The Golden State Warriors lost guard Gary Payton II to the Portland Trail Blazers in NBA free agency. Payton agreed to a three-year, $28 million contract with the Blazers, a price tag the Dubs were unwilling to match, given the extra millions they would have to fork over in tax bills.

Warriors fans reacted to the news on Twitter, and they were not happy:

Fans aren't trying to hear the luxury tax excuse, especially when it comes to a key contributor like Payton. The Warriors are losing — and the Blazers gaining — a strong two-way player. He only played 17.6 minutes per game but averaged 7.1 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game while knocking down 35.8 percent of his 3-pointers:

These Warriors fans said it best. It's sweet to see Payton valued as he deserves to be after the best year of his career. However, it's bitter to see it happen with the Blazers. Could the Warriors have afforded Payton? This lays out a pretty convincing case:

https://twitter.com/samesfandiari/status/1542747684947107841?s=20&t=tLaNcEi6NZaEjVjqVMMrqQ

The Warriors definitely weren't hurting for money this past year. While Payton's contract would have hurt their wallets more than they would have liked, it's certainly something they could have managed:

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That's why some Dubs fans have reached this point, where they don't care about the luxury tax bill, as astronomical as it is. The Warriors may have won the title, but the fans wanted to see the same core back in place, especially a key piece like Payton.

However, it certainly seems like the organization wasn't willing to foot the extra tax bill to make it happen. We'll see if they're willing to pay up for Kevon Looney.