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

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

Steph Curry’s contract extension with the Warriors has generated optimism within 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 after a disappointing season.

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

“I never bought into the hype (about) the possibility of him playing anywhere other than Golden State,” Windhorst said. “That’s just what he’s always said, that he wants to be a Warrior for life. And let’s be honest, this is a vote of confidence in the direction of the Warriors.

“He didn’t have to sign this now. He could have signed for two years next year. If you do this now, you’re saying, ‘Hey, I respect what we’re doing as an organization, and we’re going to kind of pivot and try to keep improving.'”

Last year, the Warriors finished 44-38 in the NBA Play-In Tournament and the young, star-driven Western Conference continues to grow stronger.

Curry, rightfully so, could have waited to sign a longer extension with Golden State or 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.

Still, the Team USA icon signed a one-year, $62.6 million contract extension to remain in the Bay.

While Curry’s contract extension provides certainty, Golden State still won’t be able to compete for the NBA championship in 2024-25, especially without regular forward Klay Thompson, who surprisingly signed with the Dallas Mavericks this offseason.

But Windhorst believes there’s something else besides Curry’s contract extension that gives him confidence in the Warriors’ future.

“The Warriors are not going to win a championship this year, as it stands right now,” Windhorst said. “But one thing the Warriors have really been doing since last winter is going after big game. In one of the strangest stories of the past year in all of sports — if you ask me — the Warriors tried to trade LeBron James at the (NBA) trade deadline in February.

“Now, it didn’t go anywhere, but that was interesting. Then they tried to trade for Paul George in the summer… They tried to trade for Lauri Markkanen… So, they’re definitely hunting big game. Hunting big game and landing big game are two different things. But they have the opportunity to look at other moves as we move forward here.”

Golden State has turned down several superstars over the past six months.

However, large-scale efforts to improve the roster prove that Warriors owner Joe Lacob and president of basketball operations Mike Dunleavy want to win big.

As Widnhorst said, Golden State isn’t positioned to contend this fall. But the potential of 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 either.

“Let’s see how this season goes,” Windhorst concluded. “They’ve added some players (and) they’ve got some young players. This is a team to watch, transactionally. And Steph Curry signing that contract is his belief that this organization has good days ahead of it.”

The Warriors are primed to be a wait-and-see team in 2024-25. With Curry, anything is possible.

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

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