The Golden State Warriors know that Draymond Green has quickly become one of their most important players...and they also know that keeping him around will require them to enter uncharted territory - with so much salary committed to Klay Thompson, Steph Curry, Andrew Bogut and Andre Iguodala, any contract extension for Green will almost definitely move the Warriors over the line and into the luxury tax.
In an interesting snippet of a longer interview with Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury-News, Lacob discussed the team's outlook on Green as much as he could without violating NBA bargaining rules. Here's what he had to say:
Q: One thing coming up in the future is Draymond Green’s restricted free agency. That would likely put you into the luxury tax if you keep him. This franchise has never paid the luxury tax. Are you prepared to go into the tax next summer to keep this team together?
LACOB: Committed or not committed, I don’t think we have any other choice. Numbers would dictate–anyone can look at them–that we’re very likely in the luxury tax and very likely very substantially, next year.
And you know what? We’re OK with that. I tell Bob all the time; he keeps asking me, ‘Are you sure?’ We’re prepared to do whatever it takes to win a championship; I’ve said that before.
You want to do it when the timing is right. Maybe the timing’s right, right? We’re pretty good. And so, I think we need to take advantage of that and go for it.
Our fans, that’s what they want to hear. And the truth is, it’s what I want to hear. And what I want to think. And what our management and ownership… there isn’t one owner that I know of or one person in management here that doesn’t think this way.
Luxury tax? It’s not something you want to do, it’s very penal. But can’t be worried about that right now. That is really not the issue. The issue is being the best team we can be and we’re going to do whatever it takes.
Q: So you’re re-signing Draymond Green?
LACOB: Draymond Green! I’m not allowed per NBA rules as you know to make certain statements about who we’re going sign or how hard we’re going to try to sign that person.
What I will say is, he was born to be a Warrior. And we love him. I certainly think today as we look at our team, he’s part of our core and can’t imagine it being otherwise.
Q: Could you see going into the tax for multiple years? Or just one year?
LACOB: The numbers are going to change as you know with the new TV contract. So I don’t think that’s as big of an issue. Frankly, this is a one-year deal for us, that the issue exists–likely exists.
We’re prepared to do whatever we need to do to become the best team we can be. Two years out? Three years out? Hard to say.
I can just tell you that the team is performing at a very high level here and as long as we have great players that we can hold onto, we’re going to do it.
You don’t try to do these things for one year. We want to be a great team that hopefully wins a championship soon and that can sustain that over a long period of time. So it is our intention to do that no matter what.
Green is making just $915,243 in 2014-15, the third year of his rookie contract. He's averaging 11.5 points and 8.0 rebounds in 31.8 minutes per game for the Warriors this season - all career-highs.
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