Per Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group, the Warriors have agree on a four year extension with starting PG Stephen Curry on a four year, $44 million extension. The Warriors had until 9 P.M. tonight to reach a deal or Curry would become a restricted free agent following this season.
One day after Ty Lawson signs a four year, $48 million extension, the Warriors get this deal done. The deal, according to Marcus Thompson, doesn’t include any incentives or bonuses.
With the market value for a starting point guard being set with the Lawson deal, the $11 million per season seemed rather low for what Curry could’ve got on the open market. Curry has said multiple times that he had wanted to stay with the Warriors, but that is all talk until a deal is actually signed.
For a starting PG in the NBA — a marketable one at that — this deal is a steal. Curry more than likely would’ve been offered a max contract by a team this coming off-season, and bravo to management for agreeing to a reasonable deal for both sides.
To compare, Rajon Rondo is in the midst of a five year, $55 million extension. Russell Westbrook recently signed a max extension for five years, $78 million. Mike Conley signed a five year, $45 million extension two years ago as well.
While the Warriors could very well have matched any offer come Curry’s way this off-season, agreeing to an extension before the season was for the benefit of both parties. For the Warriors, if Curry had stayed healthy he could easily have signed a deal at or near the max. For Curry, he finally signs the long term deal he’s been looking for and can now head into the season with a clear mind and focus on basketball alone.
Of course, this is all under the assumption that Curry can stay healthy for the duration of his contract. All signs point to the contrary, but if that happens, this is highway robbery. This was a risk the Warriors had to take. For a starting, marketable point guard of a playoff team — which is what the Warriors are hoping — you’d be hard pressed to find a better deal.
He’s not perfect, he’s not elite and it remains to be seen if he can indeed stay healthy and successfully lead a team to the playoffs. Still, the market value had been set and judging solely off numbers, the deal is very reasonable for all parties involved. It’s now time to earn that money on the court.
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