Retaining key free agents will be easier said than done for Warriors
The Golden State Warriors want to retain key free agents, but that’s going to be easier said than done. Their elite players are already under contract. All three of the Big 3 will be back next season which is a huge positive.
However, the Warriors’ rotation shrunk to just eight players in the postseason. Aside from some spotty minutes from Andre Iguodala, the Warriors didn’t get much aside from their starters, Otto Porter Jr., Gary Payton II, and Jordan Poole.
The Golden State Warriors have three rotational players needing new contracts, and they’re going to make a priority to bring them back.
Well, three of those five players are up for a new contract, and Bob Myers is going to make it a priority to bring them back. The Warriors have the second-worst cap position, only surpassed by the Atlanta Hawks.
"“We certainly want all those guys. We’ve made that clear to them. We’ve made that clear to the world. They know how much they mean to us. I think they enjoyed it here; they all were successful in different ways. So, we’re going to try our best to bring (Looney) back. Bring all those guys back,” Myers said via NBC Sports’ Monte Poole."
The three up for a new deal are Payton II, Porter Jr. and Kevon Looney.
The Big 3 are locked up while Andrew Wiggins has one year left on his deal and Jordan Poole has a team option on his contract. The latter two are up for a contract extension if the two sides can agree to a deal.
As for the three who are ready to negotiate, things may actually go smoothly as Myers also noted that leadership supports bringing them back. Golden State has shown that they’re willing to spend to keep its core together.
What that exactly means this time around isn’t known and to what extent Joe Lacob will further dive into the luxury tax also isn’t known. For now, it’s all speculative on what the Warriors will be looking to offer the team’s key free agents.
With Mike Brown in Sacramento which has the 11th-most cap space, Looney may get an offer from the former Warriors’ assistant.
And, after Payton II’s performance in the NBA Finals and his importance to Golden State, it’s likely teams offer him more than the Dubs could match. Even Porter Jr. will undoubtedly get more than the veteran’s minimum elsewhere.
So, while Myers may be hopeful that all three will return, and while all three have talked highly of Golden State, when the negotiations and deals really start coming to the table, retaining them is not going to be cheap.
Looney was getting about $5 million per year after signing a 3-year, $15 million deal following the 2019 postseason and should stay at that number while both Payton II and Porter Jr. could get to that $5 million level if not higher.
It’s likely all three will have multiple suitors in free agency, so it will be telling if they’re willing to take a pay cut to stay in the Bay Area.