by At the start of the offseason, the Golden State Warriors’ front office realized that the need for a more established secondary scorer alongside Stephen Curry was a top priority, according to team sources. The Warriors had Paul George and Lauri Markkanen at the top of their wish list of realistically available and attractive players and were chasing both, in that order. They were willing to sacrifice some of their first-round draft capital and some of their youth development.
For various reasons, they were unable to make a deal with either of them. The LA Clippers excluded them from the George conversation. The Utah Jazz demanded every available pick and pick swap in the cupboard for Markkanen, as well as several young players. The Warriors were not willing to get rid of the whole unprotected boat.
Perhaps Brandin Podziemski or the exact number of first-rounders would have ultimately been the deciding factor in further negotiations with Markkanen and sparked an internal debate. But it never got that far, team sources said. Markkanen signed a contract extension in Utah, and several sources from multiple teams who inquired said they were convinced in retrospect that was always the Jazz’s intended outcome. Markkanen’s actual availability was a mirage.
But reasons are much less important than results. In that regard, the Warriors have failed to address their biggest roster weakness. Not only have they failed to sign an established, veteran scorer, but they also indirectly motivated their second-leading scorer from last season, Klay Thompson, to leave the franchise by redirecting his departure to the sign-and-trade and free-agent signings of Kyle Anderson, Buddy Hield and De’Anthony Melton.
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That glaring flaw – a roster that has mediocre players but doesn’t have enough elite scorers to ease Curry’s workload and put the Warriors back in a position to win a title – was put under even more scrutiny last weekend, when Curry, 36, spectacularly shot the U.S. team to the gold medal in Paris, reaffirming his ability to still shine on the biggest stage when given the opportunity.
Steve Kerr coached that team. Mike Dunleavy was in attendance. Draymond Green roared from the center of the stands. Joe Lacob and Kirk Lacob followed from afar. The Warriors’ key stakeholders are aware of Curry’s continued greatness and, according to team sources, there is an internal consensus that his current supporting cast cannot be considered a finished product if the 2025 NBA championship is viewed as an attainable goal.
Curry has been involved in George’s recruitment. Dunleavy keeps him updated on options and final personnel decisions. Curry has shown no signs of panic or agitation, team sources said. But he faces a choice of action or inaction in the coming months that will provide a clearer indication of his long-term mindset.
Curry is eligible for a one-year, $62.6 million extension to his contract, which has two seasons and $115.3 million remaining. He flew back from Paris a few days ago and plans to step away from basketball business for a few weeks, so contract negotiations are not expected in the near future, league sources said. It will be entirely on Curry’s preferred timeline. The extension deadline is October 21.
From the Warriors’ perspective, it’s not nearly as complicated as their recent contract extensions (Jordan Poole, Andrew Wiggins, Green, Thompson) or their future ones (Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody). If Curry wants to add that extra year to that $62.6 million cap, the Warriors would be willing to do it. It’s a position they’ve made privately and publicly.
Steph Curry can extend his contract for another year this summer. Mike Dunleavy: “This guy can do anything he wants… I’m pretty sure he’s going to be a warrior for life.”
Dunleavy also said there was a desire to extend Kuminga/Moody pic.twitter.com/xjpglfz0qu
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) July 12, 2024
The benefit for Curry is clear: an extra season of security. He will be 37 before he is eligible for another contract extension – next offseason for up to two more years. There is always the risk that the situation will change and an offer that is on the table in October may not necessarily be there the following August. He has two months to decide whether to lock in $62.6 million for his age-38 season.
But there is flexibility and benefit in waiting. With the season coming up, Curry and the entire basketball world will have more information about the direction of the Warriors and the legitimacy of their attempt to reopen the title window while Curry is still holding onto his late best. Are the younger players developing quickly? Will Wiggins rebound? Will Green stay out of the league’s crosshairs? Is the front office able to pull off a significant trade during the season with the remaining draft assets it has in its pocket?
It’s easier to apply pressure — even in Curry’s calm style — when a contract has one season left to run rather than two, so Curry’s decision on whether to accept another year of team control before the October deadline is a clear sign of which way the winds may be blowing.
The Warriors believe they improved this summer, team sources stressed, based in part on internal numerical models that were positive about the additions of Melton, Anderson and Hield. Some analytically-minded staffers around the league agree. A rival’s metric model had Golden State fourth in the conference. The Warriors’ 46 wins last season despite turmoil were just five behind fifth place (Clippers, 51 wins).
But there are reasonable reasons to doubt it. Curry played 74 games last season, the most since 2016-17. Can he repeat that? Green missed 27. Can he avoid that? And even if everything goes well—the younger layer of the roster rises and the depth shines in the regular season for a solid playoff spot—will the ultimate mistake they tried and failed to correct (signing another player who scores around 24 points per game) still be their undoing in the playoffs? If a second star hits the transfer market, will they pay a high price and finally get a significant deal done?
Curry’s decision on a one-year contract extension still awaits those answers, but could provide an indication of how optimistic he is that things are heading in the Warriors’ direction.
(Photo: Rocky Widner / NBAE via Getty Images)
