There was a lot of talk about teams taking pieces from the Golden State Warriors championship team. Kevin Durant made the first move by opting out of the second year of his contract. Durant, coming off an NBA Finals MVP and his first championship, isn’t going anywhere. The only question is whether he’ll take enough of a financial haircut to allow Golden State to keep Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston.
Now free agency is here and a big target of free agency is Warriors sixth man Andre Iguodala.
Iguodala was ready to be paid. He took meeting with the San Antonio Spurs among other teams, all meant to put pressure on the Warriors. The 33 year old forward was looking for a payday after spending years as an underpaid, but solid piece of the championship team, including being named NBA Finals MVP a couple of years ago.
This weekend, the Iguodala question was answered as he and the Warriors agreed on a three-year $48 million agreement.
Also, Shaun Livingston, the back up point guard who kept up the scoring and held Warriors leads as the starters rested. Living stones was a management priority to keep during free agency.
Livingston and the Warriors agreed on a three-year $24 million agreement.
Steph Curry was aan obvious keeper. Curry had been a bargain for years. The Golden State point guard had been playing on a four-year, $44 million contract, an extension that he signed when there were grave concerns about the sturdiness of his ankles. Now it was time for him to get paid. This could be expensive.
The Warriors make it work. They gave Curry a Super Max deal, a five-year $201 million deal, the richest contract in league history.
Curry is the first NBA star who will sign a supermax contract, the crossing of a $200 million threshold that eventually will become the norm for the NBA’s biggest superstars.
While Curry officially was one of the offseason’s top unrestricted free agents, there was never a doubt he would return to the Warriors.
David West is on the list too. He provided a solid big man presence and scoring for the Warriors second team, giving them depth. West’s agent, Jeff Austin, told The Associated Press that West would likely receive the veteran’s minimum $2.3 million, though final details were still being completed.
It’s just the beginning of 2017 free agency, with many teams trying to upgrade their rosters to match Golden State’s super team.
