Stephen Curry may already have the clearest example in front of him for how a superstar can help shape a contender’s next title run: LeBron James is apparently willing to take far less than his market value to join a team.
That kind of move is why teams, including the Golden State Warriors, are lining up for James in free agency and willing to wait on the 41-year-old. The appeal is obvious. James is still worth plenty on the floor, but he may be available for a veteran minimum, or at most one of the mid-level exceptions.
For Curry, that creates a very different kind of blueprint.
The Warriors star is headed toward a 10th straight season as one of the league’s highest-paid players, and he’s also eligible at the end of next month to sign a two-year extension worth nearly $140 million. He is likely to take that maximum deal, which would keep him in Golden State for life. But James’ decision this summer could still force a bigger question: at some point, should Curry consider taking less if it helps the Warriors build a better roster around him?
That kind of sacrifice would only make sense if Golden State already had something lined up, and the current setup suggests that possibility. Draymond Green has opted out of his player option and would seemingly be prepared to take less if the front office can land James.
Curry has no obligation to do any of this. After 15 years with the franchise, he has already given Golden State more than enough, and most of the conversation over the last five years has actually centered on the team needing to do more for him.
Still, a pay cut would not be about helping the Warriors. It would be about helping Curry chase another championship and adding to a legacy that is already secure but still open to growth.
The new CBA has made roster construction much tougher, with the first and second aprons tightening the screws on team-building. That’s why pay cuts from stars have become more notable, whether it’s Jalen Brunson or, most recently, Victor Wembanyama with the San Antonio Spurs on Friday.
Golden State has seen this movie before. Curry’s team-friendly rookie extension deal last decade, signed in 2012 when injury concerns were part of the equation, helped the Warriors win two championships and gave them the flexibility to sign Kevin Durant in 2016.
The question now is whether that kind of dynamic could happen again. Not because Curry needs to prove anything, and not because he isn’t great. It’s because his greatness has already earned him hundreds of millions, and the only thing left that can elevate him even further in the NBA conversation is more championships.
In Other News...
Warriors Suddenly Have A New Jimmy Butler Dilemma
Yaxel Lendeborg has given the Warriors something to think about this summer, and not just because of his strong play in Las Vegas. The rookie has flashed the kind of size, versatility and ball skills that have already prompted some observers to wonder whether he can grow into a role that looks a lot like Jimmy Butlers, which is not the sort of comparison a team usually hears when it is still sorting out its roster for next season.
That is where the conversation gets interesting for Golden State. If Lendeborg keeps showing he can handle that kind of responsibility, he could become more than just a nice summer-league story and turn into a piece that changes how the front office views Butlers place on the roster. For now, it is all speculative, but the Warriors have at least created a new layer to a bigger decision they may have to make sooner rather than later. [Read more 🡒]
Warriors Just Watched Another Free Agent Slip Away During LeBron Wait
The Warriors have spent the opening stretch of free agency mostly taking care of their own business, re-signing familiar faces while the rest of the market keeps moving. One more guard came off the board when Gary Trent Jr. agreed to stay put, another reminder that the pool of available options is thinning even as Golden State has yet to add an outside free agent.
For a team still sorting through its backcourt depth, the timing matters. De'Anthony Melton is back in the mix, LJ Cryer got a look during summer league, and the front office has had to balance patience with urgency while the market narrows around them. Even with the possibility of using the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception, the Warriors are still waiting to see how the rest of the board shakes out. [Read more 🡒]