The Golden State Warriors carry roughly $100 million in expiring contracts into the 2026-27 season. Jimmy Butler is on a one-year deal. Draymond Green is on a one-year deal. Front office staff have said out loud that this gives them flexibility, which is the polite version of saying nothing here is permanent.
Klay Thompson is already gone, two years removed now, and that departure still frames everything. It established that this front office will let a pillar walk when the math stops working.
So a month before tip-off, the question is which pillars are left.
While names like Green could realistically be on the move by the trade deadline if the season slips, according to Marcus Thompson of The Athletic, Stephen Curry isn’t part of that conversation at all.
Steph’s a Lifer
According to Thompson, the Warriors could be facing a real reckoning by the trade deadline, with Green representing the most likely veteran to be moved if things go south. “Steph ain’t going nowhere. Steph’s a lifer,” Thompson said, framing Curry as the one constant no matter how drastically the roster shifts around him.
“This might be the time, like right now, we’re gonna figure out what happens for the next future. I think by the trade deadline, we’ll know ‘this is gonna be tough.’
Curry’s Contract Situation With the Warriors
That framing lines up with where Curry’s actual contract situation stands. He became extension-eligible on Aug. 29. There’s no deadline forcing a decision. Per the San Francisco Standard’s Danny Emerman, Curry has until June 29, 2027 to make a call. ESPN’s Anthony Slater reported the Warriors have put multiple structures on the table. Options range from a two-year max to a one-year deal to simply waiting and seeing how the roster develops. The over-38 rule caps any extension at two additional years. That’s roughly $136.7 million, which would keep Curry with the Warriors through the 2028-29 season.
Curry is entering his 18th season on a $62.6 million expiring contract. He played just 43 games last year because of injury. He’s made clear he isn’t treating the decision as urgent. “The deal and the contract stuff will happen at the right time,” Curry said. He added that he doesn’t want it distracting from the team’s season preparation.
Kerr’s Support for Curry Goes Beyond the Contract
Steve Kerr’s handling of Curry runs deeper than any contract talk. The two have been through 12 seasons and four championships together, a bond that shapes how Kerr manages him now. He’s repeatedly defended resting Curry on back-to-backs, even when it draws criticism for sitting a healthy superstar. Speaking recently on the Tom Tolbert Show, Kerr said Curry needs an emotional reset when he’s not out there, explaining that Curry’s fatigue shows up as turnovers rather than physical wear. The Warriors’ younger pieces, with Yaxel Lendeborg among them, give Kerr more room to manage that workload without leaning on Curry for everything.
Green’s future may reportedly be in play depending on how this season unfolds. Curry’s isn’t. Golden State has made its position clear, and so has he.
Warriors Get Major News on Stephen Curry’s Future