a massive number. We’re $200 million over in total because most of that is this incredible penal luxury tax. And what I consider to be unfair and I’m going to say it on this podcast and I hope it gets back to whoever is listening. Obviously, it’s self-serving for me to say this, but I think it’s a very unfair system because our team is built by….all top eight players are all drafted by this team.”

Lacob was referring to the “repeater” luxury tax penalties given to teams, like the Warriors, that have been taxpayers in three of the previous four seasons. Last season, Golden State was hit with a record $170,331,194 luxury tax payment — nearly breaking the previous league-wide record for total luxury tax payments, which was $173.3MM back in 2002/03. The seven taxpaying teams in ’21/22 shattered that record with a staggering combined total of $481,021,386.

The Warriors are projected to have a $181.3MM luxury tax bill in ’22/23, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks, who tweets that the bill could balloon to over $200MM in ’23/24 if the team gives Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole extensions.

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