The Warriors‘ $17.2MM trade exception is the largest in the NBA and should be a valuable resource as the team looks to upgrade its roster this offseason. However, given the massive luxury tax implications and the NBA’s uncertain financial landscape, sources increasingly insist that Golden State may only use that exception for a “special opportunity,” according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic.
As Slater explains, there will likely be a number of teams around the NBA looking to shed salary this offseason, so the Warriors probably wouldn’t have trouble acquiring an “overpriced veteran” using the exception — Slater cites forward Rudy Gay as one example. But adding Gay’s $14MM salary to a team salary that’s already over the tax line would cost exponentially more than just $14MM, and Slater questions whether that would qualify as a “special opportunity.”
There are several ways the Warriors could use their trade exception. As we detailed earlier this month, acquiring a single player who earns close to $17MM is the simplest path for the team to take, but it might not be the most prudent one. Using the exception to land a quality player whose salary falls significantly below that $17MM mark may qualify as a special opportunity. There are also ways the club might be able to essentially roll over the exception by simultaneously sending out salary and taking it on, as we explained in our previous article.
As the Warriors continue to consider potential uses for that exception, let’s round up a few more notes on the club…
- Jeremy Woo of SI.com explores several paths the Warriors could go with the second overall pick, proposing a series of hypothetical trades that would see the team trade down from No. 2 or out of the draft entirely. If the club doesn’t find a deal it likes, drafting and developing a player with that selection isn’t a bad fallback option, Woo notes.
- Ex-Warriors forward Omri Casspi believes that his former Maccabi Tel Aviv teammate and fellow Israeli Deni Avdija would be a great fit for Golden State. “The system with the Warriors, the way they play, everyone reads the game, everyone can make plays, flow offense,” Casspi said on the Runnin’ Plays podcast (link via Grant Liffman of NBC Sports Bay Area). “He can really help. It especially fits his style of basketball, that’s his game. He can create plays.”
- Taking into account the role that Shaun Livingston played for the Warriors’ title teams, Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area identifies five potential offseason point guard targets who might be able to play a similar role for next year’s team, including D.J. Augustin and Jeff Teague.
Take on an expiring contract for a first (not this year) and stretch the contract to lessen the tax impact (no more than 5.7M).
I don’t think you can stretch a contract without waiving the player.
If the best they can do is someone they’d rather waive than play, I’d be OK with that depending on what pick it is.
Why trade a pick for someone you’d waive?
Oh my bad, get a first for an expiring contract. Reading is fundamental
Still better than Houston.
We will see in 2021, but the future for the Rockets is far brighter.
You’re hilarious
Don’t bulbs usually get brighter right before they go out?
Can’t wait til the offseason starts and we stop hearing about this 17 million dollar trade exception. I think we get the point after 15 months, they can take on a hig chunk of salary in a trade.
Offseason activity has taken soooo long to eventuate, and we still have a month left! Has anything really changed? Any poster have a new opinion? Besides fantasy lineups…
It truly is amazing how much the exception would cost for the Warriors. I was reading somewhere else where the cost of acquiring Rudy Gay or someone else in the 15-17 million range would cost Golden State over 85 million dollars including taxes. I honestly don’t even see how they could even entertain the notion of using the exception.
They bought the team 10 years ago for 450 million. Now it’s worth 3 billion. That’s one thought they have in mind I’m sure.
The $10b is in equity and largely unavailable unless there’s a financing structure. The $85m is right out of the bank account.
On the margin, viewing it as being paid for the player they acquire with the TPE, it seems ridiculous. But if the move (plus others) still keep them within their overall budget for payroll (salary plus tax), they can view it from that perspective. That budget might be extremely high the next 2-3 years (250 mm/yr – ?), as they have an eye toward using the rest of the contender window, and unexpectedly didn’t pay tax last year.
FWIW, if they’re not seriously considering using it, then it’s one of the great head fakes in recent league history. Data points suggest they’re ready to spend.
Short term cost for long term gain. Assuming people can attend games within the next couple years, they are poised to reap far more than any tax would cost them.
They will already owe around $50M in luxury taxes with their current payroll, adding $17M plus a $6M MLE will very likely push that number well over $100M.
The result of all the assets GSW has will surprise the fans of getting 4th and 5th stars. Most likely the assets will just go for depth. Which, they do need.
And so much for how rich the owners are. The rich are not that generous. If they were, they would not be so rich.
People who say they like Steph & Klay, but think they need stars to carry them, do not like Steph & Klay like they claim. The splash Bros ARE the stars, and Dray is a fine and necessary complEment, if he doesn’t ruin things with all that emotion he adds. They need a force in the middle too, and impactful depth.
