Getty Steph Curry reacts to a play in a game against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Daryl Morey insists that he’s not trying to recruit Steph Curry away from the Golden State Warriors after the Philadelphia 76ers executive sparked some controversy with an offhand comment on social media.
Steph had taken to Instagram to share some praise for brother Seth Curry after he turned in a 30-point game as the Sixers closed out the Washington Wizards and advanced to the second round of the NBA playoffs. Morey tweeted a screenshot of Steph’s post and included the caption “join ’em,” which many saw as a sly attempt to recruit the Warriors star. Morey now insists that’s not the case.
The latest Warriors news straight to your inbox! Join the Heavy on Warriors newsletter here!
Morey Defends Post
The post prompted many to accuse Morey of tampering, which has gotten him in trouble in the past. As Wes Goldberg of The Reporter recalled, Morey had been fined $50,000 for a tweet that congratulated James Harden on the anniversary of a scoring milestone. Harden, who had played for Morey while he was with the Houston Rockets, had just demanded a trade out of Houston at the time that Morey shared his congratulations.
Despite his past troubles, Morey insisted that he meant nothing by his tweet to Steph Curry, saying that he was just thrilled to have Seth on the Sixers.
My goodness folks I am talking about the fact that we are all thrilled @sdotcurry is here with the @sixers — nothing else!
Not everyone was buying the excuse. Adam Hermann of NBC Sports Philadelphia noted that it took money several hours and plenty of backlash before Morey finally walked back the initial statement.
“I think his backtrack might seem more plausible if it came something like 40 minutes after the initial post, maybe where he checks his phone and realizes his words have been twisted,” Hermann wrote. “Him sending it immediately makes it feel like he knew how people would interpret his message and was lying in wait.”
Curry Likely Not Going Anywhere
As Goldberg noted, the odds of Morey or anyone else persuading Steph Curry to leave the Warriors appears to be very remote. Though the two-time league MVP passed up the chance to ink an extension last offseason, he is expected to eventually sign a new deal that would lock him down for the remainder of his career.
Warriors general manager Bob Myers told ESPN reporter Nick Friedell that he is confident the deal will get done.
“I don’t see any reason not to be optimistic,” Myers said. “He seems like he’s motivated; we’re motivated. I would say pretty confident we’ll get something done.”
The Warriors expect to sign Steph Curry to a four-year, $215.3 million extension this summer, making him the first player in NBA history to have signed two $200 million contracts.
The Warriors are looking to jump back into title contention next season with the expected return of Klay Thompson, and could be looking to add more weapons around the Splash Brothers. Tim Kawakami of The Athletic speculated that the team could look to make a splash by targeting a big name like Paul George, though admitted that Golden State is more likely to go after a reliable veteran who could bring a greater defensive presence and offer an additional scoring option. Whatever direction the Warriors choose to take this offseason, parting with Curry appears to be outside the realm of possibilities, regardless of what Morey may have to say on social media.
READ NEXT: Steph Curry Gets Honest About His Long-Term Future With the Warriors