The Golden State Warriors core is built of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green. Thompson and Green got huge deals in back to back seasons. As the other draft picks earn their ranks in the NBA, they want a salary to match. The Warriors needed to agree on an extension by today for Harrison Barnes and Festus Ezeli.
According to Ethan Sherwood Strauss of ESPN, Barnes and the Warriors will not reach an extension deal in time:
Bob Myers says Harrison Barnes and the front office will not reach an extension agreement before the deadline
— Ethan Strauss (@SherwoodStrauss) October 27, 2015
Strauss continues to add that Barnes wanted a deal:
Myers says that Barnes wanted a resolution to the situation before the deadline
— Ethan Strauss (@SherwoodStrauss) October 27, 2015
With Barnes wanting a deal in place, it proves that he wanted to solidify his place in the organization. This season will be big for the SF out of North Carolina.
The other player who needed to have an extension in place before the deadline was Festus Ezeli. According to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports, the big man will also become a restricted free agent at the end of the season:
Warriors have not had contract extension talks with C Festus Ezeli and he is expected to be a restricted free agent next summer, source said
— Marc J. Spears (@SpearsNBAYahoo) October 27, 2015
Ezeli has been used sparingly but earned minutes in the Warriors rotation over the years. He’s shown improvements and definitely can anchor the paint. With the salary cap expanding, these two players can field large offers next season. As restricted free agents, the Warriors will have 7 days to match offers that these players accept from other teams.