The Golden State Warriors are playing on burrowed time, but that will all end sometime next year when it’s time to resign Stephen Curry. Curry is currently on the books for $11M this season and considering that he is coming off back-to-back league MVP seasons only one can imagine what the going rate for those services will cost the Warriors. How much is Stephen Curry worth?
What do you pay a player that has led you to a NBA Championship one season, then turn around and lead you to a record-breaking 73 win season in two years? What’s the going rate for a player that made 400+ three-pointers last season, averaged 30 points and 7 assist and became the face of the league in such a short span?
Can you put a price on that?
The Memphis Grizzlies sure did for a 16/6 guy for a league high $153M. Mike Conley has never played in an All Star game, never led his to the NBA Finals, he is not even the first nor second option on offense but yet he is the league’s highest paid player. Once again, how much is Curry worth?
You can throw in that his current teammates, Kevin Durant ($27M), Klay Thompson ($17M) and Draymond Green ($16M) all currently make more than him, that’s not right but the Warriors were not sure how his ankles would hold up, and remember this success is new to him and the team. No one predicted this level coming from him even with NBA blood in his genes. The Warriors took a risk, so did Curry and it has paid off rather handsomely for both parties but now comes the moment of truth for both.
The Warriors cannot afford to let Curry have any Durant-like sit downs with any teams, a deal must either be done during the upcoming season or soon as possible afterwards. If Curry has a chance to explore his options, the Warriors may face a LeBron James or Durant scenario. Every team will come chasing and if Curry sees a situation, then it gets a little hairy for the Warriors, but how much will it take to keep him off another team’s private jet?
As you can see, 8 of the top 10 players on this are ringless, while Curry and the Warriors have been to two straight and third is a real possibility. Curry is without a doubt worth more that James Harden, Al Horford, Dwight Howard, DeMar DeRozan and the others, but how much more?
Let’s get to it.
For all that he brings to the table, skills wise and marketability, Curry’s going rate will easily be in the $30M range and it’s nothing the Warriors can do but start shedding salary and get ready to pay up or watch him run the point with a young Minnesota Timberwolves team in 2017.