The impending contract extension for NBA superstar Stephen Curry is a topic that will consume Golden State Warriors headlines until the 38-year-old announces a decision.
Curry became eligible to sign a contract extension with Golden State on Saturday for two years and $136 million, but the star has yet to put pen to paper, instead saying publicly that he is choosing to wait to commit to more years in the Bay Area.
While Curry’s comments and some recent reports have caused Warriors fans to become uneasy about the star’s future with the team, all indications show he intends to stay around.
Additionally, according to one report, Curry could even choose to take a paycut, following the path of New York Knicks superstar Jalen Brunson and more recently, Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs.
Stephen Curry Contract Extension Predicted To End In Jalen Brunson Route
Writing for Bleacher Report, predicting the final decisions on several players with upcoming contract extensions, Eric Pincus believes Curry will choose to sign for less money than the two-year, $136 million amount that is on the table right now.
“The Warriors have the flexibility to pivot next season with massive cap space, but the franchise isn’t likely to pivot away from Curry. The larger question would be finding the right salary to keep him happy, while giving the front office the means to retool around him,” he wrote. “Prediction: Pencil in Curry back with the Warriors, but at a discount closer to $100 million through 2028-29.”
Should Curry take a minor paycut in his new deal, it would mirror what Brunson did when signing his contract with the Knicks. The star inked a deal worth $156 million over four years in the 2024 NBA offseason. He could have waited a year to sign a five-year, $269 million deal, but instead took a $113 million sacrifice to help the front office put more talent around him.
Wembanyama also made a similar decision, recently signing an extension with the Spurs for $252 million over five years. Though not the same amount of money Brunson left on the table, Wemby took $51 million less than he could have, opting for the Spurs to have more cap space down the road.
There’s another reason why Curry taking a paycut in his new contract extension would make sense. As ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on The Hoop Collective podcast, Golden State could be in line for massive cap space next summer, which, if Curry signs for less, could be used to bring in another superstar.
“But if he doesn’t sign his contract extension right now, the Warriors could have over $100 million in salary cap space next summer,” the insider said. “Him, Jimmy Butler, & Draymond Green are all in the last year of their contracts. And it’s not that I’m thinking Steph’s gonna take a LeBron deal, but it’s like you’re going to get the contract whenever you want. Why not leave optionality open?”
Curry’s exact decision-making on when he’ll sign, or the exact amount it will be for, remains unknown, as it is still very early in the process.
What’s Been Reported And Said About A New Deal With The Warriors
As mentioned, Curry himself has gone on the record to discuss his contract extension with the Warriors.
In an interview with Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area, the four-time NBA champion expressed his interest in staying in the Bay Area, but made it clear he’s not in a rush to sign anything just yet.
“There’s no question I want to be here the rest of my career, and I’m pretty sure that’s going to happen,” Curry said. “The deal and the contract stuff will happen at the right time, and we’re not letting it be a distraction from our preparation for the season, and the fact that the team we’re coming back with has a lot of familiarity.”
“The goal stays the same,” he added. “Extension stuff, we’ll figure that out at the right time. But I’m ready for Year 18.”
Additionally, top Warriors reporter and insider for ESPN, Anthony Slater, recently revealed that the team is giving its star a ‘menu’ of contract extension options to choose from.
“He can do one year max, or he can wait. And again, the Warriors have presented him with these options,” he said on The Hoop Collective podcast. “They are saying, you can do this, you can do this, you can do this. If you want the one-year max, if you want the two-year max, if you want to wait, here’s your menu, pick off your menu.”
Amid all of this talk, there is no direct timeline for Curry to sign his contract extension with Golden State. The two-year, $136 million deal is still on the table, but as mentioned and predicted by Pincus, he could take a paycut to give the team a better shot at one more championship to close out an era.
Steph Curry Predicted To Take Jalen Brunson Route On Warriors Contract Extension