The Warriors have plenty of perks for the upcoming season, but the salary cap isn’t one of them. This problem is proving to be very constraining in the franchise’s plans for the sequel, and the Dubs may well have to sacrifice a big asset in this story.
Superstars who have already led the franchise to the top, who will come back from injury, a 2nd draft choice… With that, what do the Warriors lack to prevent them from becoming the juggernaut of the league again? Flexibility, perhaps.
Between Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and now Andrew Wiggins, it’s starting to weigh heavily in the Warriors’ coffers. The salary cap has been crossed, and the franchise will not be free to strengthen as it sees fit in the offseason.
And to make matters worse, the coronavirus pandemic has caused a huge loss of money for the league. This means that the salary cap will potentially drop and therefore increase the luxury tax that the Warriors will have to pay. Anthony Slater of The Athletic has indicated that as a result, they will probably have to do without their mid-level exception of $ 17.2 million.
Every dollar in excess is multiplied in the Warriors’ tax bracket, and without knowing the exact cap numbers or the future date of the Chase Center reopening to fans, sources are increasingly insisting on the use of this exception. $ 17.2 million: It would have to be a very special occasion. Is an overrated mid-rotation player considered special? Unlikely.
In other words, this pretty jackpot, only available once a year, should be left in the closet.
The Warriors had collected a mid-level exception of $ 17.2 million in the Andre Iguodala trade, which means they can accommodate a player whose salary is equal to or less than the amount. It’s a wild card that normally does the business of a franchise, but not in this case.
First of all, you have to find a player who deserves this amount and who makes it well on the pitch, and not sure that such an opportunity presents itself in the market this year. Then, in any case, it would be necessary to clear some cap space, possibly thanks to a package made up of Andrew Wiggins and the 2nd choice of Draft. But like the Warriors, other franchises are going to be very careful about their finances, which makes it difficult. As a reminder, here are the 10 ideal players who would have stuck to this mid-level for Golden State.
Unless Bob Myers finds the miracle solution, it’s a nice mid-level exception that is likely to pass under the noses of the Warriors for next season. Too bad, but not necessarily prohibitive in the quest for a title.
