After bottoming out during the 2019/20 season, the Warriors appeared well-positioned to return to contention in the Western Conference in ’20/21. They were getting healthy and were poised to land a top young talent with the No. 2 overall pick in the draft.
However, just hours before the 2020 draft got underway, word broke that Klay Thompson had suffered another major leg injury — after tearing his ACL in June 2019, the veteran sharpshooter tore his Achilles in November 2020.
It was a brutal setback for Golden State and put a major dent in the team’s plans of getting back into the title mix. Given the top-heavy construction of the roster, there simply wasn’t enough depth to make up for the loss of a two-way impact player like Thompson, whose defensive ability on the wing were missed nearly as much as his floor-spacing and shot-making contributions on offense.
A superhuman effort from Stephen Curry nearly sent the Warriors to the postseason anyway. Ultimately though, the team lost two play-in games and finished in the lottery for a second straight season. Golden State will once again enter the offseason with the opportunity to add some young talent to the roster in the draft, while waiting for Thompson to finish rehabbing a major injury.
The Warriors’ Offseason Plan:
Curry is 33 years old; Thompson and Draymond Green are 31. The Warriors can’t count on those stars – who helped earn the team three titles during the 2010s – to continue producing at their current or previous levels indefinitely. That puts the team in an awkward spot.
In James Wiseman and a pair of lottery picks, Golden State has the pieces to put together a tantalizing trade package for a veteran star whose timeline would match up better with that of Curry, Thompson, and Green. However, the Warriors have seen first-hand during the last two years how quickly a major injury or two can derail a team’s season, making the prospect of going all-in with the current core a little risky.
If the Dubs were to take a more patient approach, they could potentially develop a next generation of impact players who could help smoothly transition from the Splash Brothers era into whatever comes next, ensuring Golden State remains a playoff team for years to come. But if those youngsters aren’t ready to contribute right away, the team risks wasting away Curry’s last few prime years without getting back to the Finals.
It’s a predicament without an easy solution. If there were a star player in his early- or mid-20s on the trade market, the Warriors could feel confident trading the farm and counting on that player to be the cornerstone for the next era of Bay Area basketball. But the only player who really comes close to fitting that bill is Ben Simmons. Are the Warriors ready to put all their eggs into the Simmons basket following his playoff collapse? Would the win-now Sixers even be interested in the sort of package Golden State could offer?
There’s a middle ground here — a deal in which the Warriors give up one or two of Wiseman and the lottery picks for a win-now piece could make the team a title contender without going all-in. And perhaps there are players besides Simmons who will emerge as logical trade targets for the franchise. Pascal Siakam‘s name has popped up in at least one rumor.
It’ll be fascinating to see which direction the Warriors go with Wiseman and those draft picks, but there are other issues for the team to address this offseason too. If the club doesn’t re-sign Kelly Oubre, getting something back in a sign-and-trade would be nice. Determining whether to use the taxpayer mid-level exception will come down to how much more money ownership is willing to add to its tax bill now that Golden State is a repeater team.
And, of course, the Warriors will have to determine whether they feel comfortable offering Curry a maximum-salary extension before he reaches free agency in 2022. A four-year max extension would pay him nearly $54MM(!) per year for his age 34-37 seasons.
As good as Curry was this past season, there’s a very real chance that deal would turn into a liability before it’s over — the 2025/26 cap hit would be a staggering $59.6MM. The organization may decide the risk is worth it, given Curry’s résumé, but if he’s willing to take a discount or accept a deal that’s not fully guaranteed on the back end, it would increase the Warriors’ long-term flexibility.
Salary Cap Situation
Note: Our salary cap projections are based on a presumed 3% increase, which would result in a $112.4MM cap for 2021/22.
