Golden State Warriors: 5 goals for Patrick McCaw in 2017-18

1. Be impossible to bench

The Warriors ownership proved this summer that it will pay whatever it takes to keep its core together. However, this can only go so far. It is not feasible to give eight-figure deals to guys outside of the team’s top five or six players.

McCaw is eligible for restricted free agency next summer. The Warriors do not want to lose him, but they will if he gets too expensive. This is ostensibly a big part of why Nick Young was brought in. The less McCaw plays, the less he will command on the open market.

This is tricky to frame as a goal, since the Warriors and McCaw are at odds in terms of what constitutes a positive outcome. There is one point of intersection, and that is McCaw playing so well that the Warriors determine it is more valuable to play him than suppress his minutes.

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Also, value is not determined solely by counting stats. If McCaw is excellent every time he gets on the court, he will have a robust market next summer. It would be wise in that case for the Warriors to concede and play him, extracting as much present value as they can from a guy with undeniable talent.