Working against them is the financial climate and an owner who seems to have finally bumped his head against his financial ceiling. The Warriors may not use all of their available tools because they have a stiff repeater tax anchoring every dollar.
If Jazz forward Joe Ingles is
indeed available for trade, sources say the Warriors do have interest — just no good way to get him. Ingles, approaching 34, fits the Warriors’ need for a veteran and another offensive playmaker. His passing would fit perfectly with the Warriors. He can run point forward and spot up off the ball, making him viable with the starters and the second unit. He’s got 45 playoff games under his belt. He shot a career-best 45.1 percent from 3 on a career-high 6.1 attempts per game — his third season at 44 percent or above. He’s also reputed for being a great guy and would add to the culture of the locker room.
But acquiring his $13 million expiring contract is difficult. The Warriors would have to send out $10.4 million in salary to make the deal work. The contracts of forwards Eric Paschall and Kevon Looney leave them about $3.4 million short. The Warriors would have to sign rookie Moses Moody, wait 30 days until he’s eligible to be traded, and then throw him in an offer with Paschall and Looney. That is quite a bit to offer up for Ingles, who could end up a one-year rental. The most viable option to get Ingles is to see where Oubre Jr. signs and try to convert it into a sign-and-trade. In that scenario, the Warriors would get a traded player exception in exchange for Oubre and they could use that exception to get Ingles, if he is available. But that’s adding $13 million (plus the repeater tax) to what is already the league’s highest payroll. Ingles is good, but is he good enough for Lacob to stomach the added cost? The Warriors could keep the TPE for potential use later, but the same question would come up.