Guaranteed Salary
Stephen Curry ($45,780,966)- Klay Thompson ($37,980,720)
- Andrew Wiggins ($31,579,390)
- Draymond Green ($24,026,712)
- James Wiseman ($9,166,800)
- Kevon Looney ($5,178,572) 1
- Jordan Poole ($2,161,440)
- Eric Paschall ($1,782,621)
- Juan Toscano-Anderson ($1,701,593)
- Shaun Livingston ($666,667) — Waived via stretch provision.
- Total: $160,025,481
Player Options
- None
Team Options
- None
Non-Guaranteed Salary
- Gary Payton II ($1,977,011) 2
- Damion Lee ($1,910,860) 3
- Mychal Mulder ($1,782,621
- Alen Smailagic ($1,782,621) 4
- Total: $7,453,113
Restricted Free Agents
- None
Two-Way Free Agents
Draft Picks
- No. 7 overall pick ($5,466,360)
- No. 14 overall pick ($3,562,080)
- Total: $9,028,440
Extension-Eligible Players
- Stephen Curry (veteran)
- Kevon Looney (veteran)
- Eric Paschall (veteran)
- Alen Smailagic (veteran)
- Andrew Wiggins (veteran)
Unrestricted Free Agents / Other Cap Holds
- Kelly Oubre ($21,562,500): Bird rights
- Kent Bazemore ($1,669,178): Non-Bird rights
- Matt Barnes ($1,669,178): Non-Bird rights 6
- Andrew Bogut ($1,669,178): Non-Bird rights 6
- Jonas Jerebko ($1,669,178): Non-Bird rights 6
- David West ($1,669,178): Early Bird rights 6
- Total: $29,908,390
Offseason Cap Outlook
If they hang onto their players on guaranteed contracts and their two lottery picks, the Warriors will be committed to over $169MM in salary for 11 players.
While we expect a certain amount of offseason roster shuffling that could reduce team salary to some extent, the idea that Golden State will get below the cap – or even below the luxury tax line (projected to be in the $136-137MM range) – seems pretty far-fetched. Count on the Warriors to have another big tax bill in 2021/22.
Cap Exceptions Available
- Taxpayer mid-level exception: $5,890,000 7
- Trade exception: $2,250,000
- Trade exception: $1,824,003
Footnotes
- Looney exercised his player option for 2021/22.
- Payton’s salary becomes partially guaranteed ($659,004) after August 11.
- Lee’s salary becomes partially guaranteed ($500,000) after August 15.
- Smailagic’s salary becomes guaranteed after August 6.
- Because he’ll have four years of NBA service, Bell is ineligible to sign another two-way contract.
- The cap holds for these players remain on the Warriors’ books from prior seasons because they haven’t been renounced. They can’t be used in a sign-and-trade deal.
- This is a projected value.
Salary and cap information from Basketball Insiders and RealGM was used in the creation of this post.
Curry already has a contract on the table to sign anytime he wants. The amount is not a factor. Second before those boring trade proposals are said by people here notice the warriors hands are tied on most trades. Unless Wiggins is in a trade offer they are not getting any big contract.
How are the Warriors hands tied? They have plenty of options.., the matter is who is available out there.. hopefully one of the stars is available because I think the Warriors could put together a pretty compelling trade. They could even sign and trade Kelly oubre I think, and get a guy who’s a better fit perhaps a ball handling guard rather than and athletic Wing like Kelly oubre. Even though an athletic wing is needed as well LOL.
And yes Wiggins is out of there. He has to be moved. He’s not a guy you can count on in the 4th quarter of a playoff game. I’ve said it a gazillion times. I know it, you know it, the Warriors know it.
hands are tied because they can’t do very much unless they can match payroll. Oubre is a tough sell since it has to be to a team that has a player making the same amount. If he goes to the knicks they have nothing worth trading for. Its going to be tough mixing and matching payroll.
Scariest thing is that
Warriors have current payroll $160 million and two picks $9 million
I projected Lakers base salary $176 million and Clippers base salary $176 million
3 teams luxury tax alone would be $450 million if keeping everyone
I want to be a nba owner to share the tax profit
Good article Luke. Pretty much sums up the State of Affairs in San Francisco. I think the meeting of the minds has taken place already and the decisions to do the following have already been made.
