Stephen Curry’s next deal is already shaping up to be one of the biggest decisions in Golden State’s near future, and Donovan Mitchell just made the math a lot more uncomfortable.
The Warriors are staring at a 2026-27 season with plenty still unsettled. They still have five roster spots to fill, the LeBron James situation remains unresolved, and it’s unclear whether Moses Moody or Jimmy Butler will be back at any point. Even with all that hanging over them, one reality is fixed: Curry is nearing the end of his career, and Golden State will need to extend him to keep him in the Bay through at least 2027-28.
Curry hasn’t given any sign that 2026-27 will be his last season. If he wants to keep playing beyond that, the Warriors will have to meet the price he asks for, because this is likely the final contract of his NBA career.
Mitchell’s new extension with the Cleveland Cavaliers has changed the backdrop. His four-year, $272 million deal sets a fresh market marker, and it forces a hard question for Golden State: how do you pay Curry what he’s worth and still build a roster that can compete?
That’s the central tension for the Warriors. Keeping a franchise star for his entire career always comes with tradeoffs, especially now. Golden State already gave up depth to bring Curry a running mate at the 2024-25 trade deadline, and that move eventually led to Butler landing a two-year, $110 million contract.
Last season, the Warriors were already feeling the squeeze with nearly $140 million tied up in Butler, Curry, and Green. The rest of the roster became harder to support. There is at least some relief coming before Curry’s next contract would begin to bite.
Butler’s current deal runs only through this season, and if he stays in Golden State beyond that, it should come at a much lower number. Green also opted out of his player option this offseason, apparently with the goal of signing a cheaper two-year deal to remain with the Warriors. If both Green and Butler come down significantly in price, that would help Golden State’s financial picture a lot.
Still, Curry remains the biggest issue.
Even at age 38, he’s still producing at a high level. He played only 43 games last season because of a lingering knee issue, but he still averaged 26.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 4.7 assists while shooting 39.3% from 3-point range. Mitchell’s numbers in Cleveland were 27.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 5.7 assists, with a 36.4% mark from deep.
Curry is eligible to this offseason.
And even if Butler and Green both come back on cheaper terms, a number anywhere close to Mitchell’s would put Golden State in a tough spot right away.
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If that path gets too steep, the Warriors have other ways to chase a major upgrade, with Pelicans wing Trey Murphy III emerging as one of the more intriguing alternatives. The challenge there is hardly small either, since any serious pursuit would still force Golden State to navigate tricky salary-matching decisions and a hefty draft-pick outlay, which is why this is looking less like a simple trade chase and more like a test of how far the front office is willing to go. [Read more 🡒]