Patrick McCaw To Reject 2-Year $5.2 Million Offer, Curry Welcomes Title Challenge

Golden State Warriors shooting guard Patrick McCaw is said to have turned down the Bay Area team’s $1.7 million one-year qualifying offer that has been on the table since June and allowed Monday night’s deadline to pass to remain a restricted free agent, according to the Athletic’s Shams Charania.

The guard, who has two championship rings since joining the franchise in 2016, is said to want a bigger pay day. As a restricted free agent, the Warriors are allowed to match any offer that arrives for McCaw from another franchise.

The reigning NBA champions are said to have made another offer, which is a two-year $5.2 million deal with the second year unguaranteed. A San Francisco Chronicle report initially suggested the shooting guard was considering the contract from his current employers, but ESPN’s Marc J. Spears believes McCaw will turn it down.

Despite the offer having a Monday night deadline, sources stated it would still be on the table with the Warriors said to be keen to hash out a deal with McCaw. The guard has now missed five practice sessions with the team, but coach Steve Kerr did not seem too bothered when questioned about his absence.

"We think about. We talk about it,” Kerr said Monday after a training session. “But we go about our business.”

McCaw was the 38th overall pick during the 2016 draft and has averaged four points and 1.4 assists in 15.9 minutes per game in his two seasons with the Warriors. It remains unclear at the moment if the guard will return to the team before the start of the 2018-19 NBA season later in October.

Meanwhile, Stephen Curry made it clear the Warriors had no concerns about the target on their back going into the new season. The Bay Area team are the reigning back-to-back NBA champions and the two-time MVP is certain other franchises would be gunning to knock them off their perch.

Despite the arrival of LeBron James to the Western Conference – he joined the Los Angeles Lakers on a four-year deal this past summer - the Warriors remain the clear favorites to win a third straight title.

"We just have a great collection of guys who know basketball at a high level and have high IQs," Curry, speaking courtesy of Under Armour, was quoted on Sporting News.

"We are obviously very talented and skilled but, character-wise, we are all very selfless and understand it takes a full unit and a lot of sacrifice for it to work."

"The biggest thing I try to lead by is just having fun doing it. In the NBA there are a lot of teams trying to knock us off because we are the champs and that's how it's supposed to be,” he added. "But the competition is fun and we enjoy it."