Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors reach a four-year, $215-million contract extension. /CFP
The Golden State Warriors and their icon Stephen Curry reached a four-year, $215-million contract extension, according to his agent Jeff Austin of Octagon Basketball via ESPN.
Curry became the first NBA player who has signed two $200+million deals in his career. Since he still has one year left of his current contract, which is worth $45.8 million, Curry will make some $261 million in the next five years.
Is it a wise decision to pay a 33-year-old point guard so much money in the coming five years? Definitely no, but Curry is special. Having played 12 seasons for the team, he brought the Warriors to the NBA Finals five straight times and won three of them.
Stephen Curry (#30) of the Golden State Warriors looks on in the NBA Western Conference play-in tournament game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, U.S., May 19, 2021. /CFP
Last season, Curry carried the broken squad of Golden State into the play-in tournament and came so close to reaching the playoffs. Meanwhile, he averaged 32 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 5.3 triples at a 42.1-percent rate.
The Warriors were lucky enough to select Jonathan Kuminga (seventh pick) and Moses Moody in this year's draft. Adding Otto Porter Jr. to the squad on a one-year veteran deal could also be a decent improvement to the team's wing position as long as he stays healthy.
It remains unclear what Golden State's next move is as well as how they will deal with Andrew Wiggins and James Wiseman. But as long as Curry is with the team, they always know who they should go to when it matters.
DeMar DeRozan joins the Chicago Bulls for a three-year, $85-million deal via sign-and-trade. /CFP
Chicago Bulls invest big for breakthrough
The Bulls have been very active since the free agency market opened on Monday. First, they acquired Lonzo Ball via sign-and-trade with the New Orleans Pelicans, then they introduced DeMar DeRozan in the same way from the San Antonio Spurs.
It may sound inconceivable, but the Bulls now have three All-Star players – Zach Lavine, Nikola Vucevic, and DeRozan – plus a promising young orchestrator who has been improving – Ball.
Lonzo Ball joins the Chicago Bulls for a four-year, $85-million deal via sign-and-trade. /CFP
They can hardly find any excuse if they miss the playoffs again in the 2021-22 season, especially considering the four-year, $85-million contract the Bulls gave Ball and the three-year, $85-million deal they gave DeRozan.
Moreover, LaVine will see his contract come to an end in 2022 summer. It will take at least playoff qualification for the Bulls to convince him to stay.
Carmelo Anthony joins the Los Angeles Lakers on a one-year, veteran minimum deal. /CFP
Los Angeles Lakers continue to add 3-point firepower
18 years ago, 18-year-old LeBron James and 19-year-old Carmelo Anthony were considered to make one of the greatest rivalries in the NBA when they entered the league with the 2003 Class.
The two had very different career paths in the following years, but finally joined hands in the Lakers after Anthony agreed to a one-year veteran contract. It took him almost four years to accept the fact that he's no longer a star of the team. The past two seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers might help Anthony find back the fun of playing basketball. Now, like many of the players who reached the end of their career, Anthony wants and needs a ring.
The 37-year-old could bury 1.9 triples at 40.9 percent per game last season in Portland, meaning he could be great spacing help for the purple and gold. So should most of the other signs of the team in the past 48 hours:
Kendrick Nunn joins the Los Angeles Lakers on a two-year, $10-million deal. /CFP
Kendrick Nunn, two-year, $10 million, 2.2 triples at 38.1 percent
Trevor Ariza, one-year veteran minimum, 1.7 triples at 35 percent
Wayne Ellington, one-year veteran minimum, 2.5 triples at 42.2 percent
Kent Bazemore, one-year veteran minimum, 1.1 triples at 40.8 percent
Malik Monk, one-year minimum, 2.0 triples at 40.1 percent
Adding Dwight Howard (on a one-year veteran minimum contract too) seems more necessary after Andre Drummond left to join the Washington Wizards. The contract the Lakers gave Nunn is bigger than mini-mid-level, meaning there won't be any sign-and-trade with Dennis Schroder for Buddy Hield. Therefore, retaining Horton Tucker with a three-year, $32-million contract extension seems very reasonable.
Blake Griffin (R) of the Brooklyn Nets defends Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 7 of the NBA Eastern Conference semifinals at Barclays Center in Brooklyn Borough, New York City, New York, U.S., June 19, 2021. /CFP
Other key deals were reached too in the past two days. The Brooklyn Nets kept Blake Griffin with a one-year, veteran minimum contract, making sure they have enough one-on-one defensive resource against Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Nets also added Patty Mills to the roster on a two-year, $12-million deal, which can drive their luxury tax to $120 million.
That's probably why they let Jeff Green (to the Denver Nuggets for two-year, $10 million) and Spencer Dinwiddie (to the Washington Wizards via sign-and-trade on a three-year, $60-million contract).
Nicolas Batum holds the ball in Game 5 of the NBA Western Conference semifinals against the Utah Jazz at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S., June 16, 2021. /CFP
The Los Angeles Clippers kept Nicolas Batum with a two-year, $6.3 million deal. The 32-year-old French forward was reborn in the Clippers last season. He found his role and will receive some $30-million from the Charlotte Hornets. Money is not his biggest concern right now.
The Utah Jazz brought in Hassan Whiteside on a one-year, minimum deal and Rudy Gay for a two-year, $12.1 million contract, clearly to enhance the team's power forward position and back center.