The Golden State Warriors are going to be hard-pressed to keep this roster together as they move into the future. Forgot what Jordan Poole is going to cost them after his meteoric rise to stardom this offseason as well.
Think more to the role players. Kevon Looney, Otto Porter Jr., and Gary Payton II are going to earn paydays, and it may not be with the Warriors.
The Golden State Warriors are in the midst of a championship run. The dynasty may not be over, but it won’t be easy keeping all the pieces together.
Looney is coming off a career-high 21 points and brought down a game-high 12 rebounds, 5 of which were on the offensive glass as well. He did that in a ginormous 19-point comeback win for the Warriors.
The performances Looney has put together over the last three games will not go unnoticed this offseason. He hauled in 22 rebounds in Game 6 against Memphis, went a perfect 5-for-5 from the field in Game 1 against Dallas, and then went for 21 and 12 in Game 2.
Alongside Looney, Otto Porter Jr. has played a significant role for Golden State this postseason. Formerly a top-three pick, Porter Jr. signed for the veteran’s minimum this past offseason. It was one of the Warriors’ best value signings in the last several years.
Porter Jr. has scored double figures in both Western Conference Finals games and has gone 9-for-11 from the field. The efficiency that he has brought is almost as important as the volume he has scored. Porter Jr. is averaging 10.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.
Prior to this series, he had averaged 4.8 points on 38% shooting and 3.9 rebounds. Porter Jr.’s impact, for a player getting paid less than $3 million per year, is great, and it’s going to be difficult to keep him around for the long term.
Both Looney and Porter Jr. are going to be able to get paydays from some team this offseason. The success both have had in the Bay Area could lead them to take a pay cut and stay in a winning culture, but that’s yet to be seen.
The future is bright for Golden State, and it’ll be much better if those two stay in San Fran for the long-term future.