If you know Steph Curry, you know his priority is finding joy.
asserted
priority → know → joy
He doesn’t like drama.
asserted
He → like → drama
He’s not interested in distractions.
asserted
He → ’ → distractions
He’s single-mindedly focused on feeling the thrill of his jaw-dropping shots swish through the net over outstretched hands.
asserted
thrill → ’ → hands
That’s why it makes sense that he ended the chatter around him before Warriors’ media day on Monday, agreeing to sign a two-year, $116 million contract extension.
asserted
he → ’ → extension
Curry, who’s on an expiring $62.6 million contract, was eligible for an extension up to two years and $136.7 million on Aug. 29.
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who → ’ → Aug.
When that date came and passed without pen-to-paper there were never any real concerns that he was considering leaving the Warriors, with whom he has spent his entire 17-season career.
asserted
he → come → career
But if he held out, that storyline would’ve become a distraction.
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storyline → hold → ?
It would’ve become a focus this season.
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It → become → ?
Everyone would’ve been constantly trying to take his temperature and gauge his thinking instead of simply enjoying his artistry.
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Everyone → try → artistry
Curry had all the cards.
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Curry → have → cards
That’s what happens when you’re the greatest shooter of all time who transformed the Warriors into the league’s modern-day dynasty, winning four championships in eight years from 2015-2022.
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who → ’ → 2015
He could’ve waited to see how things shook out this season.
uncertain
things → wait → ?
He could’ve signed a maximum contract.
uncertain
He → sign → contract
He could’ve taken a pay cut to give the Warriors a chance to further fortify their roster around him.
uncertain
He → take → him
He chose the latter after ruminating for a month.
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He → choose → month
Curry’s decision will give the Warriors around $10 million in extra projected cap space next summer.
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decision → give → space
That means Golden State could have between $38 million and a projected $55 million in cap space after this season, depending on what happens with Brandin Podziemski, according to ESPN.
uncertain
what → mean → ESPN
In other words, next summer they’ll have flexibility to pursue big names.
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they → have → names
That’s an exciting prospect for Curry, who turns 39 in March, as well as a franchise that hasn’t gotten past the second round of the playoffs over the last four years.
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that → ’ → years
Kristaps Porzingis has only $3 million of his $20 million salary guaranteed.
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Porzingis → have → salary
Podziemski has a $17 million cap hold next summer.
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Podziemski → have → hold
And Curry helped prop the door open a bit wider.
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Curry → help → door
Curry wants to play meaningful basketball in the sunset of his career.
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Curry → want → career
He’s still him.
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He → ’ → ?
Last season he became the oldest point guard to start an NBA All-Star Game.
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he → become → Game
He went on to close the season averaging 26.6 points on 46.8% shooting from the field (39.3% from beyond the arc), 3.6 rebounds and 4.7 assists.
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He → go → arc
They missed the postseason two of the last four years.
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They → miss → postseason
Last season, their hopes of contending were dashed after Butler suffered a torn ACL in January.
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Butler → contend → January
The Warriors then tried to pursue Giannis Antetokounmpo ahead of the February trade deadline, but the Bucks balked before dealing him to Miami this summer.
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Bucks → try → Miami
This offseason, Curry and Green tried to recruit LeBron James, who’s entering his 24th season and will turn 42 in December.
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who → try → December
But James chose to sign with the 76ers in free agency.
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James → choose → agency
So, where does this leave the Warriors?
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this → leave → Warriors
They’ll be without Butler and Moses Moody at the start of next season, and they aren’t considered contenders.
asserted
they → consider → season
But things could get interesting around the trade deadline or the offseason, when they’ll have significant potential cap space.
uncertain
they → get → space
Curry will make $55.7 million in 2027-2028, a pay cut from the $62.6 million he’s earning next season.
asserted
he → make → million
He has a player option for $60.2 million for the 2028-29 season, per ESPN.
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He → have → ESPN
He made roughly a $20 million sacrifice.
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He → make → sacrifice
He’s doing his part to give the Warriors an edge.
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He → do → edge
And now it’s up to them to make sure we’re able to witness his joy deep into the postseason once again before the final curtain call for the greatest shooter the world has ever seen.
asserted
world → ’ → shooter
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