Warriors Fans Should Get Excited For 2017
What Happens in Free Agency?
After the Warriors complete their potential championship run, they will have to make some important decisions in the offseason. The Warriors only have five players under contract for next season (Green, Thompson, Damian Jones, Kevon Looney and Patrick McCaw). Durant has a player option but more than likely he will opt out and become a free agent.
The Warriors first two priorities are to re-sign Curry and Durant, which will most likely get done. The only problem with this scenario is the amount of money each player is going to receive. The most likely scenario will be Curry and Durant will receive $36 million each next season while making more and more in subsequent seasons.
This means Golden State will have not have enough money to sign either Shaun Livingston or Andre Iguodala. More than likely, Livingston was not going to return to the team. He has said in the past that he wants a big contract when he becomes a free agent. Livingston has struggled with injuries since he was drafted by the Clippers in 2004 including his devastating knee injury in 2007.
His time with the Warriors have been the best of his career and he definitely deserves to get rewarded for his skill. Livingston will most likely command north of $15 million per season, which will be way out of the Warriors price range.
As for Iguodala, he is more of a wildcard. He has made a bunch of money in his NBA career but the chances the Warriors can re-sign him for the veteran minimum are slim. Iguodala is still one of the best on-ball defenders in the game with quick hands and a very high basketball I.Q. He would be a welcome addition to any up-and-coming team that is in need of veteran leadership.
There is also the possibility that Iguodala just retires after the season. He loves the Bay Area and at times seems to be more into the tech world than the sports world. He has had his worst season of his career so far averaging a career-low in points and assists. With all that said, Warriors fans know that he is a clutch performer and losing him will hurt the Warriors defense.
With Iguodala and Livingston gone, Golden State will have to find veterans at the end of their careers and second round picks to fill out their roster. The Warriors payroll would stand at $110 million with Curry and Durant’s contracts, $7 million above the projected 2017-18 NBA salary cap.
The NBA will allow Golden State to fill out their roster but only with minimum salary players. The Warriors roster will be drastically different int the 2017-18 season than this season but their core will remain in tact. Of their remaining free agents, look for possibly Ian Clark and David West returning for the 2017-18 season.