The 3 most underpaid Golden State Warriors entering next season

The Golden State Warriors have moved to restructure their financial landscape this offseason, hard-capping themselves at the first tax apron ($178.1 million) after years of being at the top of the league in payroll spending.

It's an indictment on the franchise that despite having the NBA's highest payroll last season, they finished 10th in the Western Conference before being blown away in their first and only Play-In Tournament game.

So how did it get to that point? It largely comes down to having two veterans -- Klay Thompson and Chris Paul -- making nearly $75 million combined last season. No longer at the All-Star level they were when those contracts were signed, last year's salaries were a major overpay for the pair relative to performance.

It's no surprise then that both will be making far less money next season, though still somewhat stunning that they'll be playing for the Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs respectively. The departure of that duo has reset Golden State's financial situation, allowing much of the roster to be defined by flexible, team-friendly deals rather than mammoth contracts.

That also presents an issue in that the Warriors don't have another genuine star outside Stephen Curry, but it's still a better position than paying $30+ million to former stars no longer in their prime like they did with Thompson and Paul last season.

Which Golden State Warriors players most fall into the "underpaid" category entering the 2024-25 NBA season?

When this corresponding article was written in early August last year, it featured a pair of players who would go on to completely shatter their label as "underpaid" players. Both Andrew Wiggins and Kevon Looney had really disappointing 2023-24 seasons, leaving no claim that they should make this list once again.

So who should? Recently-signed free agents De'Anthony Melton, Kyle Anderson and Buddy Hield could all fall into the underpaid category, while the most notable mention should go to Trayce Jackson-Davis who will make just $1.9 million in 2024-25 despite ending last season as the team's starting center.

But there's three players who arguably place above Jackson-Davis on the "most underpaid" podium, so let's have a look at each starting with the franchise superstar: