The Warriors are letting Steph Curry decide his own fate.
The biggest priority of the Golden State Warriors at this point in their offseason is signing franchise star Steph Curry to a new extension, which he became eligible for in late August and if he signs an extension, could guarantee that he's a Warriors for the rest of his career, but Curry's extension process is not what it seems.
During a recent episode of ESPN's "Hoop Collective" show, Brian Windshors and Tim McMahon discussed Curry's extension situation and why Curry's age makes the process so much more complicated.
As Windhorst described, per the NBA's rules, a player over the age of 38 can only sign an extension or a contract for a maximum of three years, which introduces the parameters that Curry and the Warriors have to work with.
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) holds onto the ball in front of Houston Rockets guard Amen Thompson (1) in the second quarter at the Chase Center. Cary Edmondson-Imagn ImagesWorking Around A Rule
To fit this three-year rule, the Warriors could either sign Curry to a two-year extension to add on to the last year of Curry's current contract, or they could sign Curry to a single year extension instead.
The main point behind Windhorst and McMahon's speculations are that the Warriors are not the ones that are trying to drive the negotiations forward.
Instead, the Warriors are leaving it up to Curry to decide what format of an extension he wants to sign, so the negotiation process isn't really a negotiation at all, but rather an entire NBA franchise deferring to their star player to see what he wants to do.
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) dribbles the ball against the Houston Rockets in the second quarter at the Chase Center. Cary Edmondson-Imagn ImagesLetting Curry Call the Shots
The idea that this is the way that the Warriors want to handle a contract process that is crucial to the future direction of the franchise says a lot about where the Warriors are at as an organization and it says a lot about the team's relationship with Curry.
Of course, any team is going to treat their star player of nearly two decades with some kind of deference and special treatment, but fully yielding over the process to Curry gives him far more power than even other star players would have in the same situation.
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) makes a pass over Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George (3) during the second half at Delta Center. Rob Gray-Imagn ImagesIt both reveals the magnitude of Curry's power within the team and it shows the desperation that the Warriors have to make this deal happen, not wanting to leave anything up to chance or run the risk of turning Curry away during negotiations.
The chances are good that Curry will sign some form of extension, so it also speaks to the team's confidence in Curry actually being committed to retiring as a Warrior, but one thing is clear: the ball is firmly in Curry's court when it comes to making this extension happen.
