Warriors hire cap specialist ahead of critical offseason
Welcome to the Dubs, Jon Phelps.
The Golden State Warriors are expected to make many, many moves this offseason, as they balance an aging core, an exciting crop of youngsters, and a whole lot of money on the books. And to help them do that, the Dubs have done something common in the NBA these days, but unheard of just a decade ago: hired a cap specialist.
According to The Athletic’s Anthony Slater, the Warriors are hiring Jon Phelps to serve as the team’s cap specialist. Phelps comes to the Dubs from the Detroit Pistons where, according to his LinkedIn, he served as Senior Director of Basketball Strategy.
Source: The Warriors are hiring Jon Phelps into their front office as their cap strategist and team counsel. He's been with the Pistons organization for about a decade. Phelps fills an important vacancy left by Onsi Saleh, who left for a high-ranking position in Atlanta.
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) May 31, 2024
A cap specialist is nothing new for the Warriors, as they previously employed Onsi Saleh as Vice President of Basketball Strategy and Team Counsel. Saleh recently left the Warriors after the Atlanta Hawks offered him a position as Co-Assistant GM, alongside former NBA player Kyle Korver (and under former NBA player and Stanford alum Landry Fields, the team’s GM).
Having a cap specialist is vital for the Warriors. The NBA’s CBA is ridiculously detailed, and the Warriors are in a precarious situation as a team with a massive amount of money currently on the books. Every financial move will be critical, from the big-money decisions (such as Chris Paul’s $30 million team option) to the smaller ones (such as filling out the final roster spots with affordable players).
It’s unclear what the title of Phelps’ role will be, or the scope of his job duties. It’s noteworthy, however, that Slater mentions Phelps will also be a team counsel, like Saleh was. Here’s how the Warriors described Saleh’s job duties, which Phelps’ will surely be very similar to:
Saleh assists Warriors General Manager Mike Dunleavy in all basketball operations matters, serving as one of the team’s strategic advisors for roster construction including trades, signings and draft strategies. As the legal lead for team matters, Saleh oversees league compliance, salary cap, collective bargaining agreement analysis, immigration, and more.
Welcome to the Dubs, Jon!