LeBron James just signed a new deal to join the Philadelphia 76ers, and he may have just shown Stephen Curry the perfect way to help the Golden State Warriors. James inked a two-year, $8 million contract with a player option in the second year. If Curry were to take a contract that small, it would open up a ton of options for the Warriors moving forward.
The only reason the Sixers were able to add James is that he was willing to take a smaller contract. They already have a ton of expensive players on the roster: Jaylen Brown, Tyrese Maxey, and Joel Embiid. In today’s NBA, stars taking pay cuts is a proven way to win.
Golden State should obviously be willing to pay Curry whatever he wants, but if he were to take a significant pay cut, it could help the Warriors compete for a title.
Stephen Curry should consider taking a deal like LeBron James'
The Warriors were in the race to sign James, but he ultimately decided to join the Sixers instead. He’ll head to the Eastern Conference in hopes of winning a fifth NBA Championship.
Now, the Warriors will have to scramble to figure out what else they should do with their roster. But the real race to winning another title could actually start next summer.
Curry will be entering the final year of his contract, and at 38 years old, he only has a few NBA years left. At 41, James decided to take a much smaller deal than he’s used to in order to try to compete for a title.
According to recent reports, the Warriors will be willing to give Curry a one- or two-year extension, likely for the max. But that would make building around him difficult.
If Curry were willing to take a deal similar to James’, or perhaps even a little bigger, then the Warriors would have a ton of extra money to fill out the rest of the roster.
Instead of trying to build out the team with a max contract player at the top, they could spend big money to add high-quality depth. Curry would be the best player still, just making far less.
Jalen Brunson took a pay cut, and it helped the New York Knicks win a championship. Victor Wembanyama just took less than he could have to try to help the San Antonio Spurs win a title.
What if Curry, for the final few years of his career, did the same?
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