As my overheating phone can attest, you all have questions about the Warriors heading into a pivotal stretch of the NBA offseason.
That’s good. I’d like to think I have answers.
So instead of a mailbag this week, I figured I’d just summarize the never-ending barrage of questions and give you my best understanding — and takes — on them.
Hopefully, this can get everyone’s heads to stop spinning. (Leaving just mine on an axis.)
Can you explain what’s going on with the luxury tax?
How much time do you have?
Here’s the short of it: The NBA’s new collective bargaining agreement included a new, exceptionally punitive “second apron” in the luxury tax. For the upcoming season, it is set at $189.48 million (give or take).
Go over this line and you are not only paying a big premium on every dollar spent, but you are hit with new restrictions on signings, trades, and even draft picks.
The second apron was put in to stop the Warriors and Clippers from spending and making all these other NBA teams look poor.
It’s going to work. The Clippers and Paul George are navigating around that second apron this offseason and the Warriors have all but declared they will not even approach the line, meaning Chris Paul or Klay Thompson (or both) are gone.
Can the Warriors trade Chris Paul?
Sure! But they’d need to be pretty far down the tracks on a deal by now. There’s no indication that’s the case.
Such a trade would need to be done by Friday when Paul’s $30 million contract for next season is guaranteed. The Warriors can’t let that go onto the books unless they are certain Thompson is leaving in free agency — something that is not certain and, frankly, not probable at this juncture.
Say that were the case: The Warriors would still want to trade Paul this week, because on July 1 the new CBA goes into effect, with all the new restrictions on trades in tow. It would be hard to trade Paul normally and will be even more challenging with the new rules, which prohibit second-apron teams from signing and trading, using trade exceptions, sending cash, aggregating contractions, or taking back more money in a trade.
All signs point to Paul being waived before Friday, clearing his salary off the books.
Would Klay Thompson really leave?
I don’t think Thompson’s flirtations with other teams are a bluff. I also don’t think that means he’ll be leaving the Warriors. It’s a negotiation, baby.
Thompson wants at least three years and as much money as he can get on this, the last big contract he’ll sign in the NBA. If there are multiple bidders for his services, the Warriors will have to improve their offer or see him walk.
But I don’t foresee anyone making a big-time offer (like a three-year, $100 million) to Thompson.
I do think the Warriors give in and give Thompson three years, though.
Draymond Green currently has three years remaining on his contract (two plus a player option) totaling $77.67 million in compensation.
That seems like a …read more
Source:: The Mercury News – Entertainment
