With the highest payroll in the League, the Warriors are accustomed to paying huge sums owed for exceeding the luxury tax. Not a fan of the system, franchise owner Joe Lacob described it as “very unfair” last week. A declaration that the NBA obviously did not miss, with a nice fine of… 500,000 dollars at stake, a record for the franchise!
A championship title can sometimes cost you dearly. The Warriors know this, and they now find themselves having to pull out the big bucks following finding glory a month ago. A situation which is due to the fact that the Warriors greatly exceed the threshold of the luxury taxset at $136 million for the 2021-22 season: Last season, Golden State’s payroll was simply over $175 million! Californians therefore had to pay the biggest bill of luxury tax in the history of the League, with 170 million monies additional. A huge sum that Joe Lacob, the owner of the Warriors had trouble digesting. Podcast guest Point Forward of Andre Iguodala and Evan Turner last week, Lacob took the opportunity to say what he thought of the League’s payroll management system.
“The truth is, we’re only $40 million over the luxury tax. It’s not small but it’s not a huge number either. […] Obviously, it’s selfish for me to say that, but I think it’s a very unfair system because we built this team by drafting its top eight* players. »
– Joe Lacob, owner of the Golden State Warriors
*Andrew Wiggins was counted in this list, but of course was not drafted by the Warriors.
This statement is not innocent, while the latest rumors speak of the fact that the Warriors are currently criticized in the League for having “purchased” their title. We’re not talking regarding cheating or bribery here, just the fact that not all owners can afford to line up so many tickets to keep their franchise competitive. Making the right choices to build a competitive team with young talent drafted by the franchise is one thing, offering them good enough contracts to keep them all for the long term is another. We know the ambitions of the guy, who intends to set up a model to reign over the League for the next few decades. But he can’t afford everything, and the NBA calls him to order. Always mindful of its image and compliance with the rules, the League therefore added $500,000 to Golden State’s bill.. So Joe Lacob and the Warriors will have to get used to the idea of this luxury taxwhich they are still expected to pay in the coming months, although discussions will be held with the league and franchise owners
The Warriors are back on top, but now they have to take it financially. Not satisfied with the system which obliges him to pay large penalties, Joe Lacob will also have to pay a fine for the criticisms he issued last week. The price to pay for not breaking one of the most beautiful dynasties in NBA history?
Sources : Podcast « Point Forward », NBC Sports, CBS Sports
