The Warriors' salary cap situation has been an interesting discussion here on GSoM. Any proposed trade on here always has to go through the inevitable, "do the salaries match up?" question. And each of those trades always takes into account the player being traded and their impact on the cap. It's a way of measuring a player's worth. Is his cap number too big to keep around or so small that you just can't get rid of him at that bargain? Well NBADraft.net decided to break down the Warriors salary cap situation and offer their opinion on the good, the bad, and the future. Here are some of the highlights:
The Bad: Baron Davis and Jason Richardson were injury victims this season with Baron missing 19 games and Richardson missing 31. Unfortunately for the Warriors, they are the two highest paid players on the team.
The Future: Matt Barnes came out of nowhere to become a key reserve and Mickael Pietrus really improved his game. Both are now free agents and with the team already well above the salary cap, it's unlikely that they will be able to keep either player. They also have extensions coming up for Biedrins and Ellis, which could be why Golden State is shopping Jason Richardson. Getting rid of his big contract would make it easier to keep the rest of the team together, though they would be losing one of their best scorers.
The Warriors' cap received an overall grade of a C. Just imagine how bad it would be if Troy Murphy and Mike Dunleavy were still on the team. In fact, check out the grade the Pacers got. Anyways, the Warriors cap has greatly improved in the span of 6 months and we can now look forward to the day Adonal's dollars come off the cap.
I wish the Warriors were in a better situation cap-wise because it handicaps their ability not only resign their own free agents but also go out and sign the top free agents on the market. As a fan, I couldn't care less whether or not the franchise has to pay the luxury tax. By all means, go over the salary cap if it means we're going to win more games and advance further in the playoffs. It's not my money and I want my team to be the best it can be. The only reason I do care about the cap is because it limits the team's ability to do business with other teams. With too many overpaid players, the Warriors can't make a trade and are essentially stuck with a player until the contract is in an expiring year (e.g. Adonal Foyle). I'm all in favor of having a healthy cap, but not at the risk of missing the playoffs.
Outside of Adonal Foyle, who is the most overpaid Warrior? JRich? Baron? Al Harrington? Project O'Bryant?