Curry still on track to finish career with Warriors, GM says
SAN FRANCISCO -- Three weeks before Stephen Curry becomes eligible to extend off his current contract, Golden State Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy again expressed confidence that the franchise icon is committed to remaining in one jersey his entire career.
"He hasn't [said any different]," Dunleavy said. "That's always been the message. That's always been what he's discussed. I think that's tracking quite well."
Curry is on an expiring $62.5 million contract this upcoming season, his 18th with the Warriors, but becomes eligible on August 29 for an extension of up to two years and $136.7 million.
Team and league sources continue to express optimism that Curry and the Warriors will figure out a way to continue their partnership for the foreseeable future. Curry has publicly maintained that he wants to play at least a couple more seasons and wants to play the entirety of his career with the Warriors.
"Ultimately it's his call, his decision, whether that's allowing his contract to run out and move on," Dunleavy said. "Look, if he comes to me and wants to be moved, [controlling owner] Joe [Lacob] and I will talk it through. We wouldn't love it. But he's earned the right to do what he wants. But as far as the messaging or any idea that he'd be anywhere else, that's not a thing we're looking at or he's looking at."
Dunleavy conducted a virtual interview with a handful of local reporters Tuesday afternoon, discussing what has been a quiet offseason for the Warriors.
The Warriors pursued LeBron James in free agency at a bargain price, missed out and then opted to regather their core, re-signing Draymond Green, Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford, De'Anthony Melton and Gary Payton II to short-term contracts.
Their two starting wings, Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody, suffered significant knee injuries last season and are expected to miss a large chunk of next season, generating immediate attrition for a team populated with older players attached to injury question marks.
"Constructing [the roster], we had to make a decision between talent and availability," Dunleavy said. "There was no perfect solution in terms of the combination of the two. We leaned a little bit more toward talent... We are taking on some risk there, but I think we value the talent over maybe finding guys that were perfectly healthy."
Porzingis was limited to only 32 games because of a continued illness and Achilles tendinitis last season. Horford missed 37 games because of a calf strain and a bout of sciatica. Melton missed the first half of last season rehabbing a torn ACL. Curry missed 39 games because of a persistent right knee issue that led to swelling and dull pain.
Dunleavy said the team plans to challenge its veterans to play more often this season but acknowledged the risks, particularly with Curry in the latter stages of his career.
"My hope would be he plays more than the 43 games he played last year," Dunleavy said. "We'd expect that. It's on the radar. It's something we have to be mindful of. It's delicate. It's delicate for him and delicate for the rest of the guys on our team."
The stagnant summer only added to the growing angst about the Warriors' ability to contend in the final stages of the Curry, Green and Steve Kerr era. Kerr and Curry have expressed a need to reestablish a culture and identity and not obsess over a championship.
Dunleavy said the internal goal is to make the playoffs and expressed a belief if the Warriors get Butler and Moody back, receive health luck and use their flexibility and assets to add to the roster midseason, he sees a path back to the contention conversation. But, either way, he expressed a belief Curry's NBA career will only be in a Warriors uniform.
"There's two things I'm confident about with Steph," Dunleavy said. "He really, really wants to win and he wants to finish his career as a Warrior. I don't think that changes tomorrow, August 29th, start of the season, middle of the season, end of next season. Those things are going to be consistent."
