Ethan Sherwood Strauss released another excerpt of his new book The Victory Machine: The Making and Unmaking of the Warriors Dynasty, this time to The Athletic.
The Victory Machine: The Making and Unmaking of the Warriors Dynasty, released Tuesday, centers around the rise and fall of the Golden State Warriors dynasty.
The Athletic is offering a free 90-day subscription, so this excerpt is available even to those who have not paid for a subscription.
In this excerpt, Strauss focuses on how free agency has evolved since max contracts were instituted in the 1998-99 lockout and then contract length was restricted in the 2011 lockout.
In 2011, owners wanted to protect themselves from continuing to make mistakes with long-term contracts. Disastrous deals in the 2000s included Allan Houston’s six-year, $100-million deal in 2001 and Rashard Lewis’ six-year, $118-million contract in 2007.
That lockout resulted in a short cap on contract length. Of course teams still make disastrous decisions, but a four-year contract mitigate that damage a lot more so than one that sticks with a team for more than half a decade.
But when not provided with the option of long-term security, stars can, for all intents and purposes, hold a team hostage. LeBron James’ contracts after returning to the Cleveland Cavaliers allowed himself to maximize his earnings and get out after a single year if necessary.
Strauss writes:
“The one-year deal was a game changer, an apotheosis of long-term trends. By leaving Cleveland the first time, LeBron demonstrated a willingness to hurt local feelings in pursuit of happiness. … The move gave LeBron leverage. Who could now doubt his willingness to leave at the drop of a hat?
“It also gave leverage to other superstars. A precedent had been set, which fueled a kind of social contagion among elite players.”
Strauss’ excerpt stops a couple sentences later, but it’s pretty clear what he’s getting at.
Kevin Durant used the same playbook when he signed with the Warriors.
In 2016, he signed a two-year deal with a player option on the second, prompting SB Nation to publish an article headlined “How Kevin Durant could make an extra $100 million by signing a 1-year contract.”
Durant opted out after the 2016-17 season and then signed another two-year deal with a player option, though he took a lower salary than he could have to help the team re-sign Andre Iguodala.
That took him through the 2017-18 season, after which he opted out again.
Durant signed a deal with the same form, opted out after the 2018-19 season, and signed with the Brooklyn Nets.
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