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What message Steph’s extension sends to Warriors, per Windhorst initially appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Steph Curry’s Warriors contract extension sparked optimism in and outdoors the group.
The ten-time NBA All-Star’s dedication to Golden State via the 2026-27 season is a promising signal for the Warriors, who missed the 2024 NBA playoffs following an underwhelming season.
Curry will probably be 37 throughout the upcoming marketing campaign and 39 when his new contract expires; there isn’t a time to waste. The truth that Curry desires to stay with Golden State as he — if he ever does — exits his prime has ESPN’s Brian Widnhorst satisfied No. 30 and the Warriors are on an upward trajectory, which the analyst defined Friday on “First Take.”
“I by no means believed any of the hype [about] the possibility that he was going to be anyplace however Golden State,” Windhorst stated. “That is him simply backing up what he’s all the time stated: that he desires to be a Warrior for all times. And let’s simply be sincere, this can be a vote of confidence within the course of the Warriors.
“He didn’t must signal this now. Subsequent yr, he would have been allowed to signal for 2 years. Doing this now’s saying, ‘Hey, I respect what we’re doing as a company, and we’re going to type of pivot and attempt to proceed to enhance.’”
.@WindhorstESPN says Steph Curry’s extension is a “vote of confidence within the course of the Warriors” 📈
“That is him simply backing up what he is all the time stated, which is he desires to be a Warrior for all times.” pic.twitter.com/jbrBCRGPSj
— First Take (@FirstTake) August 30, 2024
The Warriors had been worthy of the NBA Play-In Event’s last spot at 44-38 final yr, and the younger, star-driven Western Convention is getting stronger.
Curry, rightfully so, might have waited to signal an extended extension with Golden State or to check the NBA free-agency waters. In any case, his longtime coach, Steve Kerr, is on the books via the 2025-26 season, and his longtime teammate, Draymond Green, has a player option for the 2026-27 season.
But, the Staff USA icon signed a one-year extension value $62.6 million to stay in the Bay.
Whereas Curry’s extension brings safety, Golden State nonetheless is in no shape to contend for an NBA Championship in 2024-25 — particularly with out longtime wing Klay Thompson, who shockingly signed with the Dallas Mavericks this offseason.
However Windhorst believes that, along with Curry’s contract extension, one thing else is a trigger for confidence within the Warriors’ future.
“The Warriors will not be going to win a championship this yr, as presently constructed,” Windhorst said. “However one factor the Warriors have actually been doing since final winter is big-game looking. In one of many strangest tales of the final yr in all of sports activities — when you ask me — the Warriors tried to trade for LeBron James at February’s [NBA] commerce deadline.
“Now, it didn’t get anyplace, however that was fascinating. Then, over the summer time, they tried to commerce for Paul Geroge… They tried to commerce for Lauri Markkanen … So, they’re completely big-game looking. Huge-game looking and big-game touchdown are two various things. However they’ve the flexibility to take a look at different strikes as we go ahead right here.”
Golden State has struck out on a number of superstars throughout the previous six months.
Nevertheless, huge makes an attempt to enhance the roster show that Warriors proprietor Joe Lacob and president of basketball operations Mike Dunleavy are attempting to win huge.
As Widnhorst said, Golden State isn’t positioned to contend this fall. However the potential between children Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, Brandin Podziemski and Trayce Jackson-Davis entices Windhorst. Plus, the Warriors’ acquisitions of function gamers Kyle Anderson, Buddy Hield and De’Anthony Melton don’t damage.
“Let’s see how this season performs out,” Windhorst concluded. “They went and added some gamers [and] they’ve some younger gamers. This can be a workforce to look at going ahead, transactionally. And Steph Curry signing that contract is his perception that this group nonetheless has good days forward.”
The Warriors are primed to be a wait-and-see workforce in 2024-25. Clearly, with Curry, all issues are potential.
However the four-time champion’s extension signifies that Golden State isn’t simply centered on its upcoming marketing campaign. The Warriors are investing of their cornerstone and future.
