Via the SF Gate:
He bought himself a little bit of breathing room. The Poole contract may have been one of the very worst in the NBA, and by getting the team out from under it, Dunleavy may have enabled the Warriors to avoid future steep penalties that come with the “second apron” cap line in the new collective bargaining agreement, which is two steps beyond the already punishing luxury tax threshold. (Poole’s enormous four-year extension kicks in this season, while Paul’s contract is not guaranteed past this year.)
So even if these are the twilight years for this Warriors era, Dunleavy has already bought himself significant goodwill with owner Joe Lacob. The Athletic reported Wednesday that the goal was to be able to be under the second apron within a year, and this trade appears to set up the Warriors to get there on schedule. ESPN cap expert Bobby Marks came to the same conclusion, leading his instant trade analysis with, “Blame the second apron,” and explaining that this trade gets the Warriors under the second apron for much of the next half-decade.
