Warriors' Annual Revenue 2nd Only to Cowboys in North America, Totals $700M

As they embark on their first season at Chase Center, the Golden State Warriors are expected to have the highest annual revenue of any NBA team.

The Athletic's Tim Kawakami reported the Warriors are projected to earn about $700 million annually. One source told Kawakami that Golden State could not only surpass every NBA team financially but also every NFL franchise "except maybe the Cowboys."

The Warriors ranked ninth on Forbes' most recent list of the richest sports franchises with a valuation of $3.5 billion. They trailed the New York Knicks ($4 billion) and Los Angeles Lakers ($3.7 billion) among their NBA peers.

Golden State's move from Oracle Arena to Chase Center could nearly double its gate receipts. According to Kawakami, the defending Western Conference champions netted $3 million for every home game in 2018-19. That figure could climb to $5 million in 2019-20.

In a salary-capped league, the Warriors' astronomical revenues provide only so much of an advantage in terms of player salaries. Of the team's core stars, Stephen Curry will be the next one to hit free agency. His five-year, $201.2 million contract carries him through the 2021-22 season.

Of course, ownership likely felt more comfortable committing a combined total of $407 million to Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and D'Angelo Russell this past summer.

Kawakami added Golden State's financial strength will help in terms of getting the best behind-the-scenes personnel:

"For instance, there is no salary cap for coaches, medical and training staffers or executives, so if the Warriors want an edge on most other teams, all ownership has to do is approve large salaries in each one of those areas. The franchise already is paying large salaries in a lot of those areas, but the new financial position means that the Warriors would look extremely silly if they lose anybody over salary terms."

The Warriors had to recalibrate a bit in the offseason after losing Kevin Durant and knowing Klay Thompson will miss at least most of the season while recovering from a torn ACL. Once the roster is back to full strength next year, Golden State will likely be favored by many to win a seventh NBA title.

One early barometer for Chase Center's impact will be the summer of 2021. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Anthony Davis are unrestricted free agents that offseason, while LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George can opt out of their deals.

If the Warriors hit another home run in free agency like they did with Durant in 2016, then they'll be on the path to becoming a juggernaut once again.