The Golden State Warriors have agreed on a two-year, $116 million contract extension with superstar Stephen Curry, including a player option in 2028-29, ESPN's Shams Charania reported Friday.
This offseason was largely dominated by the LeBron James free agency decision, which is a testament to the importance he still has around the league at 41. But Curry doesn't get enough recognition as another superstar who has successfully prolonged his career, now reaching this lucrative two-year extension at age 38.
Curry's career has been an impressive turnaround, given the initial concerns about his ankle injuries and injury proneness. He had a famous tweet in 2009 promising Warriors fans this franchise would turn things around, and Curry delivered on that promise, likely better than he ever even could've expected.
Promise to all the Warrior fans...we will figure this thing out...if it's the last thing we do we will figure it out
— Stephen Curry (@StephenCurry30) November 12, 2009
That championship success is what ultimately separated Curry in the record books from guards like Trail Blazers' Damian Lillard, who is still looking for his first ring after returning to Portland following his torn Achilles.
Lillard may be an NBA 75 player, but Curry will have a case as a top-10 player of all time once he retires. Dame does have that shot at a first ring after returning to the Blazers following two seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks.
It's one of the best rosters Lillard has ever had to work with, largely thanks to the lopsided deal that sent him to Milwaukee in the first place. Blazers general manager Joe Cronin's bet against the Bucks' future paid off even better than expected as this trade came full circle.
That brutal Achilles tear actually opened the door for Lillard to return to Portland sooner than initially expected. The Bucks waive-and-stretched an injured Lillard to clear space to sign Myles Turner. A move by Milwaukee that we questioned at the time that has even aged worse than expected, fortunately to Portland's benefit.
The Blazers added those valuable building blocks they lacked during Lillard's first stint. Two-way players like Toumani Camara, Deni Avdija, and Donovan Clingan were the exact complementary pieces Portland lacked, when the Blazers' regular-season success didn't quite translate to the postseason.
Damian Lillard might just be on the best contract in the NBA
Not only do the Blazers finally have those pieces in place, but they also have Lillard on what could quietly be one of the best deals in the league this season.
Lillard could've taken his talents almost anywhere after being waived by the Bucks, which would've been understandable, considering Milwaukee was never his preferred landing spot in the first place when he requested a trade from Portland.
Instead, Lillard returned to the Blazers on a three-year, $42 million deal that includes a $14.1 million player option in 2027-28. The contract was front-loaded, as Lillard sat out all of last season, wisely taking a patient rehab approach.
This season, the Blazers are set to cash in those chips, as they now have two of the best contracts in the association between Lillard and Avdija. The elephant in the room is whether Lillard can return to form, though there is reason for optimism that he'll provide immediate value for Portland.
Compare that to the $116 million contract that Golden State just committed to an aging Curry, and it's easy to see how Portland has an advantage by having Lillard on such a team-friendly deal.
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