The Golden State Warriors gave Stephen Curry one of the few supermax contracts at the quintessential time. It was an ideal contract for both sides.
The Golden State Warriors have won two-straight NBA Championships and have been to five-straight NBA Finals. It’s because of Stephen Curry, and the supermax is what kept him in Golden State.
It couldn’t have been more perfectly timed either.
During the 2017 offseason, Curry agreed to a five-year, $201 million deal. This deal would lock Curry into his contract until following the 2021-2022 season, a season which will see Curry turn 34 and most likely be on the steady decline.
Right now, Curry is the highest paid athlete. While that may change in the coming offseasons, for now, it’s exactly how it should be. After scoring over 36 points per game against the Blazers in a Western Conference Finals sweep, it’s clear Curry is still at the top of his game.
When Curry’s connecting from deep, he’s arguably the best player in the NBA. Recently named to the 2019 All-NBA First Team, Curry continues to prove that he’s still in his prime even at 31-years-old.
That said, at the end of his contract, Curry will be 34. He signed it when he was 29. The 31-to-34 range is when players are seeking their last, max-value contract. For Curry, his being at 29 makes it to where the Warriors won’t have any down years.
Last season, LeBron signed a four-year contract to stay in LA. LeBron will be playing on a max contract at 37. While he’ll likely still be a top-20 player in the league, players like Chris Paul, who just recently signed a four-year max as well, will ultimately have a few subpar years.
Paul is already 34. He’s already on the gradual decline.
Making $44 million in the 2021-2022 season, Paul will hurt the Rockets with the amount of cap space his contract takes up. However, that’s not how Curry’s is constructed, and the Dubs need to be thankful for that.
Curry just got out of a regular season where he averaged 27+ per game. He also showcased how dominant he can be in one game, even one half, with his 23 points in the fourth to close out the Rockets in Game 6.
At the end of his contract, he’ll still be a top-five point guard given the injuries stay away from the two-time MVP. That said, many people don’t give Curry’s quintessentially timed contract the recognition it deserves.
He’ll be on the decline exactly as his contract expires. For both sides, it was perfect.