How the Warriors Paid the Best Team in NBA History

Criminally underpaid Steph Curry and fairly-paid Andre Iguodala giving the Larry O’Brien trophy some love in 2015. | Jason Miller
The 2015–2016 Golden State Warriors will go down, at worst, as one of the best teams in NBA history. This assumes that they blow a series they have absolutely no business blowing against the Cleveland Cavaliers, which seems relatively unlikely at the moment. But how did they get here?
For one thing, they have the best backcourt in the league, and have been able to build their team around two of the best shooters we’ve ever seen on basketball’s biggest stage — but doesn’t the NBA have a salary cap? How is it possible that Golden State put together a squad that could rival Jordan’s Bulls in the win-loss column all season long when we’ve seen teams go way over the salary cap only to fall short (Hello, Brooklyn)?
The answer has to do with the way the Dubs are paying their players; specifically how each guy’s contract is set up to be complementary to the team, rather than an albatross. It’s impossible to overstate how much of this has to do with Steph Curry being literally (yes, literally) the most valuable player in the NBA as far as dollar amounts are concerned.
You rarely find a two-time MVP only ranking 65th in the largest single-season contracts categories, but perusing the Warriors’ books can shed a lot more light on the matter beyond “well he’s still on the contract he signed when he had concerns about his ankle.”
So how does the Bay Area’s longstanding squad stack up on a contract basis? Who is actually making the most money on the team this year, not counting endorsements? Why hasn’t anyone made a vine of Anderson Varejão saying “oh Cousin Merle, really?” If you know of one out there, please let us know. Thanks. In the meantime, here’s how the Warriors paid this legendary team.

15. Anderson Varejão – $289,755

We can’t know what Anderson Varejão is saying, but we do hope it’s “Oh, Cousin Merle, really?” | Ezra Shaw 

Contract details: unrestricted free agent after this season, signed by Golden State in February

One of the oldest players on Golden State’s roster, Varejão is probably best known for his hustle and his injury history — the former being much nicer than the latter, obviously. Varejão is one of the fun eccentricities of the Finals, having started the season for the Cavaliers before being moved to make space for Channing Frye.
Sideshow Andy hasn’t played much in this series (he’s logged three whole minutes over two games), but regardless of the outcome, he’s due for a ring. Drafted into the NBA in 2004 with the last pick of the second round by the Orlando Magic, Varejão spent his entire career in Cleveland (he was traded to the Cavs prior to the start of the season), which is more than can be said for some of his more storied contemporaries.
Varejão established his presence as a fan favorite and a somewhat underrated player; he averaged 7.6 points and 7.5 boards in his time with the squad. While there’s something to be said for loyalty, we guess that he doesn’t feel too bad about finding his way onto a 73-win team.

14. James McAdoo – $845,059

Contract Details: restricted free agent after this season
If the league ever wanted another Danny Green-style redemption story, they could do worse than one that starts with this: After going undrafted after three solid years at North Carolina, James McAdoo kept working, racking up honor after honor in the NBA D-League with the Santa Cruz Defenders. Ultimately, he signed a 10-day contract with the Dubs, kicking off a series of call-ups and call-downs that make him yet another trivia wrinkle on the Golden State Bench.
McAdoo won an NBA Championship and a D-League Championship in the same year. After that championship season, he signed a two-year, one-million dollar deal with the Warriors, becoming a restricted free agent at the end of the 2016 season. This gives Golden State the right to match any offer thrown his way, meaning that the UNC alum will most likely be back in the Bay Area if his NBA career continues next season.

13. Ian Clark – $947,546

Ian Clark goes for an easy layup against OKC. | Ronald Martinez

Contract Details: restrict free agent after this season

Ian Clark is another undrafted player who all but the most studious NBA fans will have to Google (He doesn’t even have a unique last name to share with a beloved player from another era like James McAdoo does — and no, James is not related to Bob, as far as we know). But we’ll save you the time.
After not hearing his name called in the 2013 NBA Draft, Clark bounced around the D-League and the NBA fringes, making roster appearances on the Utah Jazz, Idaho Stampede, Denver Nuggets, and Bakersfield Jam before finding his way to the Warriors prior to the 2015–2016 season.

12. Kevon Looney – $1,131,960

Contract Details: rookie contract, signed through 2017 with team options after that
We can see the question “Who?” forming in your mind right now. Kevon Looney, the Warriors’ 2015 draft pick (selected with the last pick in the second round), has played just over 20 NBA minutes since being drafted last June, and has not been a meaningful contributor to Golden State’s championship run on the floor as he’s recovered from hip surgery and spent some time in the D-League.
That doesn’t mean he’s a throwaway name, though, as the Golden State of Mind detailed in March. The long and short of it? If he can stay healthy, Looney gives the Warriors another athletic small forward to deploy, particularly in the event of Harrison Barnes or Andre Iguodala’s departure (more on those two later).