#1, put together some kind of trade package. That means trading James Wiseman and Andrew Wiggins and the two first-round picks. I’m not sure who they can get but I like Pascal Siakam’s game.., but is he healthy? I also would love Ben Simmons because I think he would Thrive in the Warriors ball movement system. Not sure who else is available but I’m sure Myers is on the phone constantly.
#2, they’re not going to run this back and plug in two rookies from the draft no matter how seasoned Davion Mitchell is or Cory Kispert is or Moses Moody is. That’s not happening.
What? This draft has like 15 instant plug-in-and-play types GSW could easily roll with, especially all those guys you mentioned (along with Bouknight).
That said, I could also see them moving up in the draft to top 4 and grabbing a guy FOR SURE could immediately throw in the rotation. But I mean, your comment makes no sense, they literally just tried what you said with an unseasoned Wiseman, obviously a seasoned guy like Mitchell gets plugged in immediately. Totally happening.
No draft in history has had 15 instant plug and play types. And that includes drafts before the one and done era. There might be 4-5 capable of being instant impacts next season, if that. Most picks are being selected for 2-3 years down the road.
Respect to the past but this draft built different
Everything looks different when you’re wearing royal blue and yellow blinders.
So funny seeing this comment coming from Mr. Blinders himself lol
The draft is not 4 times better than average because Marty is spastic.
No thanks on Siakam because of his injury. He is most likely to miss the first couple months of the season. After 2 years of Thompson I don’t want a injured high price player. Simmons is he worth 3 picks and Wiseman? That is a lot for a defense first player.
arc89, true about siakam. Shoulder surgery is not just a little deal I would guess. But I sure hope they come up with somebody. There has to be a guy out there they can get who’s a game-changer stud. Simmons would be fantastic and wouldn’t cost everything to get him right now. Then you get the ring Chasers two of those guys like Batum types. And a Ball-handling guard also wiuld be nice.
Batum almost signed with the Warriors last season.
He was ready to sign with GSW until Thompson got injured.
I wouldn’t even mind seeing them trade the 14th pick even if it is for a 1st rounder in the next draft. It will be tough to carry that many young players if they don’t make a trade. I hope they bring back Marquis Chris if he comes cheap. Right now on this list there are 12 spots taken. Payton 3, Mulder, Bell and Smiley on the outs on if they make trades. Pacer Turner could be nice but will the Pacers trade him? For draft pick and Oubre?
Simmons and Wiggins make almost the exact same salary in 21-22, ~31.5m.
But as much as we can debate whether or not Simmons makes sense for GSW (I’m on the fence), why does anything GSW has to offer make sense for Philly?
Wiseman and Embiid? Wiggins and Tobias as your perimeter creators? Lottery picks for a team that’s trying to win now?
It would almost have to be a 3-team trade, I think.
“The Warriors can’t count on those stars – who helped earn the team three titles during the 2010s – to continue producing at their current or previous levels indefinitely.”
Ummmm didnt you watch Curry just have his greatest season of all-time AND not even make the playoffs? You don’t think that’s going to fire him even more? Steph has at minimum 5 elite years left.
That said, this write up is good otherwise – no one has any idea what they will do, but they certainly have all the chips to do anything. They could flip over the entire roster other than Steph/Klay/Dray/JTA and totally start over; or they could keep everyone except Oubre and sign-&-trade him for 1+ players who fit better and have higher IQ. No matter what GSW is a top 4 team in the WC, easily and most likely will be #1 and still playing at this time next year. So many assets, but other than Oubre, all could be kept.
Warriors got a lot of assets but Wiggins for $30M is a robbery and I wouldn’t pay Curry 4-5 years for $54M per either
As has been the case the last few years, the Warriors are going to be one of the most interesting teams this offseason.
I believe the dynasty is over, but they don’t. Maybe if they make the right trade(s) with Wiggins/Wiseman/picks, they might be able to resurrect it, but who knows.
