Warriors and head coach Steve Kerr are finalizing extension.
Offseason begins by locking up coach with a new contract
OAKLAND >> Through countless offers and counter proposals, other NBA teams have positioned themselves to make a move in hopes to dethrone the Warriors. With deliberate planning and limited spending power, the Warriors have strategized how to strengthen their championship armor.
The first order of business: After helping the Warriors begin an NBA dynasty almost from the moment he arrived, coach Steve Kerr cemented himself as the organization’s long-term coach. With Kerr’s original contract expiring after the 2018-19 season, the Warriors and Kerr are finalizing an extension that will make him one of the highest-paid NBA coaches.
“We’ll get that done pretty quickly,” Kerr said in mid-June before vacationing in Mexico. “I don’t think there will be much to it. It should happen relatively quickly.”
Once it did, the move further validated the Warriors’ warm sentiments for Kerr’s role in the Warriors’ three NBA title runs
in the past four years. Since replacing Mark Jackson on May 19, 2014, Kerr guided the Warriors to a combined 26563 record through four seasons in what represents four of the five winningest seasons in franchise history.
Once NBA free agency begins today at 9:01 pm PDT, the Warriors will have more things to do. The frenetic pace will likely apply more to the Warriors’ potential future playoff opponents than themselves amid the fascination as to where Le-Bron James, Paul George and Kawhi Leonard end up.
As three-time NBA champions, the Warriors do not exactly need to do any bidding. It would have been in Joe Lacob’s nature for the Warriors’ CEO to encourage the front office to show interest in facilitating a trade with Cleveland for James, but the Warriors will not clear any cap room just to engage in the James sweepstakes. Not when they have three All-Stars (Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green) under contract and another (Kevin Durant) they expect to re-sign.
The Warriors have not booked summer vacations yet, though. They have stressed the need to add depth to complement their All-Star talent.
The Warriors plan to spend the first few days of free agency ironing out a deal with Durant, who declined to exercise his $26.2 million player option on Friday to become an unrestricted free agent. He has said unequivocally he plans to return after winning two NBA championships and two Finals MVP awards in two seasons since leaving Oklahoma City for Golden State as a free agent in the 2016 offseason. There are no indications yet, though, as to what Durant wants.
The Warriors would love to have Durant under contract for as long
as possible for obvious reasons. But after Durant willingly took a $10 million pay cut last year so the Warriors could bolster their roster, the Warriors have stressed that Durant will dictate the terms. Therefore, the Warriors are bracing and willing to signing Durant to a max contract after resigning Curry last summer to a five-year, $201 million deal.
Durant could agree with the Warriors to another so-called “oneplus-one” deal, which would pay him up to about $30 million for the 2018-19 season and a player option worth up to about $31 million for the 2019-20 season.
He could agree to a “two-plus-one” deal, which would boost his pay for the 2018-19 season (up to about $35 million), give him another guaranteed year in 201920 (up to about $38 million) and a player option for 2020-21 (up to about $41 million). Or he could agree to a “three-plusone” deal, which would make the 2020-21 season guaranteed along with a player option for 2021-22 worth about $44 million.
If Durant opts for another “one-plus-one” deal, he could re-sign with the Warriors next summer to a five-year deal up to $219 million. If he goes for a “twoplus-one” deal, Durant could have a bigger deal afterward because of the league’s salary cap increasing and the ability to have full Bird rights that would give him an 8 percent raise. Though he would have the most security with a threeyear deal, Durant would have the least flexibility with it.
The Warriors may strike a deal shortly after free agency begins on Sunday, but they expect to reach an agreement within a few days. The Warriors will then seek more clarity on their pending free agents among the uncertain (Kevon Looney, Patrick McCaw, David West, JaVale McGee) and the expected departures (Zaza Pachulia, Nick Young).
Then, the Warriors plan to weigh the costbenefit of using a taxpayer mid-level exception (up to $5.3 million) partly because of the additional costs.
Though the Warriors have a $104 million payroll that is below the luxury tax threshold ($123 million), that does not account for Durant’s new deal or drafting Cincinnati junior forward Jacob Evans.
Once the Warriors exceed the luxury tax threshold, they will accrue tax penalties ($1.50 for every $1 spent over the cap). That tax will grow if the Warriors’ payroll reaches $128 million ($1.75 in taxes for every $1 spent), $133 million to $138 million ($2.50 in taxes for every $1 spent) or $138 million to $143 million ($3.25 in taxes for every $1 spent).
Given that framework, the Warriors appear intrigued with Trevor Ariza, J.J. Redick, Tyreke Evans and Avery Bradley. Among the likely veteran’s minimum candidates: Jamal Crawford, Ed Davis, Wayne Ellington, Brook Lopez, Kyle O’Quinn and Michael Beasley.
The Warriors and Crawford have mutual interest, but it appears he will also field other offers. It appears unlikely Davis would accept a veteran’s minimum deal. And Ellington is expected to seek a long-term deal.
Would the Warriors become interested in Dwight Howard, assuming he negotiates a buyout with the Brooklyn Nets after they acquired him in a trade from Charlotte? Though the Warriors have shown a willingness to acquire talented players with previous baggage, it does not appear likely they would entertain that idea with Howard.
So where does that leave the Warriors? Unlike their recent NBA championship runs, the Warriors will not command center stage. But they still plan to work behind the scenes in hopes to enhance their production.