The Golden State Warriors head into the season with a messy summer behind them, and the concern around Steph Curry is only sharpening the spotlight.
Golden State missed on several of its top targets and did little to materially upgrade the roster, leaving the team in a frustrating spot after an offseason that never really got moving. Now the focus has shifted back to Curry, who is nearing a contract extension and is expected to get whatever he wants from the Warriors on his next deal.
Brian Windhorst laid out the framework this way: “It’s not whether or not Steve is going to sign. It’s what’s on the plate.
Just to give you guys some insight when you’re over the age of 38 in the NBA you can only sign for a maximum of three years. This is an old rule from the ‘90s.
And it’s used to be over 36, but when Chris Paul and LeBron James were running the players association, they were getting close to their late 30’s they pushed it to 38. Curry makes $62 million this year, so he can add 2 years onto it.
Or he can do a 1 year max or just wait. The warriors are putting the decision in Steph’s hands.
There is no negotiation,” ESPN’s Brian Windhorst stated.
That contract talk is happening alongside a lingering knee issue Curry is still dealing with from last season, a development that has understandably raised some concern around the four-time NBA champion.
Even so, the expectation is that Curry will be out there for most of the season. The bigger question is what Golden State does with the bigger picture. Blue Man Hoops’ Peter O’Keefe suggested the Warriors should think in terms of a “gap year” if the team is not positioned as a real championship threat.
“This ‘gap year’ would suggest Golden State need to take a longer term outlook with Curry. Why take too much risk with your franchise player if you’re only going to be a Play-In Tournament team at best anyway? The problem with that is it runs completely counter-intuitive to the fact Curry is 38-years-old, leaving even greater intrigue on how the Warriors approach this season and how they look to manage the 12x All-Star as it progresses,” O’Keefe wrote.
On paper, that logic makes sense. If Golden State is not built to contend, protecting its franchise player would be the prudent move. But that does not mean Curry is likely to embrace it.
The former MVP is expected to play when healthy, and there is little indication the Warriors will place major restrictions on him unless the knee becomes a problem again. Golden State may be staring at a gap year in terms of title hopes, but Curry sitting out by choice does not appear to be part of the plan.
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