In his latest podcast, Draymond Green took about forty minutes to dismantle several journalists, before ending on a much more interesting point. After the Warriors qualified for the NBA Finals there was a lot of criticism that given their enormous payroll, which will cost them the biggest luxury tax bill in history, they had in some way so bought this title. Here is the response, again very interesting, from Green.
“After Game 5 Brian Windhorst said it was a win because of our wallet, that the Warriors bought that win. I have no problem with Brian Windhorst, but I have a problem with that statement and the reason I have a problem with that statement is that it’s very contradictory to what was said. You said that the contract given to Klay Thompson (who had extended just after his first injury) in view of his injury it was a very bad idea on the part of Joe Lacob and that he should have paid him less and blah blah blah. Then when Andrew Wiggins came on the team we got a bad contract back because it was zero, bust and blah blah blah. You also said I was flushed. They are the 4 best paid players and you had a problem with each of the contracts, but now that we won, it is no longer a problem, the problem now is that we bought the victory. How is it possible when you all had a problem with each of these contracts, which were bad according to you. How did we buy this title then? When you said this team was pathetic and would never win. I find it confusing and you have to give credit to Joe Lacob. We had the biggest payroll in the NBA, in large part because we drafted well and our front office did an amazing job and they built the best business when we all knew that in 2011 when ‘they bought the team that was not the case at all. They have built an incredible business. Then they drafted well and congratulations to Bob Myers, the guy who didn’t even get a single vote for the executive of the year trophy. He didn’t get a single vote because you all said this team would never do anything again. The guy who put this roster together didn’t get a single vote for the Leader of the Year trophy. It is not a tackle towards the one who received the trophy. You were saying about this guy who won the title and put this roster together that he did shit, but how the hell can you say now that we bought that title when that team wasn’t holding up ? I’m confused.
For the Warrior, it is clearly necessary to change the luxury tax system for the players that the team has drafted.
We have the biggest payroll and we have to give credit to Joe Lacob, who is not afraid to spend the money. Then there is something else that shocks me. At the Warriors, Steph Curry has been there for 13 years and has been drafted. Klay Thompson has been there 11 years and he was drafted. I was drafted 10 years ago. Wiggins, we didn’t sign him, it was a trade. James Wiseman we drafted him. Jonathan Kuminga was drafted. Kevon Looney we drafted him. The fact that we pay my same taxes as the teams that bought their team is crazy. Of course you can go beyond the luxury tax if you have the bird rights, but the fact that we drafted all these guys – and necessarily the payroll increases when you are successful – but why would it be the same tax as for someone who just went out there and signed all their players through free agency and didn’t draft them. I don’t understand why we are penalized for drafting well. Being penalized for drafting well doesn’t make sense to me. Because then what’s the motivation to draft well and keep your guys? The best example is Kevon Looney who is a free agent. You drafted him in 30th position and you’re going to be penalized to be able to re-sign him. It doesn’t make any sense to me. We signed Gary Payton II when nobody wanted him, and he didn’t get drafted. So I understand that there is a penalty for him, for Otto Porter Jr., Nemanja Bjelica and Andre Iguodala, who were free agents. There are penalties I understand. But for guys like me and guys we’ve drafted, I don’t understand why there are the same penalties.It’s hard not to think about OKC who have all these draft picks and who may only be able to keep 2 or 3 guys because if these players become good, it will cost them a lot of money. But they drafted these guys, so it confuses me that it works like that. […] We have to look into this during the next collective agreement. »
