Stephen Curry’s next contract decision could end up shaping the Warriors’ future as much as any move they make this offseason.
Golden State’s books for 2027-28 already leave a massive amount of room, and that’s before you even get to the kind of flexibility Curry could create if he chooses to sacrifice money to help the team build around him. If Kristaps Porzingis’ $20.5 million deal is removed - with only $3 million guaranteed - the Warriors have less than $45 million committed for that season. That total also includes player options for Al Horford and De’Anthony Melton, and both could opt out.
That leaves Golden State nearly $130 million below the projected salary cap, almost $170 million under the projected luxury tax line, nearly $180 million beneath the first tax apron, and close to $195 million below the second apron.
That kind of space gives the Warriors a chance to completely reshape the roster. But the biggest swing factor is Curry. As of August 29, he’ll be eligible for a two-year, $136.7 million extension, and taking the full amount would eat heavily into the team’s ability to add talent.
If Curry wants to stay in Golden State and remain on a contender, the path may look a lot like the one LeBron James just took with the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday. That doesn’t mean Curry has to go all the way down to the minimum like James did, but even a deal in the $30-40 million range annually would open up far more possibilities for the Warriors.
The catch is obvious: for that kind of flexibility to happen, Curry would need to pass on an extension next month and head into free agency next year, where another team could theoretically make a run at him.
That possibility may make some fans - and even people inside the organization - uneasy. Still, Curry’s bond with Golden State is far deeper than James’ was with the Lakers. And while Curry can absolutely take the max extension and nobody would fault him for it, his clearest route to another title with the Warriors may be the harder one: taking a major pay cut at age 39.
In Other News...
Warriors Are Making A Risky Bet Curry Fans Already Fear
The Warriors have spent much of this offseason acting like a team with one eye on now and the other on a much bigger prize down the road. Rather than loading up on immediate roster help, they have kept additions limited while preserving room for the 2027 offseason, a window they clearly view as their best chance to reshape the franchise around Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler.
The catch is that cap space only matters if the right stars actually hit the market, and that is far from a sure thing. Even if Golden State can keep its books clean, the likeliest payoff may not be a blockbuster chase at all but a more practical one, with the front office targeting the kind of depth pieces that can still move the needle without requiring a full-blown star hunt. [Read more 🡒]
Warriors Missed Again And Now Steph Needs The Front Office To Nail This
The Warriors went into the offseason hoping to swing big, but the market has already pushed them back toward the more practical kind of roster work. With Stephen Curry and Draymond Green still at the center of the plan, Golden State now has to make the most of its remaining flexibility and find pieces that can fit around a core that is trying to stay competitive after a 37-45 finish.
NBA insider Brett Siegel said the front office still has room to maneuver, with open cap spots and a modest pool of money to spend before the apron becomes a real constraint. The names being discussed are more about fit than flash, and one of the more familiar possibilities is a return for Gary Payton II in a reserve role. For a team that just missed on its biggest swing, the pressure now is on the Warriors to get the smaller moves right. [Read more 🡒]
Warriors Fans Have Every Reason To Be Furious Over Jaylen Brown
Before the draft and again later in the season, Boston reportedly reached out to Golden State about Jaylen Brown, setting up the kind of star-level trade talk that can reshape a franchises direction in a hurry. The Celtics ask was enormous, centered on four first-round picks and a pick swap, and for the Warriors it would have meant parting with major draft capital, including the No. 11 pick that eventually became Lendeborg.
Golden State never got past the price tag, and the conversations never moved beyond the exploratory stage. Browns path took a very different turn after that, with Boston sending him to Philadelphia for Paul George, two first-round picks and two second-round picks, a deal that later helped the 76ers land LeBron James. For Warriors fans, the frustrating part is obvious: the team had a chance to chase a premium wing, but the real question is whether the front office passed on the right player at the right time. [Read more 🡒]