Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors warms up ahead of the NBA Western Conference play-in tournament game against the Sacramento Kings at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California, April 16, 2024. /CFP
The Golden State Warriors have reached a one-year, $62.6 million contract extension with their ace point guard Stephen Curry, ESPN reported on Thursday.
Curry had two years left of his four-year, $215.4 million contract with the Warriors before agreeing to the new deal. It will make him the fourth player in NBA history to surpass $500 million in career earnings after LeBron James, Paul George and Kevin Durant.
"I've always said I want to be a Warrior for life," Curry told Andscape in July. "At this stage in my career, I feel like that's possible."
Having been drafted by the Warriors with the seventh pick in 2009, Curry has played 956 regular season games for the team since then, averaging 24.8 points and 6.4 assists per game. The team made 10 playoff trips in the 21st century and nine of them were with Curry, who averaged 27 points and 6.2 assists per game.
Stephen Curry (R) of the Golden State Warriors shoots in the NBA Western Conference play-in tournament game against the Sacramento Kings at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California, April 16, 2024. /CFP
Moreover, Curry took the Warriors to the NBA Finals six times with four championships. He was named the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 2022. Other than that, he is a two-time NBA MVP, a 10-time NBA All-Star, a 10-time All-NBA Team Selection, and the greatest shooter in league history after draining 3,747 triples and still going.
Despite Curry's close tie with the Warriors and his desire to stay, he wanted the team to stay competitive. "If it is a situation where you're a bottom-feeder and it's just because you want to stay there, I'd have a hard time with that," he said. "But I don't think that's going to be the reality."
The Warriors parted ways with Curry's long-time partner, Klay Thompson, this summer. They added Buddy Hield, Kyle Anderson and De'Anthony Melton. The team reportedly went after Lauri Markkanen, but that move is not going anywhere at the moment after he inked a five-year, $238 million extension with the Utah Jazz.