He’s ready to be paid like an MVP
The Chronicle is reviewing the season of each and every Warriors player after the team's championship run.
In 2015-16, Stephen Curry followed up his first MVP award by shattering his league record for three-pointers made. He joined Steve Nash and his head coach, Steve Kerr, as the only players in NBA history to shoot at least 50 percent from the floor, 45 percent from threepoint range and 90 percent from the free-throw line in a season. He led Golden State to an NBArecord 73 regular-season wins. And he became the league’s first unanimous MVP selection.
It all set such a high standard for Curry that, even as he teamed with Kevin Durant to power the Warriors to 67 victories this past season, he faced repeated questions about his dip in production. To some, his greatness had become routine. Though he did enough to earn his fourth straight All-NBA selection, Curry left many won-
dering why he hadn’t delivered as many of his trademark six-second dribbling and shooting spectacles.
In the playoffs, he returned to his unanimous-MVP level. Curry averaged 28.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 6.7 assists and 2 steals to help lead Golden State to a 16-1 record and its second NBA title in three seasons. Offseason outlook: Curry no longer will be one of the NBA’s most underpaid players, thanks to the league’s new collective bargaining agreement. The two-time reigning MVP stands to triple his current salary, from $12 million this past season to $36 million.
The league’s new designated veteran player provision reportedly would make Curry, who just played out the last year of a four-year, $44 million extension, eligible in July for a contract worth an estimated $207 million over five years. That would be the biggest contract in NBA history.
The designated veteran player provision allows a small group of players who re-sign with their team to earn up to 35 percent of the salary cap. Curry, who could have signed for 30 percent of the cap under the previous CBA, meets all the requirements for the maximum allowed salary.
That will make it more difficult for teams to lure Curry from Golden State during the free-agency period in July. Should Curry sign with another franchise, he would do so for a reported maximum contract estimated in the $135 million range over four years.
Curry has already said he intends to re-sign with the Warriors. By the time his next contract ends, Golden State could be a full-blown dynasty.