Stephen Curry to finish career with Golden State Warriors, says general manager
Golden State Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy is confident that Stephen Curry will sign a contract extension and spend his entire career with the NBA franchise.
The 36-year-old point guard is entering the final season of his current deal, which is worth $62.5m (£49m).
Curry will become eligible to sign a two-year extension worth up to $136.7m on 29 August.
Commitment to San Francisco
“He hasn’t [said any different],” Dunleavy told reporters regarding the player’s commitment.
“That’s always been the message, that’s always been what he’s discussed, and I think that’s tracking quite well.”
The franchise icon has publicly stated his desire to remain with the team for the remainder of his playing days.
While the four-time NBA champion ultimately controls his own destiny, Dunleavy dismissed the idea of his star player requesting a trade.
“If he comes to me and wants to be moved, Joe [Lacob] and I will talk it through. We wouldn’t love it, but he’s earned the right to do what he wants.”
Mike Dunleavy
Balancing talent and availability
The Western Conference side experienced a quiet offseason after missing out on free agent LeBron James.
Management instead opted to re-sign their core alongside veterans such as Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford and De’Anthony Melton.
However, the roster faces significant injury concerns heading into the new campaign.
Starting wings Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody are expected to miss substantial time following severe knee injuries last year.
Several other key contributors missed significant portions of the previous campaign:
- Kristaps Porzingis was restricted to 32 games with Achilles tendinitis.
- Al Horford missed 37 fixtures due to a calf strain and sciatica.
- De’Anthony Melton sat out the first half of the season rehabbing a torn ACL.
The veteran guard himself was limited to just 43 appearances last season because of persistent right knee swelling.
“Constructing the roster, we had to make a decision between talent and availability, and we leaned a little bit more toward talent,” Dunleavy added.