Stephen Curry is heading into his 18th NBA season, and at 38, he’s still the center of the conversation in Golden State. One former champion thinks he’s not just holding up - he’s still outshining two of the biggest names in the sport.
Robert Horry, the seven-time NBA champion, recently put Curry ahead of LeBron James and Kevin Durant when comparing what those stars can still do on an individual level.
“If we go 'individually,' I think I'm gonna go Steph first. I think he still strikes fear in people's eyes because when you can shoot it like that and have the handles and get to the rack and shoot floaters… KD and LeBron, to me, are tied,” Horry said.
That view comes with Curry’s future in the spotlight. He is on a one-year veteran extension with the Warriors for the 2026-27 season, a deal worth approximately $62.6 million that he signed on August 29, 2024. After this season, he can become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2027 if no new extension is reached.
As of early August 2026, Curry is nearing eligibility for another extension, and reports have pointed to mutual interest between him and the Warriors on a possible new multi-year contract. The projections have landed in the neighborhood of a two-year maximum extension worth roughly $136-$140 million.
For Horry, though, the case for Curry starts with what still makes him impossible to guard. The shooting is the obvious part, but it’s the full package - the range, the handle, the ability to get to the rim and finish with floaters - that keeps defenses on edge.
That matters even more because the Warriors are about to ask a lot from him. They’re coming off a 37-45 season that ended in a Play-In Tournament exit and a 10th-place finish in the Western Conference. Steve Kerr is still in place after signing a new extension, a sign that the organization is sticking with Curry instead of tearing everything down.
The roster around him is unsettled. Jimmy Butler is recovering from a torn ACL suffered in January 2026 and isn’t expected back until midseason at the earliest, with some projections pushing his return to Christmas or later. Moses Moody is also coming back from a serious knee injury.
Golden State also brought Kristaps Porzingis back at midseason last year and has worked to keep him, though the team is hoping for a shorter, more affordable deal because of his injury history. Add in the club’s cap situation, and there isn’t much room to make major changes. That’s why some reports have labeled 2026-27 as a possible “gap year,” with growth taking priority over an immediate title push.
Even with that setup, Curry’s individual outlook remains strong. He may be carrying more of the offense than he has in recent years, but that’s nothing new for a player whose game still travels anywhere. In an injury-shortened 2025-26 season, he averaged 26.6 points per game, and he has long shown the ability to lift his level when the Warriors need it most.
That combination of demand and talent is why Curry remains a different kind of problem for the league, even as the Warriors navigate a transition around him.
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There is a consolation prize, of course, and it is one the Warriors have come to expect: a Christmas Day home game against the Nuggets, extending their 14-year run on the holiday showcase. But opening night matters, too, because it is where the league often signals which teams are central to the story line. For Stephen Curry and a Warriors group still trying to reassert itself among the NBAs headliners, not being part of that first wave adds a little more pressure to make sure the seasons next big stage looks different. [Read more 🡒]
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Currys contract situation keeps the conversation from fading away. He has the ability to shape the timeline himself, and if he chooses not to lock in his long-term future now, the Warriors could be staring at a much bigger decision next summer. Dunleavy made it clear the front office understands that Curry has earned the right to steer his own path, which is why this storyline remains one of the most important on Golden States radar. [Read more 🡒]
Warriors Get An Early Test Against A Star-Powered Lakers Team
The Warriors will get an immediate measuring stick when the NBA opens the 2026-27 season on Oct. 21, with Golden State set to meet the Lakers in a marquee Western Conference showcase. It is the kind of early spotlight that can shape the mood around a season before it really gets going, especially for a Warriors team coming off a year that ended without a playoff berth.
Los Angeles will bring plenty of intrigue into that opener as well, starting its first game without LeBron James after his reported offseason move to the Philadelphia 76ers. The Lakers still have the look of a team built to contend after making the playoffs last season, even if their run ended at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder, which gives this matchup an added edge for Golden State right out of the gate. [Read more 🡒]