If free agency goes as planned, the Golden State Warriors will have the most expensive team in league history

If the Golden State Warriors retain their core free agents, they could be looking at the most expensive team in league history.

The Golden State Warriors and owner Joe Lacob may be planning on opening up that checking book like no team in NBA history has ever done before. That’s only if they still plan to retain three of their most-coveted free agents.

The Dubs have numerous free agents hitting the open market in just a few days. Kevon Looney, Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant are the three that other teams are really keeping an eye on. However, the list of players potentially leaving goes far deeper.

Jonas Jerebko, Marcus Derrickson, Quinn Cook and DeMarcus Cousins could join those three in leaving the team that’s been to five straight Finals. Even if they stay, they’ll be looking at minimum-value contract or, in Cousins’ case, the taxpayer mid-level exception.

For Durant and Thompson, those max contracts are valued at $221 and $190 million respectively. Those contracts would balloon the Warriors final bill to a level that we haven’t yet seen in the league.

Per ESPN’s Bobby Marks, it could near $400 million.

"For the Warriors to make max offers to both players and to retain free agent Kevon Looney, which is also a priority, their payroll this upcoming season could balloon to more than $375 million, including more than $200 million in luxury taxes, according to projections by ESPN’s Bobby Marks."

Both are going to be cashing in and also out of basketball for at least eight months. As many of you know, Thompson tore his ACL in Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals and Durant ruptured his Achilles in Game 5 of the 2019 NBA Finals.

While both injuries were questioned by media, it seems that, for now, nothing within the team’s medical staff will change. However, I’m sure moving forward there will be a closer eye kept on the Dubs medical staff.

That being said, the Warriors will be without their two stars for quite some time.

For Thompson, his return should be towards the beginning of the new year. Durant is reportedly not going to play in the 2019-2020 season; however, his signing would solidify the Dubs dynasty for the next half a decade.

As for Looney, Marks didn’t dive into what he projected his contract to be like, and while we’ve seen him engaged by other teams, what he’s worth is still unknown. I’d guess anywhere in the $7-$10 million range is ideal for Looney.

These contracts are quintessential for Golden State, and while Lacob may open the wallet, he’ll potentially the return on assets just as high as jersey sales and merch should continue to skyrocket along with ticket sales to the brand new Chase Center.