Golden State Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy expressed confidence on Tuesday that Stephen Curry intends to finish his career with the franchise, with the all-time three-point leader eligible in three weeks to sign an extension worth up to $136.7 million over two years.
He is entering his 18th season with the Warriors on an expiring $62.5 million contract. He becomes eligible on Aug. 29 to sign an extension, and team and league sources continue to express optimism that a deal will get done. The five-time champion has publicly said he wants to play at least a couple more seasons and wants to spend his entire career in Golden State.
Dunleavy said the messaging has been consistent throughout and that he sees no indication the desire to stay has changed. He also acknowledged that the decision ultimately belongs to the player, and said that if Curry asked to be moved, he and controlling owner Joe Lacob would discuss it. He said they would not love it, but that Curry has earned the right to make that choice.
An injury-riddled team with championship aspirations
The Warriors have had a quiet offseason that has not significantly addressed the depth and health concerns that defined their last campaign. He missed 39 games because of a persistent right knee issue that caused swelling and dull pain. Starting wings Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody both suffered significant knee injuries and are expected to miss substantial time again next season.
The team pursued LeBron James in free agency at a reduced price point but was unsuccessful. It instead re-signed its returning veterans, bringing back Draymond Green, Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford, De’Anthony Melton and Gary Payton II on short-term deals. Dunleavy said the roster-building process required choosing between talent and availability, and the organization leaned toward talent despite the injury risks attached to several of those players.
Porzingis was limited to 32 games because of ongoing illness and Achilles tendinitis. Horford missed 37 games with a calf strain and sciatica. Melton spent the first half of last season rehabilitating a torn ACL.
The goals for next season
Dunleavy said the internal target is to make the playoffs, with the belief that if Butler and Moody return healthy and the team adds to the roster at the midseason trade deadline, a path back to contention is realistic. Dunleavy said he expects the star to play more than the 43 games he managed last season, called that a significant focus, and described managing his workload as delicate.
He and head coach Steve Kerr have both spoken publicly about refocusing the team’s identity and culture rather than measuring the season purely against championship expectations. That framing reflects the reality of a franchise that has won four titles in the past decade but is now navigating the back end of its championship window with an aging core.
The extension picture
The Aug. 29 eligibility date for an extension creates a defined timeline for the Warriors and for the broader NBA landscape. The extension would carry up to $136.7 million over two years, making it one of the largest deals in the league for a player who will be 37 years old at the start of next season.
Dunleavy said there are two things he is certain about. Curry genuinely wants to win, and he wants to finish his career as a Warrior. He said those two things are not going to change between now and the end of next season.
The Warriors‘ hope is that his desire to retire in one uniform, expressed consistently throughout his career, translates into a signed extension before or shortly after the Aug. 29 eligibility date. For a Warriors franchise whose identity has been built almost entirely around his presence, securing Curry through the remainder of his career is not just a basketball decision. It is the final chapter of one of the more complete stories in Warriors history and in modern professional sports.
