Who the Warriors Should Prioritize in Contract Extension Talks

Welcome to the part of the year that all NBA fans dread: the period between the end of free agency and the start of training camp. No basketball is being played, and nothing basketball-related is happening. This is the time where most NBA fans speculate into the future, thinking of potential threats, lineups, and player contracts. As for the Warriors, they have got a plethora of contractual discussions that have to be had, and most prominently, the Warriors front office has to decide whether or not they are able to give all of Jordan Poole, Andrew Wiggins, and Draymond Green large contract extensions. Keeping and extending all of them would be terrific, but that simply is not possible as the Warriors are already spending way too much money on their roster. Here is a ranking of Jordan Poole, Andrew Wiggins, and Draymond Green in terms of who should get the priority in the Warriors' contract extension talks.

#3- Jordan Poole

There is no question that Jordan Poole is beloved within the Warriors organization and DubNation. He is entering the last year of his rookie contract, and is up for a rookie extension. A rookie extension is different from a normal max extension in that a rookie extension has to be agreed upon before the start of the 2022-2023 NBA season. Otherwise, Poole will become a restricted free agent. According to sources, Poole is looking for a 4-year extension worth around 100 to 110 million. Objectively speaking, that is a bit much for someone that does not show consistent effort on the defensive side of the ball. Being able to play defense is necessary in the Warriors' system, and Poole has shown, both in the regular season and in the playoffs, that at times, he can be a bit careless and lazy on the defensive side. He is undeniably a top-3 offensive threat for the Warriors, but he is probably bottom-3 in defensive assertiveness and ability on the Warriors' roster. Not to say that the Warriors should not extend or resign Jordan Poole, but a yearly salary of roughly 25 million a year is too much for someone who does not play at both ends of the floor. 

#2- Draymond Green

Rumors have it that Green is seeking a max extension, somewhere along the lines of a 4 year, 164 million dollar extension. Everyone knows that Green is invaluable to the Warriors, but an annual salary of 41 million dollars is way too much for someone who has no offensive bag. Green is undoubtably the best defensive player on the team, and he connects the Warriors offense is so many ways, but when you pay someone 41 million dollars annually, you should be expecting that player to be able to get his own and score at will at all times. The hard truth is that Draymond cannot do that anymore. Also, if the Warriors go through with the deal of 4 years, 164 million, then Green will be 36 making 41 million dollars a year. Not to be disrespectful, but when Green is 36, he probably will not a sure-fire starter anymore, and will probably have to compete with Jonathan Kuminga for the starting power-forward spot. Hopefully, Green and the Warriors can reach a deal that benefits both Green and the team, as it will be so weird to see Green in a jersey that is not the Warriors'. 

#1- Andrew Wiggins

What a career turnaround for Andrew Wiggins. From someone who was thought to be a drastic overpay to someone who will surely be one of the most highly touted free agents in the upcoming free agency class. This is why it is imperative for the Warriors to not let Wiggins hit free agency and get him to sign a contract extension with them. Wiggins will probably be seeking a max extension that is worth around 36 million dollars a year, and in his case, it is certainly worth it for the Warriors. If Wiggins were to leave the Warriors, then their small forward position will be extremely weak, just like the days immediately after Kevin Durant. Remember the time when the Warriors were starting Glenn Robinson III at the small forward position? Wiggins can not only help with the Warriors now, but he is young enough to fit in with the next generation of the Warriors as well. Wiggins will just be around 30 years old if he signs a 4 year max extension, at the peak of his prime. Also, unlike Poole and Green, Wiggins is not a liability on either side of the ball, as he is a fantastic rebounder, as seen in the finals, scorer, finisher, and perimeter defender. All this is why Andrew Wiggins should be the priority for the Warriors when the time of contract extension discussions begin. 

Of course, it would be fantastic if all three were able to stay with the Warriors, as they all provide something unique that benefits the team, but that is seemingly unlikely. The Warriors owner, Joe Lacob, has publicly stated that he does not want his payroll to be more than 400 million dollars, but if all three players sign the extensions they want, the payroll will certainly be over that benchmark. In other Warriors news, congratulations to the 44th overall pick Ryan Rollins on signing a 3 year, 4.8 million dollar rookie contract with the Warriors!