Not sure about the other wing. A 3&D (Bazemore), or a toolbox guy (Gay, Iggy), or someone who can create (Melo), or some sort of ruined talent (Barnes, Wiggins)? I would like to see how Wiggins does. Nobody wants that contract anyway.
Current luxury tax with 2 pick and MLE Is 69m
Add 17.2m TPE = add 76m
Total 145m luxury tax
Wiggins full salary dump but keep pick and exception
Total Luxury tax = 9m
Trade idea
Suns get Wiggins and 2nd pick
Warriors get kelly Oubre and Hawks 6th pick
Hawks get Paschall and Suns pick
Lol why did u include the Hawks? Atlanta not trading back for Eric Paschall but I assume ur a fellow dubs fan, nobody values Dray Jr. more than us. Also the Suns with their cheap owner would never take back Wiggins contract jus to move up, a away simpler and likelier deal would be the #2 pick for Oubre and the Suns pick plus maybe a 2nd
since Kelly fits under the TPE.
That difference of $134mil in one year for one player is amazing.
I’ve always liked a Hawk-Warrior trade but to get a young player cheaper than Oubre for GSW… If Wiggins is dumped though, Oubre is more affordable. Multiple teams are possible if Wiggins is dumped as GM Myers tries to hide the dumping.
Taking Wiggins is asking a lot of Atlanta. They will be out of capspace for several years, though it will take that much time for their youth to develop. Kind of up to Trae, yes or no.
This years number 2 pick will be gone for a bag of peanuts…the only asset the warriors aren’t moving is the top 3 protected pick of Minnesota in next years draft…why they only top 3 protected when they had to know that they are a certainty to be in the lottery again is just baffling…
Wolves are highly likely 13-15 seed in the west
I put Kings and Pelicans ahead of them
#2 pick is worth a lot this year. Once you get past the top 10 those picks are not worth anything. There is a bout 6 or 7 players worth taking in this years draft.
Not sure if you’re exaggerating about an off-year, but there should be 6-7 rosterable point guards alone. I think shortly, PGs will be expected to play defense!
#2 overall pick and a future 1st for Ayton? Think the Suns would go for that?
Resets their salary cap for the Suns and they’d just take Wiseman.
Send Looney and Poole as well to lessen the cap constraint.
I dont understand why people are so against drafting Wiseman and signing some veteran depth. Gives you potentially the best starting 5. Why does everyone just want more established stars. Draft and develope is what got us here, other than that KD nonsense
Its all sport writers have to do is make up trades. Giannis will still be a Buck next year. 95% of the trades talked about will not happen. So far nobody has given the warriors a good trade offer for the #2 pick.
I dont understand why people are so against drafting Wiseman and signing some veteran depth. Gives you potentially the best starting 5. Why does everyone just want more established stars. Draft and develope is what got us here, other than that KD nonsense
They supposedly have the best starting 5 in 2019, how did that work out?
We got 3 championships, so Rockd to copycat. How did that workout? Lol
LOL LOL LOL.
Draft Wiseman. Sign Dunn. Wiseman steps in at center while dunn brings the iggy defense off the bench with some play making. Because of his ability to get to the basket, he can play beside klay, steph or both
He will probably get a better deal from someone other than GSW.
The trade exception is a big option for Warriors. To valuable to pass up. Look the Warriors don’t care about the cap. They are going into new arena. So they do t care about no cap. TE is a nice player for them. They are in great position to upgrade team. They could draft or trade out. They are in great position.
Wiseman is a great pick. But with Wiggins and the pick. They can gat a very nice player. They probably could get Love cheap. What’s wrong with that.
Why would they want Love? He’s to old. They want to get younger.
No, they want to get back to winning titles. If they go for youth, maybe even if they use the #2 pick, fans will get mad. Wiseman or Ball should be good though, & a few others, Hayes & Advija.
Actually, Bob Myers, the GM, said they want to get younger.
Apr.1,2020 (still the same offseason!) from NBC sports:
“When the 2018-19 season began, the Warriors had the seventh-oldest roster in the NBA. When the 2019-20 season began, the Warriors had the third-youngest roster in the NBA.
“We got young quick,” Golden State general manager Bob Myers recently said on a call with season-ticket holders. So as the Warriors’ front office makes plans for the roster moving forward, one thing is pretty clear.
“I think one idea is to get a little older,” Myers said. “Not super old but to add some guys that are a little bit more veteran and shore things up there.””
Sounds like Love!
Love doesn’t fit. You would duplicate a position, at the 4. Create a hole at the 3. The salaries don’t matchup either. It doesn’t really solve the need for veteran experience.
Love doesn’t fit. You would duplicate a position, at the 4. Create a hole at the 3. The salaries don’t matchup either. It doesn’t really solve the need for veteran experience.