The 2021-22 Golden State Warriors were the most expensive team in the history of sports, and that trend will likely continue going forward. As you might expect, they were not apologizing for it after they defeated the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals on Thursday night.
After Andrew Wiggins carried the Warriors in Game 5 with 26 points and 13 rebounds, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst described the win as a “checkbook win.” His point was that Wiggins playing such a key role shows how Golden State has spared no expense to contend for championships. Wiggins is basically a role player for the Warriors, and he made more than $30 million this season.
Stephen Curry took note. He spoke after Game 6 about how committed the Warriors have been to keeping their core together, which has resulted in a massive payroll and record luxury tax bill.
“I heard somebody talking about checkbook wins and all this other stuff,” Curry said. “Yeah, because it starts with a core group of champions and bona fide winners. We believed that we could run it back, and now we’re here.”
The Warriors have a payroll of around $176 million. They pay an additional $170 million in luxury tax. A recent report indicated rival teams are annoyed by what they perceive as Golden State’s “competitive spending advantage.” The other side of the argument is that the Warriors drafted Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green and have committed to developing them and keeping them.
Warriors GM Bob Myers hinted at the team’s plans for the future after they captured their fourth championship on Thursday night. Here’s a hint: the rest of the NBA probably will not be thrilled.
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