What message Steph’s extension sends to Warriors, per Windhorst

What message Steph’s extension sends to Warriors, per Windhorst originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Steph Curry’s Warriors contract extension sparked optimism in and outside the organization.

The 10-time NBA All-Star’s commitment to Golden State through the 2026-27 season is a promising sign for the Warriors, who missed the 2024 NBA playoffs following an underwhelming season.

Curry will be 37 during the upcoming campaign and 39 when his new contract expires; there is no time to waste. The fact that Curry wants to remain with Golden State as he — if he ever does — exits his prime has ESPN’s Brian Widnhorst convinced No. 30 and the Warriors are on an upward trajectory, which the analyst explained Friday on “First Take.”

“I never believed any of the hype [about] the chance that he was going to be anywhere but Golden State,” Windhorst said. “This is him just backing up what he’s always said: that he wants to be a Warrior for life. And let’s just be honest, this is a vote of confidence in the direction of the Warriors.

“He didn’t have to sign this now. Next year, he would have been allowed to sign for two years. Doing this now is saying, ‘Hey, I respect what we’re doing as an organization, and we’re going to sort of pivot and try to continue to improve.’”

The Warriors were worthy of the NBA Play-In Tournament’s final spot at 44-38 last year, and the young, star-driven Western Conference is getting stronger.

Curry, rightfully so, could have waited to sign a longer extension with Golden State or to test the NBA free-agency waters. After all, his longtime coach, Steve Kerr, is on the books through the 2025-26 season, and his longtime teammate, Draymond Green, has a player option for the 2026-27 season.

Yet, the Team USA icon signed a one-year extension worth $62.6 million to stay in the Bay.

While Curry’s extension brings security, Golden State still is in no shape to contend for an NBA Championship in 2024-25 — especially without longtime wing Klay Thompson, who shockingly signed with the Dallas Mavericks this offseason.

But Windhorst believes that, in addition to Curry’s contract extension, something else is a cause for confidence in the Warriors’ future.

“The Warriors are not going to win a championship this year, as currently constructed,” Windhorst stated. “But one thing the Warriors have really been doing since last winter is big-game hunting. In one of the strangest stories of the last year in all of sports — if you ask me — the Warriors tried to trade for LeBron James at February’s [NBA] trade deadline.

“Now, it didn’t get anywhere, but that was interesting. Then, over the summer, they tried to trade for Paul Geroge… They tried to trade for Lauri Markkanen … So, they are absolutely big-game hunting. Big-game hunting and big-game landing are two different things. But they have the ability to look at other moves as we go forward here.”

Golden State has struck out on multiple superstars within the past six months.

However, massive attempts to improve the roster prove that Warriors owner Joe Lacob and president of basketball operations Mike Dunleavy are trying to win big.

As Widnhorst stated, Golden State isn’t positioned to contend this fall. But the potential between youngsters Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, Brandin Podziemski and Trayce Jackson-Davis entices Windhorst. Plus, the Warriors’ acquisitions of role players Kyle Anderson, Buddy Hield and De’Anthony Melton don’t hurt.

“Let’s see how this season plays out,” Windhorst concluded. “They went and added some players [and] they have some young players. This is a team to watch going forward, transactionally. And Steph Curry signing that contract is his belief that this organization still has good days ahead.”

The Warriors are primed to be a wait-and-see team in 2024-25. Obviously, with Curry, all things are possible.

But the four-time champion’s extension indicates that Golden State isn’t just focused on its upcoming campaign. The Warriors are investing in their cornerstone and future.

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