As free agency approached, there was plenty of suspense with some of the NBA’s best players. However, Stephen Curry’s future was not necessarily in doubt, and within moments of the calendar flipping to July 1, word broke that the two-time NBA MVP will remain with the Golden State Warriors for the next five seasons.
Curry, who won back-to-back MVP awards in 2015 and 2016 (unanimous), averaged 25.3 points, 6.6 assists, and 4.5 rebounds per game during the 2016-2017 season. At the age of 29, Curry qualified for the Designated Player Exception, which allowed him to command 35 percent of the salary cap despite only having eight years of NBA service time.
While it was a no-brainer for the Warriors to (finally) pay Curry at his market rate after four years of bargain-basement pricing, Golden State will now be forced to contend with the notion that the team’s payroll will likely skyrocket. Kevin Durant, who is also expected to sign a lucrative contract, hits the market this summer along with Andre Iguodala, and down the line, Golden State’s front office will have to decide what the line in the sand will be when it comes to spending on players.
For now, Stephen Curry is a $200 million basketball player, and for the first time in his NBA career, he is (almost) appropriately paid.
Note: This story originally appeared on UPROXX by Brad Rowland. You may read it here.