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The Golden State Warriors’ ascension as one of the strongest dynasties of the modern era wouldn’t have been made possible without Stephen Curry. The two-time NBA MVP will enter his 11th season with the Dubs in 2020-21, with still two years left before he becomes an unrestricted free agent in 2022.
Judging by recent extension talks between both sides looks like Chef Curry will continue cooking in Oakland in the foreseeable future. This news shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. In fact, it’s pretty much a no-brainer decision for Golden State.
Curry epitomizes the qualities of a Dub lifer in every sense. If only tenure contracts are a thing in the league, the 32-year-old superstar should be the first one to get it. There’s nobody more deserving of a “life-long” deal with one team other than Curry right now.
When he one day decides to hang it up, Curry will be what Kobe Bryant was to the Lakers, what Dirk Nowitzki was to the Mavs, and what Tim Duncan was for the Spurs.
At this point, it’s just hard to picture Curry in anything else but a Warriors jersey. Judging by his most recent comments looks like the 3-time NBA champion shares the same sentiments as well.
“Wearing the same jersey for as long as I can, that’s a huge goal, for sure. It’s an elite club of guys that you look at that have played with the same organization and been successful and achieved greatness in that respect,” Curry said about potentially finishing his career in The Bay.
The Warriors certainly won’t allow the 32-year-old sharpshooter to be available in the market and ink him to a deal before 2022. The only question is, for much and for how long?
Considering he wasn’t a sought-after prospect back in the 2009 Draft, Curry was signed to a modest four-year, $12 million contract in his rookie year. He was massively underpaid during his back-to-back MVP years in ’15 and ’16 where he only got 11 million a year in his $44 million contract.
That’s quite the bargain for someone who dropped around 30 points a night while shooting 50 percent from the field and 45 percent from deep.
Most guys would take that as a slight and demand more, but we didn’t hear one peep about it from Curry. He suited up, went to work, and dropped buckets. He knew his big payday will come.
Golden State did him right in 2017 with a supermax five-year, $201 million deal. He will be one of the league’s top earners this year at $43 million followed by a guaranteed $45 million raise in the final year of his contract.
Now 32 years old and removed from the first major injury of his career, it remains to be seen if Curry can return to his MVP form. Most pundits even doubt if he’ll be as effective without the other Splash Brother, Klay Thompson, who will miss his second season in a row.
The Warriors, however, should spare no expense in bringing Curry back, regardless if he’ll be the same player or not. Loyalty, after all, is as rare as they come in the league these days. It wasn't that long ago when the Warriors franchise was shrouded in a cloud of obscurity for years. That short-lived “We Believe” era brought some life back in The Bay, but it was the arrival of Curry that brought in brighter days in Oakland.
Even after their forgettable 2019-20 campaign, Golden State remains one of the most popular franchises around the world today. Stephen Curry is the biggest reason for that, and the Dubs must ensure he'll by their side for the rest of his playing career.