Having Paid $687M in Penalties in the Last 8 Years, Warriors Face Massive Dilemma Regarding the Future of Stephen Curry and Co

The Golden State Warriors have been one of the most dominant franchises in the NBA for the last decade. In the past nine years, the Warriors have won four NBA titles. This unprecedented era of success and winning has made the Warriors one of the most well-supported teams as well as one of the highest-valued franchises in the league.

His substantial wealth funded the Warriors to dominate for the past decade. However, recent sub-par performances, coupled with a rising wage budget, have created uncertainty about the future of the franchise. Lacob would want significant returns on his substantial investment, but the Warriors look miles away from being a competitive team.

Can Lacob keep up with the Warriors’ growing wage budget?

This season, the Warriors boast the highest payroll across the league, with an estimated wage budget of $211,820,254, featuring top earners like Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. Steph will earn approximately $51,915,615 this season, the highest in the league. Whereas, Klay is going to pocket $43,219,440 this season. Furthermore, the Warriors have paid $687 million in penalties related to the salary cap. The Warriors’ predicament gets even tougher, as Klay Thompson is seeking a max contract extension, potentially pushing their payroll beyond $500 million.

However, Lacob may have provided a hint about his thought process regarding the growing payroll during an interview before the Warriors’ 2022-23 season opener. He said, “You have to pay for good things. That’s the truth of the matter. I’ve always believed you have to invest money to make money and unfortunately, it costs a lot of money to have great players like we do, as you pointed out. We’ll worry about that salary structure later.” 

Well, it looks like the time has already come! If the front office does not make some quick decisions, the dynasty that they have built with so much hard work may come falling down.

What does the future hold for the Warriors?

For a decade the Warriors have dominated the NBA, but they appear to be on their last legs. With Steph Curry still performing at an elite level, the Warriors’ hierarchy would want to build another title-contending team around him. However, it is easier said than done. Furthermore, the Warriors have also handed Draymond Green a four-year contract extension worth $100 million this offseason. Green’s contract extension means that there’s a high likelihood of Draymond retiring as a Warrior.

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However, Klay Thompson’s future remains uncertain due to his recent slump in performance and production, which has made the front office hesitant to offer him a max contract extension. Nevertheless, in all likelihood, the Warriors would offer Klay an extension, which means the Warriors will keep the band together and try to build a title-contending side around the trio. But it’s still unclear whether they can secure another championship title or not.

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