Why Unconcerned Steph Curry Is Not Rushing Warriors Contract Extension

Why unconcerned Steph Curry is not rushing Warriors contract extension originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

PALO ALTO, Calif. – If there are any thoughts or concerns that Steph Curry isn’t going to be a Warrior for life, that thinking certainly isn’t coming from him.

Curry on Saturday became eligible to sign a new maximum contract extension as he prepares for his 18th season in a Warriors jersey. On Monday at the Palo Alto Hills Golf & Country Club, the business of basketball wasn’t on his mind.

But he did once again reiterate his goal to close out his career with the Warriors, and he has confidence that will be the case.

“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 to NBC Sports Bay Area in an exclusive interview.

The 38-year-old is under contract through the 2026-27 NBA season for $62.6 million, making Curry the highest-paid player in the league by annual salary. The NBA’s Over-38 Rule means Curry can only be under contract for no more than three years. The maximum deal he can now sign is for two years and $136.7 million.

Those numbers aren’t lost on Curry. They also aren’t causing any worries. 

“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,” Curry continued.

Last season was disappointing for Curry and the Warriors as a whole. Injuries derailed the excitement the Warriors carried into the season, leaving them with a lowly 37-45 record. Curry brought magic to LA in the Warriors’ first play-in tournament game, but momentum couldn’t be carried to the second game, where they fell to the Suns in Phoenix. 

“Hopefully we can be healthy and just have a chance to show what we’re capable of, myself included, missing so many games last year,” Curry said. 

Curry averaged 26.6 points per game in Year 17, the fifth-highest of his career, and was named to his 12th All-Star Game. Any postseason awards were off the table, though. Curry played just 43 games last season, which was his third-fewest outside of playing five games in 2019-20 and 26 in 2011-12. 

For more than two months, Curry was stuck to the sidelines watching the Warriors struggle as he rehabbed a tough case of runner’s knee. The injury is a “new norm,” as Curry describes. Refreshed from a long offseason and ready to begin training camp in four weeks, a motivated Curry always has been a good sign for the Warriors and a scary one for their opponents. 

He hears the noise and he knows the doubts. Neither brings a bead of sweat. 

“The goal stays the same,” Curry says. “Extension stuff, we’ll figure that out at the right time. But I’m ready for Year 18. It’s kind of crazy that it’s been this long, and I’m still trying to play at a very high level to help us win, and I’ll be able to do my job.”

Monday was about a different kind of business that Curry always is happy to talk about and promote. The day marked the seventh annual Workday Charity Classic, benefiting Steph and his wife Ayesha’s Eat. Learn. Play. foundation that continues to invest millions into the children of Oakland. 

Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy was on scene for the charity golf event, as was Kirk Lacob, the team’s executive vice president of basketball operations, and his younger brother Kent, who stepped aside last summer after spending a decade in the franchise’s front office. 

Bay Area legends like Steve Young and Joe Thornton also swung their clubs for a great cause. Like all of Dub Nation, those two Hall of Famers aren’t ready to see Curry permanently trade the hardwood for a golf course quite yet. 

The same sentiment is shared by Ayesha, whose voice holds as much power as anybody in Steph’s playing future. 

“Of course,” she said. “Steph is the hardest-working man in the room. He has no days off. He hasn’t stopped since last season ended. He’s ready. He’s ready to get out there. I think we’re going to be in for some fun surprises over the next couple of years.”

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