The 2021-22 Golden State Warriors were the most expensive team in NBA history, but it’s a near certainty that owner Joe Lacob will be cutting an even more lucrative check in 2022-23.
According to the latest excellent breakdown by Connor Letourneau of the San Francisco Chronicle, the Warriors are interested in keeping this group together for the foreseeable future, but doing so will cost a pretty penny.
Jordan Poole is expected to ask for a four-year extension worth $100 million this summer, league sources have told Letourneau, a figure near the max. The Warriors and Poole will have to come to an agreement before the season starts or Poole is set to become a restricted free agent next offseason, leading to a situation where another team could offer Poole a max contract, forcing the Warriors to match or lose him.
Then there is Andrew Wiggins, who broke out this postseason and was the team’s second best player for much of the run. Wiggins is expected ask for nothing less than a max deal, around $37 million for the next three or four seasons.
If Golden State end up signing both players — not to mention upcoming free agents Kevon Looney, Gary Payton II and Otto Porter Jr. — they could see their payroll plus luxury tax bill balloon from nearly $350 this season to over $400 and possibly $500 million in the coming seasons.
The Warriors are reportedly valued at $6.1 billion, a figure that increases significantly every year, but it’s still important to realize just how much more Lacob might be spending than the rest of the league. In 2021-22, nobody was near Golden State’s $350 million payroll, with only the Clippers, Nets, Bucks and Lakers spending more than $200 according to Letourneau.
Lacob and his ownership group have put their money where their mouth is since taking over, and have promised a commitment to winning at any cost. That strategy has bore fruit both financially and on the court so far, but we are about to see just how far Lacob is willing to take this strategy in the near future.