Super interesting indeed
I think if Klay comes back strong they are right up at the top of the Western Mush pot of 6~7 teams that could Rep the West next year
“I believe the dynasty is over” – huge, massive L for you. Casual take. Go back to baseball gramps.
Okay enough fun. Time to mute you forever.
Everyone knows it ended two years ago, but Marty is living in the past.
Marty cant go back to the baseball boards b/c he got fat shamed outta town over there ;(
You basketball guys would have paid money to see that epic meltdown that basically shut all MLBTR down for half a day as poor Marty played the victim
Lmao!!!
I’m hesitant to bet against an NBA superstar becoming publicly miserable at any time, but as of right now it seems like Golden State has the supply without the demand, in terms of assets.
Siakam? Even without the injury that’s kind of a yawn to me. I mean, he’s a slight upgrade over Wiggins, sure, but that’s selling awfully low on Wiseman. Unless they could get him for Wiggins and the #7, I think I’d pass.
The Simmons thing – at a glance it makes sense. The guy is super talented, he could learn to become the next Draymond playing next to Draymond, and he’d have two all-time shooters and no post-up to center to help and not hurt his spacing.
But I think they need a third team for that it to make sense for Philly, and even then it’s still a very large gamble. Simmons might be permanently scarred at this point.
What I’d keep an eye if I was a GSW fan is the Beal extension – if Washington can’t extend him do they finally throw in the towel and start a pure rebuild?
Because Beal is probably the best-case scenario for Golden State, short of Kawhi demanding a trade to the Bay.
Consider Wiggins for Wiseman as a doable thing that avoids calamity for both players and teams.
If GSW doesn’t want Wiseman, why would anyone else? Everyone agrees Wiggins is bad money.
So what do picks 7 and 14 get them? I doubt this draft has 15 immediate “plug and play” guys, but Kuminga might be a solid addition.
I think GSW likes Barnes better
Wouldnt be surprised a small move like 7 and 14 for 6 (Okc) gets done draft night and GSW gets Barnes (assuming he’s there)- Gsw can get a future 2nd back as well which shouldn’t be a prob for OKC !
Its a Warriors article McBurger
GSW WANTS Wiseman, but they NEED Wiseman to be good now and he wont be until 2023. Timeline is not a fit, not the player. Wiseman is possibly Giannis2, any rebuilding team would love to make him the centerpiece.
Wiggins is a starter on any playoff contender and some have money open to use on a guy like Wiggins (Knicks). GSW can’t have 5 max contract guys, so Wiggs doesnt fit money-wise. He is a great player on court on any team.
I love how GSW lives so rent free in yalls heads still – 5 more Finals coming, see you soon :)
Because he’s a #2 pick and historically top 3 picks have a much higher probability of becoming stars than the picks further down, which are essentially crapshoots.
I’m kind of in the middle on Wiseman – he looked bad last year but it’s one year and he can’t even drink legally yet.
But if I was a rebuilding team I would view Wiseman as super valuable. Future picks are great, but how many of them end up being top 3? How many are even unprotected so getting a top 3 is a possibility at all? Here you have a guaranteed #2 pick. And he’s only 1 year in, so you have plenty of time to develop him.
Obrue sign n trade is way to go. Although I’m not sure many teams want him. Getting any value is a plus to me. Obrue is not a good fit with Wilkins on team. Keep one move the other. With the 7th and 14th pick. Warriors can get a nice player. Especially if they can use Wiggins or Obrue with the picks. Warriors have be smart about a trade. Bringing back Barnes is a great move IMO. And it wouldn’t cost much. They could still get another serious player. Bouknight is a great pick. Could be another Klay imo. Would love for Knicks to trade up for him. He’s ready to help now. How about Knicks give up Mitch n Toppin for Wiseman and the 14th pick. Always liked Wiseman. Point is Warriors have plenty options to upgrade. They will probably make major trade at draft.
