The Warriors lost two of their best bench players less than 24 hours into the free agency period.
On Thursday night it was Gary Payton II signing a three-year, $28 million with the Portland Trail Blazers, a nice payday for the 29-year-old who has scratched and clawed his way to being a productive NBA player.
Friday morning provided another blow, when Chris Haynes reported that Otto Porter Jr. will be heading to the Toronto Raptors on a two-year deal with a player option. It’s unclear how much the Porter deal is worth at this point, but it’s more than the veteran minimum offer the Warriors had on the table for Porter according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic.
The Warriors were also not able to re-sign Payton because they couldn’t match Portland’s deal, one that if Golden State had offered would’ve come with an enormous tax hike for a team that already has a record payroll.
Joe Lacob has shown he is willing to spend more than any other owner in history, but the first day of free agency has also show that he does have limits.
The good news? The Warriors are expected to bring back Kevon Looney, who remains their only key player from last year on the free agent market.