The Golden State Warriors paid out a record-breaking $170.3 million ($A275m) luxury-tax bill last season and it looks like they could top that amount once more this season.
The Warriors have reportedly rewarded two key players from last season’s championship-winning squad, extending both Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins.
Poole is finalizing a four-year, $140 million ($A226m) contract extension while Wiggins has agreed to a four-year, $109 million ($A176m) deal.
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ESPN’s Bobby Marks reported that it takes the projected salary and luxury tax for Golden State in the upcoming season to $483 million (A779m).
That includes Draymond Green opting in to his $27.6 million player option.
Although the key question for the Warriors now is what direction the franchise moves in when it comes to potential extensions for Green and Klay Thompson.
Green could opt out of his player option and re-sign for less, although that seems unlikely with the 32-year-old making it clear he wants a max extension.
That though may not come at Golden State and given his age, it could be hard to find at another team too.
Thompson, meanwhile, is extension-eligible The Athletic’s Anthony Slater said on the HoopsHype podcast that he is in “wait-and-see mode”.
“He’s the fourth of these really big pillars that could come calling for a contract,” Slater said.
“That hasn’t really happened. There’s been no buzz about that. He’s on a big deal around $41 million this year. He’s in a wait-and-see mode. He wants to see if he can play himself into another big deal.”
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Poole’s extension of the course comes in the wake of a frustrated Green punching Poole at practice. The two now appear to be moving past the incident, and have shared a dialogue with both coach Steve Kerr and star guard Stephen Curry.
Starting with Poole, from a purely on-court perspective, the move ensures the defending NBA champions will retain their star guard of the future.
Poole is coming off an exceptional season during which he averaged 18.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 4.0 assists. He was a first-round pick by the Warriors (28th overall) in the 2019 NBA Draft.
Poole was a huge part of Golden State’s championship run last season. The 23-year-old Michigan product averaged 17 points in playoff action and shot 50.8 percent from the field.
Poole and the team’s respective sides are completing the details today and a formal agreement is expected soon, according to ESPN.
As for Wiggins, he averaged 18.3 points and 8.8 rebounds in the Finals and put up 26 points as Curry struggled in Game 5 to prove his worth and warrant an extension of his own.
Speaking at the time, Warriors coach Kerr said Wiggins had found a “crucial role” on the Warriors’ team.
“I think that empowers him,” Kerr added.
“He knows how much we need him. I think it’s just a sense of what’s needed and being on this team where he’s got veteran guys who are helping him to understand what we need from him.
“It’s a reminder that for almost every player in the NBA, circumstances are everything. You kind of need to find the right place, the right teammates, that kind of stuff and Wiggins has been a great fit.”
— With The New York Post
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