The era of overpaid inefficient shoots is coming to an end. Thank Gawd!
Yeah right. It will never end. If you have free agency, someone will be overpaid.
I’m hearing a lot about Bouknight. I wonder if he moves up in the draft as everyone loves his shooting/ scoring? What is he like in the 7 to 10 range right now? I wonder if he moves into the five or six area?
Not everyone loves Bouknight’s shooting. His college 3P shooting percentage was poor and his assist to turnover ratio was lousy. He is basically a Jordan Clarkson clone – which is not a fit for a team like the Warriors.
Or as a starter on any team that wants to win.
He’s best 2way player in draft. Stories are he held back to play team ball. He has a lot more than what you saw. Got big upside nothing like Clarkson. He’s going to be a better scorer in NBA.
Held back to play team ball?!!! So he started bricking 3s?! Come on man!!!
No one is giving up valuable assets for Oubre.
If people had been following the Warriors, it pretty obvious the Warriors aren’t trading Wiseman. Why would you trade him when his value is low? Wiggins had a fine season last year. Trading him is going to lead to the Oubre situation again. Help is going to come through the draft. Hopefully, they can split the mid-level exception on 2 veterans that will provide them the depth that they need.
Vince maybe his value will always be low. There is not yet evidence he is a consistant producer. If anyone that knows, it is the GSW staff.
It doesn’t matter how fervently you follow the team… Other followers on this page are saying, trade him before his value FALLS. Are you saying Gary and Marty do not follow them? Of course Marty is usually wrong, so you might be right! IDK
I appreciate the Kudos but I think I’ve been more wrong than Marty has LOL.
Very curious to see what GSW does, they say Spurs are their model but will they be patient enough with all these young guys. If they keep the picks and get Barnes and D Mitchell, think that would be an ideal draft.
I actually think Simmons would be a great fit on the roster if they move some assets. I think they need to add a lead ball handler and move steph to the 2 to elongate his prime. I wonder if they offered Draymond plus a pick for Simmons if philly would take it.
Wiggins+14 for Simmons works perfectly, actually.
I don’t see Philly taking that. I’m not entirely convinced Simmons gets moved but if he does, I’d imagine they’ll have stronger offers than that.
I think Wiggins is a fine player but with that contract, he’s considered a net negative.
At the very least GSW would need to throw in the 7th pick too. I would not be surprised if teams come calling for Poole. He could start for many teams right now.
I would say Wiggins and the #14 to Toronto, then Siakam and the #7 to Philly, then Simmons to GSW, if they wanted to gamble on Ben.
Wiggins doesn’t make a ton of sense on Philly, IMO. I’m no fan of Pascal but not sure Philly will be able to do better considering Simmons shot 8% from the line this postseason.
A frontcourt of Harris, Siakam, and Embiid is formidable though.
Add that #7 pick too
Wiggins plus #7 just might get it done. They can get Mitchell there. He’s perfect for Sixers and Embiid.
If GSW are looking to trade Wiseman because of a perceived timeline fit with their core players, they should at least wait until mid-season next year when they know what they have. He’ll still only be in year 2 of his RSC.
Wiggins they should just move to anyone who will take him, ASAP, and they should be more than willing (anxious) to attach a pick or two if a team will use cap space to do it. If they can get a large TPE or some mid-level expiring deals that’s certainly worth #14.
They should not draft Bouknight.
I still like Wiggins. He learned to play team D in GS. Wiggins is a scorer. He would light up MSG. He’s younger than Randle.
He’s all the Warriors have to offer, except for draft picks, if they want to upgrade their roster.
Or they could trade Wiseman, but they won’t get as much as most people think he’s worth.
As great as Curry is, warriors can not give him 4 yr super max extension. Warriors must address luxury tax issues sooner or later.
Ben Simmons = Billy Owens
He’s bette than Billy ever was but yeah the comparison is fair. They Thought Owens was gonna be the next Magic
Billy Cowens? Huh?
Theck shat cpelling!