Curry says he hopes to finish career here

Warriors point guard Stephen Curry is unsure whether he’ll sign a contract extension in the coming weeks, but he knows one thing for certain: He hopes to finish his career with Golden State.

“Obviously, just wearing the same jersey for as long as I can — that’s a huge goal, for sure,” Curry said Monday after the first team practice of training camp. “It’s an elite club of guys that you look at that have played with the same organization and achieved greatness in that respect. That would be an awesome accomplishment.

“That’s something I’ve obviously spoken publicly about and am very committed to, but that obviously goes to the fact that there’s a lot more to be accomplished on the court. Again, I can’t fastforward to what the end is going to be and

not enjoy the moment, enjoy the challenges that we have in front of us and what I have left to accomplish as a player.”

Curry, 32, has two years left on the fiveyear, $ 201 million extension he signed in July 2017. If he signs another before the Warriors’ season opener at Brooklyn on Dec. 22, he can add three years to that deal worth as much as $ 155.7 million.

But if Curry prefers to maximize his earning potential, he could wait until next offseason and sign a fouryear extension worth as much as $ 215.3 million. That would keep him with the Warriors through the 202526 season and until he turns 38.

Curry said that, when deciding when to sign his extension, he’ll consider what would help Golden State put together the best roster for as long as possible. Before he signed his extension in 2017, he asked the Warriors whether it would help the team’s roster-building if he took less money. Given that Golden State already was well over the salary cap, Curry couldn’t hurt its roster plans by taking the full $ 201 million.

Whenever Curry does sign, the Warriors will be staring down a massive payroll. Between its salaries and luxurytax bill, Golden State will spend an NBA-record $ 300 millionplus this season. If Curry signs a maximum extension, the Warriors will owe a combined $ 148 million to four players — Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins — in 202223.

Though Golden State could cut salary before that season, it has shown a willingness — even during a pandemic — to spend big to win big. The Warriors recognize that they have only so long to capitalize on their core players’ prime. In addition to Curry, Thompson and Green are both in their 30s.

“We want to be in a situation where we’re competing for championships every single year,” Curry said. “I want to be a part of that, and that’s the goal.”