Next season, Warriors star Stephen Curry will be the NBA’s highest-paid player for the fifth straight year.
He might hold the title a while longer.
Marc Stein:
Curry’s max extension would be worth $215,353,664. The salaries:
- 2022-23: $48,070,014
- 2023-24: $51,915,615
- 2024-25: $55,761,217
- 2025-26: $59,606,818
That’s a lot to pay someone for his age-34 through age-37 seasons. But Curry is still playing at a near-MVP level, and his shooting should hold up well (though all his movement to produce open shots could slip).
Plus, the Warriors still owe him from his massively team-friendly rookie-scale extension. Curry is an icon, and that deal helped propel the Warriors into a super team (leaving room to sign Andre Iguodala then Kevin Durant).
Golden State general manager Bob Myers said he was confident this extension would get done. The main question was whether Curry – who said he wants to retire with the Warriors – would have preferred waiting until 2022 free agency to sign a new deal. With a fresh, rather than extended, contract, he could have gotten the same terms over the first four years plus a fifth year at $63,452,419.
But it seems Curry is ready to lock in this offseason as Golden State tries to climb back into championship contention.
