One of the crucial ingredients to success in the NBA is maintaining the core of the team. Golden State Warriors were able to clinch the championship as the likes of Steph Curry, Draymond Green, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, and Jordan Poole were at their best.
These five are the core players of the team and the Dubs also have a mix of some other talented players. However, there is no doubt that the franchise needs to hold on to its core players in order to continue its dynasty.
GSW has won four of the previous eight editions of the NBA and it will be important for them to retain their core players if they want to defend their crown in the next season.
Meanwhile, it is well known that the core of any team could be broken due to financial issues. Recently Draymond Green claimed that he is expecting the maximum contract extension from the Warriors.
As Klay Thompson is the team’s second highest-paid player, analysts believe that he will need to take a pay cut in order to keep the core of the team intact.
Anthony Slater and Marcus Thompson of The Athletic said, “Through no fault of his own, Thompson is the reason the Warriors are in this predicament. His massive contract, as the team’s second-highest paid player, eats up a big chunk of the cap space.”
“So it is fitting that Thompson may be the answer to keeping as many of this core as possible. The Warriors desperately need someone to take a discount, and Thompson makes the most sense.”
Meanwhile, it is well known that Klay Thompson, Steph Curry and Draymond Green share a strong bond with each other on and off the court.
On the other hand, Green averaged 8.0 points, 7.2 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.0 blocks in the previous postseason and did a great job in defense.