SAN FRANCISCO — Stephen Curry said his pending contract extension with the Golden State Warriors will not disrupt his performance or team chemistry as training camp approaches, telling ESPN on Wednesday he wants no distractions. Curry, 38, became eligible Aug. 29 for an extension worth up to two years and $136.7 million building off his current one-year, $62.6 million deal, and has weighed options for nearly a month without a decision as Golden State prepares to open camp next week in Hawaii ahead of its regular-season opener Oct. 21 against the Los Angeles Lakers.
"I don't want there to be no drama," Curry said. "No talking points. This team should be competitive and go win." Team sources said the Warriors presented him with multiple options, ranging from max money to smaller pay reductions or the choice to wait, depending on how much financial flexibility the front office could eventually create.
"It's going to happen at the right time, once I have all the information I need to make the decision that is right," Curry said. "The team's been great having that conversation back and forth. If I don't sign, it won't affect me in terms of my play or carrying that weight. But I'll make the decision when I'm ready." Curry reiterated that remaining with Golden State for his entire career remains his "obvious goal," dismissing any notion of testing free agency.
The financial stakes are significant. A max extension would reduce the Warriors' projected cap space next summer from more than $100 million down to roughly $45 million. "We're in a very interesting situation," Curry said. "All the different salary cap conditions of whether I sign for a max or less or whatever it is, I want to be on a competitive team. I want to have an opportunity to have some flexibility because we haven't had that in years past, the recent past."
Entering his 18th NBA season, Curry missed significant time last year due to knee pain and swelling that limited him to 43 games. He said this week his body feels ready for the start of camp.