While the Golden State Warriors are on the eve of beginning their quest for a second NBA title in their NBA Finals appearance, there are major questions that will be prevalent surrounding the franchise this upcoming summer.
Much of this will center on the pending unrestricted free agency of a couple of their core group of players in both Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry. During a recent Q&A interview with Tim Kawakami of the Mercury News, Warriors owner Joe Lacob touched upon the possibility of offering the reigning two-time MVP a lucrative deal in the offseason.
-Q: You can pay Curry specifically more than anybody else in the market. You possibly can pay the others very well, also. Will you pay every dollar you can?
-LACOB: As an owner I can only say that it is my intention to do my very best to field the best possible team every year.
I’m very committed to winning. As an ownership group, we’re very committed to winning.
That’s why we hired Bob Myers, a professional negotiator, to figure all that out.
If Lacob is all about fielding best possible roster for next season, it would certainly have to include Curry. He has been the primary driving force for the Warriors in the NBA over the last few years that has led them to becoming an offensive juggernaut in the league.
Article Continues BelowIn the last four seasons, Curry has racked up some major accolades earning two regular-season MVP awards, an NBA title, two All-NBA First Team selections (2015, 2016), two All-NBA Second Team nods (2014, 2017), and all four of his All-Star Game selections.
Beyond that, Curry has established himself as one of the elite players in the league that is in the prime of his career. Golden State will have the opportunity to offer him a max deal that over five years will be worth north of $200 million.
The other equally as important move will be re-signing Durant to a long-term deal to keep him in place for many more years. His presence alone could help extend the Warriors' championship window several more seasons.
Durant is also eligible for a similar type of deal that Curry can receive. Meanwhile, Andre Iguodala will also hit the open market as an unrestricted free agent. Things could get quite interesting in his case depending on how the Warriors handle contract discussions with both Curry and Durant.
All in all, Golden State clearly has plenty of big decisions to make this upcoming summer.