Golden State Warriors owner Joe Lacob has shed light on the team’s potential trajectory, hinting at the possibility of significant changes in the offseason to navigate through a pivotal juncture in the franchise’s journey.
In a recent interview with Audacy’s Ryan Gilbert, Lacob emphasized the importance of financial flexibility, indicating a desire to maneuver the team out of the luxury tax threshold in the coming years to alleviate long-term financial constraints.
Lacob outlined two primary strategies, with “Plan 1A” focused on achieving fiscal prudence by exiting the luxury tax bracket, thereby avoiding the punitive repeater tax in the future.
“Our Plan 1A is actually we’d like to be out of the (luxury) tax, and we think we have a way to do that. That kind of is the plan, not just out of the second apron,” Lacob explained. “That’s important because the truth is we need to be out of the tax two years out of the next four in order to get this repeater (tax) thing off our books. We don’t want to be a repeater, it’s just so prohibitive.”
However, Lacob also acknowledged the existence of a contingency plan, labeled “Plan 1B,” which entails embracing substantial roster alterations should the team’s performance falter significantly by the end of the season.
“But there’s a Plan 1B, and 1B is we can go even further than that and we can make big changes if we had to, if this team were to slide all the way down here and not do well at the end of the year you know there’s going to be big changes,” Lacob stated. “But if we do really well, we might decide to go the other way. Everything’s open. We have to be flexible.”
As the Warriors navigate through a critical phase, decisions regarding expiring contracts, notably those of veteran stalwarts Klay Thompson and Chris Paul, loom large on the horizon.
While Paul’s tenure with the team is relatively brief, Thompson’s enduring legacy and contributions over the past decade pose significant considerations for the franchise’s future direction.
Amidst these deliberations, the Warriors must grapple with the inevitability of transitioning from the Steph Curry era, with the 35-year-old superstar continuing to shoulder the team’s aspirations while nearing the twilight of his illustrious career.
As the regular season unfolds and the playoffs loom on the horizon, the Warriors (27-26) find themselves at a crossroads, balancing the immediate pursuit of postseason contention with the imperative of long-term sustainability and success.
