Golden State Warriors Bound to Collapse? Spurs Legend David Robinson Predicts NBA Super Team-Up of Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson & Draymond Green Won't Last Long
Golden State Warriors earned the super-team label this free agency period after signing Kevin Durant to play alongside with All-Star players Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. The controversial move made sports analysts predict that the elite team-up will make the franchise unbeatable in the upcoming seasons.
But San Antonio Spurs icon David Robinson recently contested the projections. The retired basketball star believed that the super team-up of Curry, Durant, Thompson and Green will not live up to expectations.
Short-Lived
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Robinson, who played in the NBA from 1989-2003, told Complex that it will take some time before the team-up will work. He cited the former team-up of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in the Miami Meat that took few seasons before they finally raked championships.
The 10-time NBA All-Star also predicted that the super-team will not last long. He opined that the Warriors will generally have a "short window" of the team-up as some of them will eventually depart in the future. He stated that the franchise cannot pay all of the star players to stick together in the future NBA seasons.
Future Challenge
Fox Sports' Nunzio Ingrassia agreed to the Hall of Famer's point. He explained that the salary cap is projected to expand in the coming seasons. With the expansion, Ingrassia said that the Warriors will face the challenge of retaining the group long term as they will find it difficult to finance the mounting salary of Curry, Durant, Thompson and Green in the upcoming seasons.
Curry, who currently makes $11 million per year, will end his contract with the Warriors next summer. The two-time NBA MVP is slated to get the biggest salary raise in 2017.
Moreover, Durant's present $54.3-million deal with the Warriors will last until 2018 but he can opt out to become a free agent next summer. On the other hand, Thompson who earns $15.5 million per year will be a free agent in 2019, while Green who makes $15.3 million annually will end his deal with the franchise in 2020.
Not a Problem
CBS Sports' Matt Moore refuted Robinson's predictions that the Warriors cannot keep the super-team together long term. He said that unless the chemistry will not work, there is no reason that the NBA super-team will collapse.
Moore reasoned out that the franchise is a cash cow that can afford to burn off the tax to keep Curry and Durant on long-term deals next summer. He also stated that Thompson and Green's pay will not be a problem because they signed before the cap explosion, which means that their salaries will still be limited to a certain degree.
