Let's get one thing out of the way. Stephen Curry is going to sign an extension with the Golden State Warriors. It's only a matter of when it happens and what terms he's ultimately willing to accept.
He's framed it so far, through current reporting, as though it's something he and the organization are working out mutually. Is there a path to a contention-worthy roster if he were to take less than the max? What could the structure of such a deal look like?
We don't know the specifics there. But we do know that the Warriors superstar is in no rush to get something set in stone for beyond the 2026-27 season. Even though Curry's set on an extension with Golden State, then, the goal should be to do enough over the course of this season to sell him on the direction the organization is heading over the remainder of his career.
While his extension won't depend on these things, here are three developments that could make that short-term future a whole lot more promising.
3 developments the Warriors need in 2026-27 as extension talks loom for Stephen Curry
1. A clear plan for Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green
The Warriors owe a roughly combined $85 million to Butler and Green in 2026-27. Green took a major step back in terms of his offensive production last season, and we simply don't know what Butler will look like upon his return from his season-ending ACL injury.
There's not much the Warriors can do about this in-season apart from moving on from Green, which doesn't seem like a true possibility until we get closer to the trade deadline. The organization, then, needs to come to Curry with a clear plan for how they'll deal with these contracts next offseason—or, at the very least, how they plan to utilize the cap flexibility they should have once these two contracts are sorted out.
Perhaps both return at lesser values, or the Warriors decide to move on from both pieces and maximize their financial assets entering the final season(s) of Curry's career. Either way, the Warriors should have a clear picture of what that looks like before they convince Curry to sign another deal.
2. Major strides forward for Brandin Podziemski and Yaxel Lendeborg
Again, Curry's decision on his extension doesn't seem like it will come down to the Warriors' ability to put together a contending roster. That feels like a far-away possibility at this point, anyways.
But if this team is going to be competitive over the next couple of seasons, its young pieces are going to need to take some major strides. And that starts with Podziemski and Lendeborg. Podziemski needs to solidify himself as a consistent scorer and offensive contributor for Golden State, even off the bench. We've seen him show flashes of that throughout his three NBA seasons, and he needs to put it all together in 2026-27 with his own extension negotiations looming.
Lendeborg, meanwhile, needs to be everything the Warriors were promised with the 11th overall pick. He has all of the makings of an immediately impactful two-way contributor, using his range and athleticism to make plays on both ends of the court. If he's a starting-caliber forward from the jump, the complexion of this Golden State team suddenly looks different over the next couple of seasons.
3. Health and production from Kristaps Porzingis
Porzingis' extension with the Warriors can unfold a number of ways. But any positive direction involves him maximizing his availability and his impact for Golden State on both ends of the court.
His contract is structured so that the Warriors can move on from him relatively easily next offseason, and strong play from him could make him an immanent trade asset when the time comes. But at the same time, Golden State has long been searching for a floor spacing, rim protecting center who can help take some of the offensive burden off of Curry's shoulders. At his best, Porzingis has a chance to provide that. It's simply a matter of how often he's available to do so.
There's no guarantee, then, that Porzingis will be on the roster beyond 2026-27. But either way, the Porzingis trade was the only way the Warriors were able to retrieve any value for their premier young asset (at the time) in Jonathan Kuminga. It needs to pay off in some shape or form.
Add us as a preferred source on Google