Draymond Green already showed the Golden State Warriors what it looks like when a veteran star turns down immediate security in favor of flexibility. Stephen Curry could take that same route next year, and for Warriors fans, that possibility is a lot more nerve-racking.
Green opted out of his player option to give the team room to maneuver this offseason. Golden State got that flexibility, but after missing on LeBron James and coming up short on anything major, the front office wound up circling back and giving Green what he wanted anyway.
Curry could present the same kind of choice when free agency arrives next year, though the stakes would be far higher. He is eligible to sign a two-year, $136.7 million extension now, but if he waits and is willing to take less, the Warriors’ financial picture changes dramatically.
Golden Sate could have $45 million in cap space even if Curry signs the extension. That number could rise to $100 million if Curry holds off.
On a recent episode of The Hoop Collective, ESPN’s Anthony Slater laid out the possibility of Curry letting the Warriors take a swing at building around him first.
"If you're Steph and you say, 'okay, you know what, I'll give you all a crack at going and trying to find some stuff. But if you don't, at the end of the day, if I come back and say, give me the full max, I get the full max,'" Slater said.
That kind of move would echo Green’s decision, but the comparison only goes so far. Green’s opt-out gave Golden State the chance to access the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception, and even then the team likely would have needed to trade Moses Moody too.
Curry’s version would be on another level entirely. If he waits, the Warriors could be working with $100 million to spend, giving them a much bigger chance to reshape the roster and try to build one more contender around their two-time MVP.
There’s also a real downside. Leaving Curry unsigned opens the door for other teams to make their pitch, even if his preference is to stay in Golden State and finish his career there. It would also crank up the pressure on the Warriors this season, because Curry could decide he wants his future settled before opening night next month.
If the team doesn’t look like a championship threat, and Curry doesn’t believe the roster is close to being fixed, he could at least start looking around as he chases an historic fifth title.
So yes, it makes sense on paper for Curry to wait and give the Warriors more flexibility. But it also invites the one thing Golden State fans least want to think about: the possibility, however remote, that their franchise icon could at least entertain leaving. That’s a far more unsettling scenario than what came with Green before his re-signing in July.
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