Most of the focus on impending Golden State Warriors free agents this upcoming summer will surround MVP’s Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant. Though, any thought given to the idea that either will move on can pretty much be thrown out the window.
Golden State can offer Curry about $70 million more than any other team, and Curry himself has not necessarily minced words about wanting to return to the Bay Area. Meanwhile, Durant has remained steadfast about that point as well.
As Golden State heads into Wednesday’s action with a 1-0 series lead over the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round of the playoffs, questions have started to simmer about whether other impending free agents might look to cash in elsewhere.
In addition to these two stars, the likes of Shaun Livingston, Andre Iguodala, David West, Zaza Pachulia, JaVale McGee and Ian Clark are all slated to become free agents during the summer.
The good news here? One report indicates that Iguodala is likely to re-sign with the Warriors.
“An NBA source indicated recently that the only real open question now is the number of years,” Tim Kawakami of The Mercury News reported recently about Iguodala’s future as a Warrior.
Golden State will go over the luxury tax to retain both Durant and Curry. That much is known. The only real question here is just how far over the tax it will go in keeping together one of the most successful rosters in NBA history.
Based on the current value of the franchise ($2.6 billion), it’s highly likely owners Peter Guber and Joe Lacob will be willing to take major financial hits to keep this perennial contender together.
As it relates to Iggy, he would likely demand north of $15 million on the open market. The 33-year-old former All-Star averaged only 7.6 points this past season. But he remains one of the better all-around wings in the game. Stats themselves can’t explain just how well Iguodala has played for the Warriors.
And with their cast of elite-level scorers, he’s taken on a back seat. Other teams will surely take this into account when he hits the open market. It just remains to be seen whether they will be able to pry Iggy away from his current team.