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Golden State Warriors owner Joe Lacob isn’t a super popular guy in certain corners of the hoops blogosphere; at least, that’s his read on the situation. And it has everything to do with the investment he’s made in building a championship team.
“There’s a certain element out there that believes we ‘checkbook win,’ [that] we won because we have the most salaries on our team,” the Dubs chairman told Andre Iguodala on the baller’s Point Forward podcast.
Clearly, Lacob would quibble with that assertion, and it’s worth noting that, outside of Andrew Wiggins, the whole of his championship squad last season was comprised of homegrown stars and vet minimum signings. That said, the Warriors have absolutely gone above and beyond what most clubs can even afford to do in an effort to keep the train rolling.
Whether one agrees with that in principle or not, the fact is that Golden State won’t be able to carry on like this forever. Just ask Bleacher Report‘s Zach Buckley.
B/R: The Warriors Have Already Made Hard Choices in Free Agency
Buckley just dropped his list of the biggest questions facing each of the NBA’s teams going forward. With the Warriors, he chose to put a spotlight on the team’s incredible spending habits, noting — as others have — that what Lacob and Co. have been doing is unsustainable over the long-term.
“It might sometimes seem like the Warriors just print money, but they don’t actually have unlimited funding,” Buckley declared, while reminding fans that the team proved as much mere weeks after bringing home the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
“That’s part of the reason why Gary Payton II and Otto Porter Jr. were freed to seek out greener pastures in free agency.”
The hoops scribe continued, pointing out that the cap/tax crunch is far from being solved — and that even more difficult decisions on players will have to be made in the not-too-distant future.
Will the Dubs Core Be Affected?
Buckley opined that “the 2023 offseason carries an ominous note” for Golden State, and he’s not just blowing smoke. As rough as it was to see Payton — who was one of the more inspiring stories of the 2021-22 campaign for any team — move on to Portland, the next few offseasons could be even worse for Dub Nation.
A decision will likely have to be made between Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole, both of whom were integral to the club’s title run, after the coming season. And even bigger names will enter the fray further down the road.
“The Warriors can’t afford to pay everyone — Klay Thompson will be a free agent in 2024 — so while the team spends the upcoming season chasing a championship, the front office will be trying to figure out which player (or players) is non-essential for future title pursuits.”
Make no mistake — the Warriors are as well-positioned as anyone with the veteran core they have in place and the cadre of talented youngsters they have waiting in the wings. But, at a certain point, you can only feed so many mouths, and the Dubs will have to start making those determinations sooner rather than later.
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