Flawed Logic
The Warriors did some shuffling and freed up the cap space for Durant last summer, because they felt he was the missing piece for this team to get back to the Finals and win it all again. So on what planet does it makes sense for their front office to give up their reigning MVP while they’re on that quest, currently sitting atop the league at 30-5? “Sure, give us Rondo and Grant. We totally have the same chances at winning the title with those two as we would have with Curry.” …Um, no. What’s the other explanation for the Warriors making such a move? “We don’t actually want to win the title this year. Nevermind.” Preposterous.
Smith then brings up the fact that Curry is on the cusp of free agency.
“His contract also happens to expire at the end of this season and it’s possible that he signs with a different team. It might be in the better interest of the Warriors to entertain trade offers for him. At the very least, they can avoid a scenario where Steph leaves and they get nothing in return for him.” – Roje Smith
This is a frequently discussed notion in professional sports. Trade a star player before he walks away in free agency and you get nothing in return. Yes, that’s a thing. There are just a couple of tiny details that Smith is missing, though, and they kill this argument. First of all, Curry hasn’t said anything about wanting to leave Golden State. Why would he want to? They’re poised to be perennial championship contenders, with Klay (2019) and Draymond (2020) already locked in for the next few seasons.
All About The Benjamins
Then there’s the big key Smith is missing. The NBA and the Players Association just agreed to terms on a new collective bargaining agreement last month. What’s the headline of the ESPN article in that link? “Warriors’ Steph Curry Stands To Benefit In New CBA.” They specifically reference Curry. Why? Because he’s the #1 free agent in the summer of 2017, of course. But then there’s this: the new CBA has a provision for designated veteran players which will allow superstars’ current teams to offer way more cash than any competing suitors. It was actually included to try to prevent more of the Durant-to-Warriors-Superteams from forming, and keep superstars with the teams that drafted them.
Under this new provision, the Warriors will be able to offer Curry a five year deal worth $207 million, making him the highest paid player in the league. Ever. On the other hand, any hopeful suitors could only offer the sharpshooter a four year deal capped around $135 million. So here’s Curry’s hypothetical decision: 1) Stay with Warriors, a perennial championship contending team in a city that loves me, and become the highest paid player in NBA history. 2) Take a risk, sign with a team that will almost certainly have lower championship expectations than the Warriors, and leave $72 million on the table.
…Gee, that’s a tough one.
Now, let’s take a look at Smith’s reasons for why the Warriors should welcome misfit point guard Rajon Rondo to Golden State.
