Kblaze8855
07-20-2022, 09:47 PM
On Iggys podcast:
"The hardest thing of all is navigating this luxury tax, unfortunately," Lacob said to Andre Iguodala (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/point-forward/id1612853835)and Evan Turner on the last episode of their "Point Forward" podcast.
"I went back to New York this week for labor meetings. I'm on the committee. And you know, obviously, the league wants everyone to have a chance and right now, there's a certain element out there that believes we "checkbook win," we won because we have the most salaries on our team."The truth is, we're only 40 million more than the luxury tax. Now, that's not small but it's not a massive number. We're 200 million over in total because most of that is this incredible penal luxury tax. And what I consider to be unfair and I'm going to say it on this podcast and I hope it gets back to whoever is listening ... and obviously it's self-serving for me to say this, but I think it's a very unfair system because our team is built by -- all top eight players are all drafted by this team."
Wiggins obviously wasn't drafted by the Warriors but as Iguodala reminded Lacob, the former No. 1 pick was acquired from the Minnesota Timberwolves with his Bird Rights intact, meaning the Warriors could go over the salary cap to retain him.
"Right," Lacob said. "And we have guys that were undrafted and we found and developed in Santa Cruz. We had not one free agent who isn't a minimum. Not one. All minimums the guys we brought in this year. So the only guy you could make a case for us outspending the competition, not being fair is that we turned [Kevin] Durant leaving into one guy who turned into Wiggins, and that worked out great. But they all criticized us for doing it, said he was overpaid and that [we] did a bad deal. So you can't have it both ways."
While the Warriors always have had to fill out their roster with free agent signings, the two major moves they made for outside talent prior to the Wiggins trade was the signing of Durant and the sign-and-trade to bring Iguodala to the team in 2013.
Still, the Warriors are having to pay high taxes for keeping their team intact, rather than dismantle it.
"It's penal because we are self-developed, a homegrown team," Lacob said. "We really are."
While Lacob believes the current grumbling is unwarranted (https://www.nbcsports.com/bayarea/warriors/joe-lacob-admits-warriors-spending-not-sitting-well-nba-teams), there is one move he'll accept blowback for.
"I understand why they got mad at us for the Durant thing but anyone else would have done it too, if you want to go there," Lacob said. "That's the truth. And this one, I don't know how they could be mad because we're homegrown. And I think the luxury tax, you should be paying a high luxury tax if you're using it to go get free agents and outspend your competition. But if you're developing your own guys and paying Steph Curry what he deserves and Klay Thompson what he's earned, why am I paying 0 million in luxury tax? I don't think that's fair."
"The hardest thing of all is navigating this luxury tax, unfortunately," Lacob said to Andre Iguodala (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/point-forward/id1612853835)and Evan Turner on the last episode of their "Point Forward" podcast.
"I went back to New York this week for labor meetings. I'm on the committee. And you know, obviously, the league wants everyone to have a chance and right now, there's a certain element out there that believes we "checkbook win," we won because we have the most salaries on our team."The truth is, we're only 40 million more than the luxury tax. Now, that's not small but it's not a massive number. We're 200 million over in total because most of that is this incredible penal luxury tax. And what I consider to be unfair and I'm going to say it on this podcast and I hope it gets back to whoever is listening ... and obviously it's self-serving for me to say this, but I think it's a very unfair system because our team is built by -- all top eight players are all drafted by this team."
Wiggins obviously wasn't drafted by the Warriors but as Iguodala reminded Lacob, the former No. 1 pick was acquired from the Minnesota Timberwolves with his Bird Rights intact, meaning the Warriors could go over the salary cap to retain him.
"Right," Lacob said. "And we have guys that were undrafted and we found and developed in Santa Cruz. We had not one free agent who isn't a minimum. Not one. All minimums the guys we brought in this year. So the only guy you could make a case for us outspending the competition, not being fair is that we turned [Kevin] Durant leaving into one guy who turned into Wiggins, and that worked out great. But they all criticized us for doing it, said he was overpaid and that [we] did a bad deal. So you can't have it both ways."
While the Warriors always have had to fill out their roster with free agent signings, the two major moves they made for outside talent prior to the Wiggins trade was the signing of Durant and the sign-and-trade to bring Iguodala to the team in 2013.
Still, the Warriors are having to pay high taxes for keeping their team intact, rather than dismantle it.
"It's penal because we are self-developed, a homegrown team," Lacob said. "We really are."
While Lacob believes the current grumbling is unwarranted (https://www.nbcsports.com/bayarea/warriors/joe-lacob-admits-warriors-spending-not-sitting-well-nba-teams), there is one move he'll accept blowback for.
"I understand why they got mad at us for the Durant thing but anyone else would have done it too, if you want to go there," Lacob said. "That's the truth. And this one, I don't know how they could be mad because we're homegrown. And I think the luxury tax, you should be paying a high luxury tax if you're using it to go get free agents and outspend your competition. But if you're developing your own guys and paying Steph Curry what he deserves and Klay Thompson what he's earned, why am I paying 0 million in luxury tax? I don't think that's fair."