As the NBA enters the final stages of this season, the Celtics and Mavericks are competing for the ultimate championship, while some of the big teams that have been out early have to start planning for next season. The Lakers are determined to build a team around thick eyebrows, and in the next 8 years, they have at least 6 first-round picks in their hands, and in this year's draft, the Lakers will be able to come up with 3 first-round picks to reinforce, and the person in their interest is naturally Mitchell's person. The Suns can't move because of the Big Three model of Durant + Booker + Beal, as well as Beal's contract with a trade veto, and changing the coach is like changing the soup without changing the medicine. The Clippers are ready to do their best to keep George and Harden, but the average salary of the contract given to George is up to 45 million, and the average salary of the contract given to Harden is even about $30 million. Several giant teams in the West, if you want to say the most pitiful, are still the Warriors, who can't even enter the playoffs.
This season, the total salary of the Warriors (including the retained salary) is 227.8 million US dollars, the luxury tax is 172.8 million US dollars, and the total expenditure exceeds 400 million US dollars, which is enough to support the two championship-level teams, the Mavericks who reached the finals, the total salary of the team is 168 million US dollars, and the Mavericks' opponent in the West, the Timberwolves, has a total team salary of 166 million US dollars! Obviously, the Warriors have a lot of so-called stars who are paid huge salaries but don't actually contribute. After the Warriors bid farewell to this season, the Bay Area media revealed two major directions: Paul will not stay with the team next season, and his non-guaranteed contract can reduce the pressure on the team's salary; If the Warriors want to remain competitive, Wiggins is likely to leave, and in the words of an anonymous NBA executive, trading Wiggins and rebuilding the young roster is the only way for the Warriors to get on the right track as soon as possible. But there was one more person who was overlooked.
That's Clay. Klay's last big contract was 5 years and $190 million, and in the summer of '19, when Klay suffered a torn cruciate ligament, the Warriors did not hesitate to give Klay a maximum salary in order to thank Klay for his return. This season is the final year of the contract, with a salary of $43.21 million. In fact, the Warriors gave Klay enough respect, and discussed a contract extension with Klay last offseason, although the price is not high, 2 years and $48 million, but this contract is very friendly to Klay, you must know that Wiggins cut his salary for 4 years and $109 million to renew his contract, and Green cut his salary for 4 years and $100 million to renew his contract, with an average salary of about $25 million.
However, Clay was still reluctant. In the words of a Bay Area columnist, Klay's 13-year Warrior career is coming to an end. The Warriors had been hoping to keep Klay "at the right price," but Klay refused, and Klay was ready to test the free agency market because there are many teams with super salary space this summer, such as the Pistons $68 million, the 76ers $62 million, and the Magic $53 million. The problem also arises here: these three teams are all interested in Klay, but the Pistons, the notoriously bad team, have no team atmosphere, and the young people play on their own, and it is difficult for Klay to choose here. The 76ers' attitude towards Klay is that they hope to sign a 1+1 contract similar to Bruce Brown, and the average salary is also around $20 million, which is not as good as the Warriors.
Charania said that the Magic and Klay belong to each other, the Magic rose this season, fifth in the East in the regular season, the team is strong defensively, but lacks scoring points, and the Magic hopes to find some veterans to help and lead Banchero + Wagner Jr. to grow. NBA salary expert Bobby Marks, who previously analyzed Klay's market situation, is around $25 million, which will not exceed 30 million, and Klay is even more unlikely to get the maximum salary contract he wants, how much can the Magic give? This season, Klay averaged 17.9 points and 3.3 rebounds per game in the regular season, with a two-point shooting rate of 43%+38%, which looks good, but Klay's effective shooting rate is only 55.1%, which is outside the league's 160th! He averaged nearly 15 shots per game with the Warriors, thanks to the connivance of Curry and Kerr, a solid second shot. What if you leave the Warriors?
He has to face two major dilemmas: after stepping out of his comfort zone, his new role is destined to be a green leaf and a helper for young people. But in the Warriors, Klay rarely passes the ball to his young teammates, and before Poole, this season's Kuminga and Moody, Clay instinctively repels; Clay's defense is slipping day by day, his lateral speed is almost nonexistent, and his turns are too slow for him to hold up a wing 3D character; Kerr took the initiative to reduce Klay's playing time this season, which made Klay complain, he is a very arrogant player, but his role and value on the court can no longer support his pride! From the perspective of the Warriors management, as long as Klay leaves, Pojer and Moody can get more room to rise, and Curry also complains that the team deliberately broke up the three brothers of Kutang, but Klay himself can't see his own position.
It's time to say goodbye to Curry! The Warriors' previous $190 million salary to Klay is a love and a thank you to Klay for his selfless dedication to helping the Warriors win 4 championships in 8 years. The price of $48 million in the next 2 years must be more of a sentiment, it is Curry's reluctance, and the whole team is accustomed to the existence of Klay, and Moody can already replace the position from the efficiency alone. Once Clay leaves this environment, with the way he plays this season, he may soon be eliminated! It's a good thing for the warriors, stop lying on the credit book and delay the growth of young people.