Warriors Ready to Offer Steph Curry a Max Extension: Why Golden State Is Not Done With Its Superstar Just Yet
The Golden State Warriors are not ready to say goodbye to Steph Curry. Not even close.
Anthony Slater of ESPN reported Thursday that Golden State is very open to a new max contract extension for the four-time champion. Slater notes that the Warriors are willing to give Curry a one-year or two-year max extension once he becomes extension-eligible in August.
This is the right move. It is also the only move. You do not put a bow on the Steph Curry era before Steph Curry has decided the era is over.
Curry Is Still Elite, Even at 38
Let us look at the numbers. Curry averaged 26.6 points per game last season on shooting splits of 47 percent from the field, 39 percent from three, and 92 percent from the free throw line. Those are efficient All-NBA numbers. The three-point percentage would be a career mark for many shooters and Curry did it in year 17.
The catch: he only played 43 games because of a lingering knee injury. That is the concern. A superstar who can only give you half a season is a different asset than a superstar who plays 70 games. Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. has to weigh that when he sits down at the negotiating table.
Curry turns 39 in March. He will be entering his 18th NBA season. He is currently under contract for one more year at $62.6 million. The extension conversation is about what comes after.
The Roster Around Him Is Fluid
After next season, the Warriors have several major decisions coming up all at once. Jimmy Butler hits unrestricted free agency. Kristaps Porzingis has a player option. Al Horford has a player option. Brandin Podziemski becomes a restricted free agent.
That is a lot of money potentially coming off the books. Golden State could use that flexibility to build a fresh contender around Curry for a couple more seasons, especially if Podziemski takes another leap and the front office can find one more difference-maker to complement Curry and rookie forward Yaxel Lendeborg.
Extending Curry now gives the organization certainty. It also gives Curry the message that he is still the face of the franchise, no matter what the rest of the roster looks like.
The Alternative Is Unthinkable
Imagine the Warriors letting Curry walk into free agency next summer. Imagine him signing with another contender because Golden State was not willing to commit long-term. Imagine seeing Steph Curry in another jersey for the final year of his career.
That would be a franchise-defining disaster. The Warriors are not going to let it happen, and Curry has never given any indication that he wants to play anywhere else. This extension is a formality. The dollar figure and the length are the only real questions.
A one-year max at roughly $65 million probably makes the most sense. It keeps flexibility open for both sides while acknowledging that Curry is still worth every penny when he is on the floor. A two-year deal is possible if Curry insists on locking in security.
Either way, this is going to get done. Curry has already told anyone who will listen that he thinks he has several more years left in him. The Warriors clearly agree.
The greatest point guard in NBA history is going to retire in a Warriors uniform. That was never really in doubt, and the front office is about to make it official.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
