Stephen Curry wants his contract situation handled without becoming a distraction for the Golden State Warriors.
Curry is eligible for a two-year extension worth up to $136.7 million, but with training camp approaching, the 38-year-old has yet to put pen to paper on a new deal.
Despite the delay, he made it clear there is no contract standoff brewing between himself and the only NBA franchise he has ever played for.
“I don’t want there to be no drama,” Curry told ESPN. “No talking points. This team should be competitive and go win.”
Curry also stressed that the extension “is going to happen,” while reiterating his “obvious goal” of spending the remainder of his career with Golden State, according to ESPN.
The bigger question appears to be how the contract will be structured.
Curry is currently set to make $62.5 million this season, but his next deal could have major implications for Golden State’s ability to build around him.
The Warriors are projected to have roughly $100 million in cap space next offseason, a figure that could fall to around $45 million if he signs a maximum extension, according to ESPN.
With another championship still firmly on his mind, Curry is considering how his next contract could give Golden State more freedom to improve the roster.
“We’re in a very interesting situation,” Curry told ESPN. “All the different salary cap conditions of whether I sign for a max or less or whatever it is, I want to be on a competitive team. I want to have an opportunity to have some flexibility because we haven’t had that in years past, the recent past.”
That flexibility could be important after Golden State missed the playoffs in two of the past three seasons.
Curry was also limited to 43 games last season due to injury, adding further urgency to the Warriors’ attempt to build another contender around him and longtime teammate Draymond Green.
For Curry, however, the message heading into camp is simple: he expects the deal to eventually get done, but he doesn’t want the negotiations becoming the story while Golden State tries to get back into championship contention.