The Warriors lost one of the fundamental pieces of their Splash Brothers era as Klay Thompson left for Dallas. But there was no time to be sentimental about it. They had their chance and offered what they believed to be right, taking into consideration the future of the franchise. However, Thompson wasn’t happy with it and decided to do what he felt was right for him. And that left the Dubs with a huge void, which they promptly filled (almost) with Kyle Anderson.

But their job is not done.

They still need a star capable of getting in tandem with the franchise superstar, Stephen Curry. One such star was the Utah Jazz’s Lauri Markkanen. Although the Jazz said they wanted to build a team around the Finnish forward, it seems like the volley of these trade interests in him has Utah reconsidering. For the right price, of course.

However, that could be where the Golden State might hit a roadblock. Anthony Slater of The Athletic tweeted, “Kyle Anderson to the Warriors on a three-year, $27 million contract, sources confirm (ESPN first). The third year of the deal is non-guaranteed. He fits into the just created Klay Thompson TPE and is essentially the return for Thompson’s departure.”

A sign-and-trade deal with Minnesota, the Dubs offered a future second-round pick swap and cash in return for Anderson. As pointed out by Slater, the Traded Players Exception (TPE), courtesy of Klay, was used to bring in “Slow Mo”.

But once again, where does that leave GSW with Lauri Markkanen? Let’s take a closer look at a possible trade situation as well as where the Warriors stand with finances after Anderson made his place on the roster.

Potential trade scenario for Lauri Markkanen with the number-crunching

Aside from the Warriors, San Antonio, Houston, Atlanta, and Oklahoma were the teams that showed interest in the 7-foot Arizona product. However, reality paints a rather grim picture of things working out in favor of the Jazz. For one, Utah is expecting a barter similar to the Knicks-Nets ‘Mikal Bridges’ deal. In short, a massive haul. One that none of the teams are exactly willing to oblige.

And that’s where the Warriors might have a slight advantage. They can offer the closest proposal to Utah’s asking price for Lauri Markkanen. The Dubs have a slew of youngsters on rookie contracts that provide great trade value.

Namely Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, and Brandin Podziemski are an alluring prospect on the trade block. Couple them with first-round picks (2025 and ’27 or ’28) and draft swap options, the Golden State can give ‘Salt Lake City’ an irresistible offer!

However, this is where it gets tough, GSW is not willing to move on from their solid starting wing, Kuminga. He’s been nothing short of spectacular in a season of disappointment. Yet, their search for a star alongside Steph Curry is unlikely without JK in the mix. We’ll leave it to the front office to try and come up with a solution that benefits both parties.

In the meantime, we will check out the finances of the Golden State Warriors.

• Updated team salaries following the Kyle Anderson move

The salary cap for the Warriors was set at $140,588,000. However, with Anderson joining the squad, the total salary comes to $168,726,901 – meaning they are $28 million above the salary cap space. While it’s true that Kyle’s contract falls in the TPE (Trade Player Exception), the Dubs still have $7.3 million out of the $16 million TPE, thanks to the veteran forward’s $8.5 million/year (estimate). How is that useful?

The front office can now use the remaining TPE ($7.3 million) to add a player or use the $4.7 million BAE (Bi-Annual Exception). Yet another option is the $2.1 million veteran minimum. What about their tax space, though?

• The Warriors tax and first apron space

GSW pays a luxury tax of $170,814,420, which means that they have a luxury tax space of $2,087,519. As for the first apron, the Dubs are good to go on that front, too (barring any trade). The franchise is hard-capped at $178,132,637 million for the first apron. But as mentioned above (the exact number), their total salary amounts to only $168 million, leaving them with a first apron space of $8,405,736.

The GSWCBA X page has also been kind enough to provide a detailed report of the contracted Warriors roster. As per that, the Dubs have two options.

a) roster Quinten Post on a standard contract and stay under the Luxury Tax

b) utilize TPE or BAE to add last player and go above tax”

So, there you go. What do you think would be the best way to ensure the Warriors have a quality roster for the upcoming season? Let us know your thoughts below.

 But before you go, be sure to check this video of Leonard Armato’s take on the deadly duo, Shaq and Kobe.

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