11. Brandon Rush – $1,270,964

Brandon Rush in quiet contemplation during the Western Conference Finals. | Ronald Martinez/

Contract details: unrestricted free agent after this season
No one on the Warriors’ roster exemplifies the sort of upside that categorized the decision-making of the NBA in general quite like Brandon Rush, which seems peculiar to say about a 30-year-old, but hear us out.
After Rush blew his ACL during an illegal workout with the Knicks and headed back to college — curtailing his second go-around with the NBA draft (he’d declared briefly in 2005 and was planning on going pro in ’07) and winning an NCAA championship with the Jayhawks — he finally made it to the pros in 2008. The small forward was drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round and dealt to the Pacers soon afterward.
Rush wound up in Golden State after being traded for Lou Amudson, which had to hurt. The ACL injury you probably thought of — insofar as anyone thinks about ACL injuries and Brandon Rush — was the one he suffered as an NBA player, when he tore his ACL in a game against the Memphis Grizzlies in 2012.
To add insult to injury, he was traded to the Utah Jazz, who haven’t been good since Deron Williams had a full head of hair (or, if you’re really picky, since John Stockton singlehandedly tried to keep the exposed thigh alive on the basketball court). He came back to Golden State in 2014, and has been a positive performer off the bench ever since.

10. Festus Ezeli – $2,008,748

Festus Ezeli may not get many minutes, but he can sure dunk the ball. | Ronald Martinez

Contract Details: restricted free agent after this season
Another prime candidate for the power of potential, Festus Ezeli has been a presence in the paint for the Warriors since 2012, when he was drafted at the tail end of the first round. Unfortunately for Dubs fans — particularly those who have followed the team through their long down period — Ezeli has never been able to show off his game consistently, as he has yet to clock more than 17 minutes per game in an NBA season to this point.
The emergence of Draymond Green and the trade for Andrew Bogut certainly haven’t helped, of course, but there is something to be said for earning playing time, particularly on a team with championship aspirations and abilities.

9. Leandro Barbosa – $2,500,000

Contract details: unrestricted free agent after this season
The other oldest player on the Warriors’ roster — tied with Anderson Varejão at a sprightly 33 years old — Leandro Barbosa has led a storied NBA career, earning Sixth Man of the Year honors in 2007 with the Phoenix Suns and playing for five different teams since the San Antonio Spurs drafted him all the way back in 2003.
The Brazilian Blur has seen his minutes per game decrease from the regular season as the playoffs have gone on, but the 10 minutes of floor time he averages certainly helps to keep Golden State’s offense fresh against any and all comers.

8. Marreese Speights – $3,815,000

Marreese Speights has an underrated mid-range game and a team-friendly contract. | Ezra Shaw

Contract details: unrestricted free agent after this season

As the team’s de facto backup center, Speights is another well-traveled NBA vet. After playing for Philly, Toronto, Memphis, and a post-Decision Cleveland, Speights landed in the Bay prior to the 2012–2013 season, playing just 12 minutes per game under Mark Jackson and helping to mold Golden State from a playoff contender to a team that could (and did) win a championship.
Simply put, while Speights’ stats may not come off as particularly eye-popping in light of the Warriors’ enthusiasm for small-ball basketball, he’s insurance for the semi-annual Andrew Bogut injury, and can match up against true centers, rare as they may be.

7. Harrison Barnes – $3,873,398

Contract details: restricted free agent after this season
It’s been a long time since anyone compared Harrison Barnes to Kobe Bryant. His shot hasn’t evolved into the consistent force that his ceiling suggests, but the former No. 7 pick in the 2012 NBA Draft — the pick that the Warriors famously tanked to keep — is finally reaching the end of his rookie contract.
The Dubs will have to tackle what to do with him after the series with the Cavaliers is wrapped up. For what it’s worth, Barnes reportedly turned down a $64 million extension from the team during the season, so no matter where he winds up for 2016–2017, it won’t be cheap.

6. Shaun Livingston – $5,543,725

 Shaun Livingston gets a high five from a big fan of mid-range jumpers — and winning. | Thearon W. Henderson

Contract details: one non-guaranteed year for $5.7 million in 2016–2017

Any time Shaun Livingston gets a game check, an angel gets its wings. The merits of his game will always be debatable and beyond real discussion, as he suffered one of the most graphic injuries in recent NBA memory back in 2007 when his knee did everything you don’t want a knee to do (google it if you want, but it’s really awful, and we warned you) against the Charlotte Bobcats.
Just like that, one of the most athletic point guards in the league lost nearly two seasons to rehabilitation, and the former fourth overall pick bounced around eight different NBA teams and the D-League before signing with Golden State in 2014.
In all likelihood, the highlight of Livingston’s stint with the Warriors came in Game 1 of this year’s Finals, when he dropped 20 on the listless Cavaliers through a series of midrange jumpers that served as a glorious throwback to the days before teams lived and died by the three-point line. Check out the highlights of that game below, because you can never watch Livingston style on Cleveland enough.

