LeBron James left the Lakers this summer and signed with the Philadelphia 76ers after a courtship the entire league watched. Stephen Curry was asked on CNBC’s Squawk on the Street whether that kind of open market experience appealed to him.
Two words.
“Not at all,” Curry said. “I’ve always stated that I wanna be a lifer with Golden State. What we’ve built there, the fact that I get to run it back this year with Draymond and Coach Kerr. All the contract stuff is this NBA thing from year to year is so crazy. Things change really fast. But I do know my interest and mission to stay in Golden State and be competitive is there, and the contract stuff will take care of itself.”
The Money On The Table
Curry is 38 and entering the final year of a deal that pays him roughly $62 million this season. Without an extension he becomes an unrestricted free agent next summer.
He has been eligible since August 29 for a two-year, $136.7 million maximum extension that would carry him through 2028-29, his age-41 season. Golden State has offered him a menu: the full max, a shorter deal, or a reduced figure designed to preserve cap flexibility.
That last option is the interesting one, and it is the one that tells you what Curry is actually negotiating for.
He Has Been Consistent About This For Years
After the Warriors’ play-in loss to Phoenix last April, Curry said he would “for sure” be interested in an extension. Earlier this month on the Dubs Talk Podcast, he said there is “no question” he wants to finish his career in Golden State and that the paperwork will happen “in its right time.”
Nothing about his position has moved. Compare that to the last decade of superstar free agency, where leverage plays and strategic silence became the default.
Why This Is Smart, Not Just Sentimental
Curry at 38 is not going to get a better basketball situation than the one he has. He has the coach, the system and the spacing built around his exact skill set. A tour would generate content and a worse fit.
There is also the part nobody says out loud: legacy franchises pay for loyalty in ways that do not show up on a cap sheet. Curry’s value in the Bay Area is generational and permanent. Chasing an extra $20 million elsewhere would be the worst trade of his career.
What Happens Next
He signs. Probably not at the full max, which is why Golden State floated the flexible options in the first place. Taking slightly less to let the front office add a piece is the move that keeps this competitive into his 40s.
James maximized the market. Curry is maximizing the roster. Both are defensible, and only one of them ends with a statue outside the building he never left.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.