The Golden State Warriors signed a pair of players that were instrumental in their 2021-22 NBA Championship to multi-year extensions Saturday.
Earlier in the day, the club and 4th year guard Jordan Poole agreed to a 4yr/$140M contract extension. The deal was reached ahead of Monday’s deadline for members of the 2019 NBA draft class.
Originally selected with the 28th pick in the 2019 NBA Draft out of Michigan, Poole has emerged as one the league’s best young guards, and figures to be a key piece of the Warriors’ post-Curry era in the future.
The 23 year old posted career highs in virtually every category last season, and finished with a 18.5pts/3.4reb/4.0ast/0.8stl statline. His 92.5% free throw percentage led the NBA in 2021-22, while also boasting a serviceable 44.8% field goal percentage, and shooting 36.4% from beyond the arc.
However Poole wasn’t the only Warrior to receive a hefty pay day this weekend. Only hours later, the team announced they’d reached a 4 year extension with Canadian forward Andrew Wiggins worth up to $109M.
The first time All-Star was a major contributor during the Warriors run to the NBA Finals last year, often drawing the toughest defensive assignments each night.
Speaking to reporters GM Bob Myers remarked “Andrew has been a terrific fit for our team since his arrival in the Bay Area almost three years ago…His first ever championship last season earned him the admiration of many around the league and solidified his stature as an impactful two-way player in the NBA. We’re excited that he’ll be a part of our team for the next several years.”
The 27 year old small forward started 73 games for Golden State in 2021-22 while recording a 17.2pts/4.5reb/2.2ast/1stl average on the year.
Wiggins was acquired from Minnesota in February of 2020 alongside 2021 1st & 2nd round draft picks in exchange for D’Angelo Russell, Jacob Evans, and Omari Spellman. The former NBA rookie of the year will be counted on to provide big minutes this season as his team looks to defend their championship crown.
The Warriors, who already had the highest payroll in the NBA in 2021-22, will now face a projected salary and luxury tax of $483M in 2023-24 when Wiggins and Poole’s new contracts officially kick in.
-Kyle Skinner
Twitter: @JKyleSkinner
Photo: Erik Drost. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.