SAN FRANCISCO – Steph Curry is a few hours away from being eligible to sign the largest, and possibly final, contract of his illustrious career.
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Once the calendar turns to Aug. 29, the Warriors legend will be able to put pen to paper on a two-year, $136.7 million extension that would run through the end of the 2028-29 season and place him on the track to play an even two decades in the Bay Area.
Already the highest-paid player in the league with a 62.6 million salary next season, he could also sign a one-year extension, or a deal where the second year is a player option.
Curry, 38, is still one of the top players in the game, coming off a season in which he averaged 26.6 points per game and broke Michael Jordan’s record for most 40-point games after turning 30.
Is there a chance that the best shooter to ever play the game will decline to sign an extension, going into 2026-27 on an expiring contract and departing via trade or free agency? After all, Curry did just sell his home in Atherton.
Even general manager Mike Dunleavy has acknowledged the possibility.
“I’m pretty confident that Steph will finish his career here, but you know, it’s ultimately his call, his decision,” Dunleavy said during a press conference earlier this month. “Whether that’s to allow his contract to run out and move on, or if he comes to me and wants to be moved, Joe (Lacob) and I will talk through it. But as far as the messaging or any idea that he would be anywhere else, that’s not a thing we’re looking at, or he’s looking at.”
But a day later, team owner Joe Lacob dismissed the very notion that the Warriors have even pondered shopping Curry.
“I’m very close with Steph,” Lacob told the San Francisco Standard. “He’s incredibly happy, I think, with the organization, with his life. He’s got a great life. His kids are very involved in schools and all that. I just don’t see any of that. I’ve never heard a word about that, and I can’t imagine it. We certainly don’t want him to go anywhere. That idea that somehow we want him to go somewhere … we do not want Steph Curry to go anywhere.”
After LeBron James spurned them in free agency and Dunleavy unexpectedly addressed the idea of Curry departing, some pundits mused about the possibility. But the fact remains: Curry has not publicly expressed any desire to leave the Bay Area, and during his final press conference of the 2025-26 season, he said he was “for sure” interested in signing an extension.
During Dunleavy’s latest press conference, the general manager affirmed that was still Curry’s desire.
“There’s two things I’m confident about with Steph,” Dunleavy added. “He really, really wants to win and he wants to finish his career as a Warrior.”
Might the Warriors hesitate at the thought of giving max money to an aging superstar who played just 43 games last season and dealt with runner’s knee? Curry is far from the only Warrior over 35 in a league that is increasingly dominated by youthful teams with energy, depth and cohesion.
The Warriors could ask him to take a discount, but like the thought of moving him to a new team, that scenario is far-fetched.
They are flush with cap space in the 2027-28 season when the extension would kick in. With Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green’s contracts expiring, they should still have enough space to sign another star to a max contract even after Curry signs his megadeal and Brandin Podziemski inks an expected multi-year extension.
Golden State executives have long preached their undying loyalty to the man who led the franchise out of the darkness and to four titles in eight seasons. The offense remains centered around Curry’s gravity, and the team agreed to a new deal with his longtime coach Steve Kerr.
And perhaps no player is as universally beloved by fans, home and away, as Curry.
Curry’s No. 30 jersey was the league’s top seller again for the 2025-26 season, the fifth time he has held the top spot. His pregame shootarounds remain heavily attended by those who hope to catch a glimpse of his famous routine.
Despite their status as a projected play-in team, the NBA still opted to give the Warriors 28 nationally televised games, adding to the evidence that Curry remains as influential and interesting as ever.
Is he the singularly destructive force he was a decade ago? No. But when healthy, Curry is still an elite player who makes the Warriors millions more than they could ever spend on his contract. The Chase Center may be owned by Lacob, but it would have never been built without Curry lifting the team to prominence, one breathtaking 35-foot swish at a time.
It would be a surprise if the two parties don’t announce a renewal of their partnership before the start of training camp in late September.
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