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Despite two championships, two MVP seasons, becoming a surefire All-Star and a top jersey seller for two seasons in a row, the Golden State Warriors considered offering Stephen Curry less than the supermax contract he was slated to make this summer.
Curry was one of the key signings in the Warriors' agenda, making his stay a team priority among the several players that were entering free agency.
Article Continues Belowper Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic:
On top of that, as the Warriors prepared for the postseason, Warriors owner Joe Lacob was considering offering Curry a contract below the max, even though Curry has been one of the most underpaid players in all of sports over the last three seasons. Warriors general manager Bob Myers kept Lacob from bringing a reduced offer to the negotiating table, but it was enough of a thing that Myers reassured Curry of the franchise’s commitment.
Curry wound up getting the largest contract in NBA history: five years, $201 million. Myers said he when he saw the contract numbers laid out, he couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity of the figures. He will be the Warriors’ highest-paid player at $34.68 million in 2017-18 — after making roughly $12 million the season before. The final year of his contract will pay him more than $45 million.
Curry knew there were mumblings of possibly asking him to take less than the max. He brushed it off as a meaningless until it was actually time to sign. The last thing he wanted was his contract becoming a storyline and possible distraction during the playoffs.
Curry had proved to be the pivotal signing that allowed the team to sign Klay Thompson and Draymond Green to max contracts, as well as bringing in Kevin Durant from Oklahoma City as a free agent.
The 28-year-old guard signed a four-year, $44 million contract in 2013, well-below market price, and even less than Eric Gordon, who by that point had become a sixth man after multiple injuries. The organization tried to negotiate a low-risk, high-reward situation given Curry's storied ankle issues to start out his career.
Luckily, the sharpshooter was able to keep healthy and rode the continuity to a breakout season in 2014-15, capped by a championship and an MVP award.
