Why Warriors Shouldn’t Be Penalized for Rewarding Proficiency originally appeared NBC Sports Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO – Thirty names sit at the top of NBA team org charts, and one thing they all have in common is immense wealth. What they do with it is an individual decision.
Some people like proprietary cachets. Some people like authority. Some people like wealth. Some people like the euphoria that comes with winning.
Warriors CEO Joe Lacob loves all of the above. He could face a tax bill of over $480 million in 2023, which is more than double his player salary on the team.
All because the final collective bargaining agreement did not take into account what was considered the ideal path for building a team: drafting and developing.
This irritates Lacob, who Warrior has mostly followed that blueprint. They have won four championships in eight years, mostly through drafts. They spent a lot of money on just one high-priced free agent. Kevin Durant 2016.
Still, the defending champion Warriors have been accused of a ‘checkbook’ victory, and league law enforcement is after them as if they were trying to buy their way to the championship. . This was an approach infamous by former Yankees late owner George Steinbrenner 40 years before him. .
These yells will increase in volume and reach a higher pitch with the signing of contract extensions over the weekend. jordan pool When Andrew WigginsThe Warriors could have five players earning over $25 million in 2023-24.
Hence, huge tax payments that can penalize those who are consistently skilled.
fair or not?
No.
“The hallmark of a great organization is one that is able to retain talent, nurture talent, identify talent and make it successful,” Bob Myers, the team’s president and general manager, said Sunday. “Last year was the culmination of that.
“Economically, I’m not going to talk about what the rules should be or what they shouldn’t be. Rules are rules. Very competitive, very competitive, supporting winning at a high level. I’m lucky to have an owner who gives me.”
Myers, knowing the consequences, dared not comment. When Lacob went public in July, building his franchise elite in large part by books and still harboring an aversion to being hit, he was accused of violating policy. Fined $500,000.
“The truth is we’re only $40 million more than the luxury tax,” he said on the Point Forward podcast hosted by Andre Iguodala and Evan Turner. “Well, it’s not small, but it’s not a huge number. It’s over $200 million in total because most of it is this incredible luxury tax. And I’m unfair.” That’s what I’m going to say in this podcast, and I hope it gets back to those who are listening.
“Obviously, it’s selfish of me to say this, but I think it’s a very unfair system because our team is built by…the top eight players are all doing this. You will be drafted by the team.”
Lacob’s roster numbers are slightly off because he didn’t take into account the Wiggins trade in 2020, but he’s right to complain.
A long-time core of the Golden State team that won four titles, the last celtics In the 2022 NBA Finals, Stephen Curry, draymond green When Klay Thompson, all three were drafted by the franchise.starting center Kevon Looney Came by the draft, like the rookies were, like the pools were Jonathan Kuminga When Moses Moody.
Related: Myers, Warriors believe JP’s work ethic shows contract’s value
Andre Iguodala, a key member of a team that reached five straight NBA Finals, was a free agent who signed a minimum veteran contract to return last season.
Lacob’s willingness to spend has plagued some of his fellow “governors,” many of whom have rather deep pockets. His net worth is reportedly around $1.5 billion.
But down the coast clippers Boss Steve Ballmer, the richest owner in the sports world, is worth an estimated $76 billion. If anyone has the power to become the NBA’s financial boogeyman, it’s him.
But again, these are individual decisions.
The current CBA will expire after the 2023-24 season. Lacob tries to use whatever power he can to ease the pain of success through draft and development.
Winning tends to come at a cost, and it seems fair only in businesses where those who make big decisions have wallets weighing enough to bring down mansions.
