Blue Man Hoop
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Abundance of young talent may actually cripple Golden State Warriors

ByNathan Beighle|
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 25: Jonathan Kuminga #00 and Jordan Poole #3 of the Golden State Warriors celebrates after Kuminga slam dunked and was fouled on the play against the Dallas Mavericks during the second half of an NBA game at Chase Center on January 25, 2022 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 25: Jonathan Kuminga #00 and Jordan Poole #3 of the Golden State Warriors celebrates after Kuminga slam dunked and was fouled on the play against the Dallas Mavericks during the second half of an NBA game at Chase Center on January 25, 2022 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

The Golden State Warriors are going to, in the next few seasons, have to decide which of their several young stars are worth hanging onto. They won’t be able to pay them all. Keeping just a few around could be difficult given their current payroll situation.

Both Draymond Green and Klay Thompson are on max contracts with the former up for an extension. The latter is locked up for two more seasons but will undoubtedly seek one last high-value deal as well.

The Golden State Warriors are going to have to pick and choose with young talent they want to retain, and keeping it all could mean breaking up the Big 3.

Following this upcoming season, the Warriors will need to pay one of the league’s best sixth men, Jordan Poole, while also figuring out how to retain Andrew Wiggins, a player they traded for who was crucial in their 2022 NBA Finals run.

It seems more likely that Poole is the odd-man out, but if Wiggins also gets a new three-year deal, paying Jonathan Kuminga and James Wiseman could become an issue.

If the Warriors are going to value their Big 3 and Wiggins over their talented players that are under 23, then they might as well look into what a trade for former Warrior and four-time scoring champion Kevin Durant looks like.

The best possible situation is that James Wiseman doesn’t blossom into a star before his next contract, and that the Warriors are able to get Wiggins back on a two-year deal which would sync up his and Kuminga’s contract timelines.

Paying Kuminga and Wiseman may be the best long-term strategy with Poole destined to leave if they choose Wiggins over him this upcoming offseason. When do the Warriors turn the future and away from the Big 3?

It’s crazy to even think that following an NBA Finals run, but if Green gets a three-year extension, that will have him making over $25 million at 37 years old. That won’t be ideal for the team’s long-term future.

Mixing short-term and long-term value, especially in the situation that a cornerstone of the franchise like Green is in, isn’t going to be a simple situation for the Warriors.

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