5. Stephen Curry – $11,370,786

wo-time NBA MVP and the fifth-highest paid player on the Warriors, Stephen Curry | Steve Dykes

Contract details: one guaranteed year for $12.1 million in 2016–2017
At this point it’s safe to say that Curry’s praises have well and truly been sung by everyone, even the haters who will swear up and down that he’s ruining the game with all those newfangled three-point shots (insert the obligatory Simpsons “Old Man Yells At Cloud” reference here, if you want).
Beyond aesthetics, which are subjective, there’s really nothing to bring to bear against this guy, who seems more like a Steve Nash fever dream than a tangible human being when he’s really on fire. Even his contract is team-friendly, to deliver the understatement of the season, although it’s easy to forget that the deal was viewed as something of a gamble when it was originally announced.
To that end, the Warriors’ front office deserves some credit but also some acknowledgement that good fortune smiled on Joe Lacob and company. No matter how much they’ll profess otherwise, the roster and style of basketball that Golden State rode to back-to-back Finals appearances can be credited to the luck of having two extraordinary shooters on two extraordinarily palatable deals.
If Curry doesn’t sign the four-year $40 million extension in 2012? The Warriors will have a much harder time building this team.

4. Andre Iguodala – $11,710,456Andre Iguodala celebrates being Andre Iguodala, the NBA Finals MVP. | Ezra Shaw

Contract details: one guaranteed year for $12.1 million in 2016–2017

The 2015 NBA Finals MVP and longtime favorite of the League Pass sect, Andre Iguodala is actually still signed to the deal he inked with the Denver Nuggets back in 2013 prior to being traded to Golden State in a three-way deal that seems brutally one-sided in retrospect. Per Basketball Reference:

As part of a 3-team trade, [Iguodala was] traded by the Denver Nuggets to the Golden State Warriors; the Denver Nuggets traded cash and a 2018 2nd round draft pick to the Utah Jazz; the Golden State Warriors traded a 2018 2nd round draft pick to the Denver Nuggets; the Golden State Warriors traded Andris Biedrins, Richard Jefferson, Brandon Rush, a 2014 1st round draft pick (Rodney Hood was later selected), a 2016 2nd round draft pick, a 2017 1st round draft pick and a 2017 2nd round draft pick to the Utah Jazz; the Utah Jazz traded Randy Foye to the Denver Nuggets; and the Utah Jazz traded Kevin Murphy to the Golden State Warriors.

Turns out flipping expiring contracts and draft picks for great two-way players can do a lot for your championship dreams. Who knew? This has been a great second act for Iggy, who struggled to live up to the other A.I. as the max-contract guy he was in Philadelphia, but he is (obviously) a spectacular complementary piece for the Dubs.

3. Andrew Bogut – $13,800,000

Andrew Bogut and Draymond Green combine to shut down Timofey Mozgov. | Mike Ehrmann

Contract details: one guaranteed year for $12.6 million in 2016–2017

The target in the emotionally draining but ultimately beneficial trade that saw Monta Ellis leave Golden State, Andrew Bogut came to the Warriors after he’d already been ruled out for the season with a fractured left ankle. Since then, he’s been fairly (or relatively) healthy, playing in over 67 games in all but one of his seasons with his new team.
The benefits of the swap were obvious; having a pair of minus defenders in the backcourt is never as appealing as one of them paired with a solid defensive center, and Bogut’s above-average passing ability enhances the ball movement essential to the Warriors’ success. Like Ezeli, Bogut loses some luster when the Warriors unleash their absurd small-ball lineup with Draymond Green at the five, but Bogut has been nothing but a positive addition to the team throughout his tenure.

2. Draymond Green – $14,260,870

Contract details: in the first year of a five-year, $82,000,000 contract
The ultimate glue guy, Green’s unique skill set was rewarded with a massive deal prior to this season, and it’s safe to say Golden State’s front office is pleased with the return on their investment so far.
Moving forward, the biggest struggles facing this team will be how to keep a championship core together while staying within the bounds established by the NBA’s salary cap — set to explode next year, after the new TV deal kicks in — but with Green under contract until 2020, he’s clearly a significant piece of their plan moving forward.

 

1. Klay Thompson – $15,501,00

Klay Thompson dangles an imaginary yo-yo by a string after hitting a three against the Phoenix Suns in 2015.

Klay Thompson dangles an imaginary yo-yo by a string after hitting a three against the Phoenix Suns in 2015. | Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Contract details: in the first year of a four-year, $68,000,000 contract
That’s right, the Golden State Warriors’ highest-paid player this season was the less-heralded Splash Brother, Klay Thompson. Thompson’s $15.5 million for 2015–2016 is just the fourth-highest seasonal salary being dolled out in the NBA Finals — he trails each member of Cleveland’s big three when it comes to game cheque measuring — and this should simply underscore exactly how unfair the cap distribution for the Warriors must feel for the rest of the teams in the league.
There’s no doubt that the window for this roster’s current construction is closing, unless Curry decides he’s fine with being paid less than Tristan Thompson (and even if he did it’s unlikely his agent would be stoked on the idea), but for now the Warriors have another year or so of the most underpaid superstar on the planet. They’ll definitely look to make the most of the opportunity if they can.