The Golden State Warriors are signaling exactly where their priorities still sit: with Stephen Curry.
According to Anthony Slater of ESPN, the team is open to the idea of giving Curry a one- or two-year contract extension, even as it tries to preserve long-term salary flexibility and keep its books clean. Slater said, "From my understanding, despite the fact that they do, you know, they're liking to keep their salary flexibility open long-term and clean books, Steph Curry's very, you know, exclusive to that,” Slater said. “You know, if he wants a one-year extension at big money, if he wants a two-year extension, the Warriors are very open to that conversation."
That’s the clearest possible sign that Curry remains the center of everything Golden State wants to do. Until he decides to retire, the Warriors are built around him.
It makes sense. Curry is still producing at an extremely high level, and he has spent his entire career with the franchise. At this point, he’s likely the greatest Warrior of all-time, even if Wilt Chamberlain might have something to say about that.
Still, the clock is ticking. Curry is 38, and he’s in the final stretch of his career. He only has a few elite years left, and there’s always the possibility that his level of play starts to slip at any moment.
The financial side is just as tricky. The new CBA has teams running scared of the second apron, and a max deal for Curry at his age would put Golden State in real danger of landing there.
Even so, there’s a path for the Warriors to get what they want. If they manage things correctly, they could keep Curry on a max contract and still stay under the second apron.
Of course, that only works if the roster around him is strong enough to matter. Golden State is still in the middle of the LeBron James sweepstakes, but the question is whether that alone would be enough to push them over the top.
Maybe the bigger answer is depth. In today’s NBA, the Warriors may need to focus more on building out the group around Curry, Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler, when he’s healthy.
Either way, the message is plain: the Warriors are committed to Curry, and they’re prepared to pay to keep him in place while they chase another title.
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It is the kind of adjustment the franchise has been slow to make, but the alternatives are getting thinner. A more balanced rotation built around development and a few low-risk free agent additions would at least give the Warriors a chance to support Curry without overcommitting to a short-term swing, and the next steps will show whether they are finally ready to treat the future as part of the present. [Read more 🡒]