The Warriors' season ended in humiliation. They were bullied out of the playoffs by the Lakers in the second round. A lot has been written, and said, about this season for Golden State. Steve Kerr said the team never felt like a championship roster. Furthermore, Kerr placed much of the blame in regard to team dynamics on the fight between Draymond Green and Jordan Poole last October. Green agreed, stating that he lost the locker room after the incident.
This raises the question about the future of the team. Cap space is a non-issue, given that the Warriors are so far over it. At the time of writing, the Warriors are $101 million over the cap. Much of that money is set aside for the Big 3 of Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson. Curry (under contract until 2026) gets $51 million. Meanwhile, Thompson (final year of contract) gets $43 million. Then there's Green, who will receive $27 million if he chooses to pick up the player option year on his contract.
Curry Eager To Run It Back
According to The Athletic's Tim Kawakami, Curry's preference for the offseason would be to bring back the big three for one last ride. “I think the most likely scenario is that the Warriors keep most of this together for at least one more season,” Kawakami wrote in a recent Warriors mailbag. “That’s what Curry wants. His opinion sort of matters.” Additionally, despite laying the blame at his feet, Kerr also expressed his desire to retain the services of Green for next season.
However, with Thompson and Curry under contract, Green is the final piece. Whether he exercises his player option year will be decided by a few things. Firstly, is the Warriors' locker room truly healed from the Green-Poole fight last year? Secondly, who will replace Bob Myers, the long-time Warriors GM who retired recently? Furthermore, will that individual want to keep Green around? As Kawakami noted, it's more likely than not that the Big Three will run it back. However, this is one storyline to keep an eye on. Follow all the latest sports news here at HotNewHipHop.
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