One of the developing stories over the late summer for the Golden State Warriors has been, of course, the potential contract extension that could be given to star guard Stephen Curry, who is heading into a potential free agency with a $65 million player option for next season. With the team also sitting on expiring deals for Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler, and owning a team option on center Kristaps Porzingis, there is a real chance that the Warriors could find themselves with more than $100 million in cap space, and perhaps even enough money to sign not one, but two max-salary players.
That would be a longshot. But the reality is, there is enough flexibility for the Warriors to to sign a max player and a significant secondary player, while still possibly keeping some combination of Butler, Green and/or Porzingis, depending on the money and the order of operations. And the max player does not have to be a player-for-player trade–the Warriors could give sap relief to a team with apron concerns.
Warriors Should Monitor Star Market Amid Stephen Curry Talk
Or, better yet, the Warriors could be a destination for a star who finds himself disgruntled. That’s the better outcome for Golden State, and it is a realistic one. But the bigger question usually comes thereafter: It’s nice to have cap space, but which players specifically could it be used on?
On the “Warriors Plus/Minus” podcast with veteran team reporters Tim Kawakami and Marcus Thompson, that question was raised. Nikola Jokic? Devin Booker? Maybe. But the ideal fit might be someone Curry befriended during their time together in the 2024 Olympics: Anthony Edwards of the Timberwolves.
Anthony Edwards Close With Warriors’ Stephen Curry
Thompson raised Edwards as a Warriors possibility–among others, including the Magic‘s two stars (Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero), Jokic and Booker, and Chet Holmgren of the Thunder.
But Edwards is the one who bears the most watching, because of his relationship with Curry (and coach Steve Kerr, who helmed Team USA in Paris) and because the Timberwolves are on shaky ground as a continued contender.
Said Thompson: “I think you have got to anticipate what is possible. I think you are watching Orlando very closely. Do they fall off the wagon here? If it becomes a terrible—because now, you’ve got to start paying more people. …
“I do think they have to be thinking that way. I don’t know how but Minnesota. We know—I was thinking, who does Steph have these relationships with, the young guys? And it’s Ant. And Steve (Kerr) has it, too. If that LaMelo thing doesn’t work out—and, here’s the difficulty, I don’t know why Minnesota would not make sure Anthony Edwards stays there. Based on their history, we know they would not be happy if somehow Anthony Edwards ended up with the Warriors. I do think the LaMelo (Ball) situation was like, ‘All right, we have been trying to crest this hill for some years.’
“It’s a risky move for Tim Connelly. Some of those players, they have just got to be monitoring.”
Timberwolves’ Status Will Weigh on Anthony Edwards
Indeed, Edwards has three years left on his deal which means the Timberwolves are not about to panic about his future. But this is a big year in the wake of the LaMelo Ball trade Thompson referenced. If that deal is a flop, the Timberwolves are going to have an increasingly barren future as a contender.
Rudy Gobert is now 34 years old, and the Wolves’ pick chamber is nearly bare. They have three first-rounders in the next seven drafts. Charlotte can swap for two of the three (2028 and 2030). It’s possible that Edwards will look around and decide he wants out next summer. If he does, wouldn’t joining Curry make sense for him?
Warriors Urged to ‘Monitor’ Stephen Curry’s Link to $245 Million Star in Trade