As fantastic of a season as the 2022 league year was, no one entered 2023 with higher expectations than the Golden State Warriors. We saw how Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, and Draymond Green could still be one of the best quartets in the NBA, but ultimately, the Warriors came up short in their quest to defend their title, falling in six games to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Now instead of entering the offseason as winners, the Warriors head back to the drawing board, trying to identify not only a way to improve but also to simply maintain the star-studded but expensive roster the front office has put together.
Recent changes to the NBA’s luxury tax system have driven up the current cost of the Warriors’ roster through the roof, with owners facing increasing penalties for surpassing the league’s salary cap.
Not to mention, both Draymond Green and Klay Thompson could be entering the final year of their contracts. Green has a $27 million player option this offseason, and we could see the Warriors reach a long-term extension with the 33-year-old four-time NBA champion. According to The Athletic, the Warriors are expected to discuss a new contract with Green this offseason.
Thompson’s situation is a bit different in that if the Warriors don’t do anything with his contract this offseason, their star shooting guard will be eligible for unrestricted free agency in 2024. Yet, Thompson is eligible for an extension this summer and is set to make $43.2 million in 2023, the final year of his contract.
Sources close to the matter have suggested Thompson will have to take a pay cut to stick around in the Bay Area, similar to what Andrew Wiggins did last year. While it’s hard to envision Thompson playing elsewhere, especially with Jordan Poole’s dropoff in production, it all comes down to the financials.
No matter what, expect the Warriors to be active this offseason, whether it’s reaching new contract agreements with their stars or possibly even trading a few of their young players to reshape the interchangeable parts of the roster.
Related: Will the Golden State Warriors’ core group stay together after the Game 6 loss to Lakers?