After losing 94-118 to the Kings, Curry was the last player to leave the visiting locker room. He slung his backpack, opened a bottle of beer, and chatted with Warrior reporter Logan Murdock beside him.
"It's weird to think that I don't have any games to play," Curry said, "and next week, I'm going to be a volleyball dad (Curry's daughter is playing volleyball) instead of preparing for the playoffs." It's a different experience, it's just so weird. ”
Since the 2013-14 season, the Warriors have paid $677 million in luxury taxes. Now that the team is heading into the most uncertain summer of Curry's tenure, they are trying to find a path back to the championship, and here are five questions they need to evaluate and answer.
1. Will the Warriors core quartet return?
Curry has long expressed a desire to spend his night career with Klay, Green, and Kerr. He once said, "In a perfect world, we would go to the end together the way we should." ”
Curry's current contract expires at the end of the 2025-26 season, when he will turn 38. Curry is also eligible for a contract extension this offseason, but due to the over-38 rule, the Warriors can only extend Curry for another season. He can sign up to a one-year, $62.6 million contract, which will keep Curry with the Warriors through the 2026-27 season.
Last summer, Green signed a four-year, $100 million contract extension and despite his emotional instability, he is still in the team's plans for the future. In February, the Warriors signed a two-year, $35 million contract extension with Curry, and his new contract will expire at the same time as Curry.
That leaves Clay the only member of the four who hasn't secured a contract yet. Last summer, Klay turned down a two-year, $48 million offer from the Warriors, expecting a contract with a longer term and a higher total price, but he didn't exceed expectations this season, and his 0-of-10 performance in the final game was the epitome of a sluggish season.
Klay qualifies for a contract of up to four years and $221 million, but the price is unrealistic, and many believe that it will be difficult for him to even get a higher offer from the Warriors than last summer. Clay has said on several occasions that he would prefer to stay in the Bay Area. Now, the Magic and the Mavericks have been rumored to be interested in Klay, and it is not ruled out that they will offer a better short-term contract than the Warriors to attract the shooter, and there are also teams like the Thunder and 76ers who have salary space.
It's only April, and there's still a long time left for Klay to think about, but his good friend Curry has made it clear: "I can never imagine myself not being with those two guys." "The two people he mentioned, one was Green, and the other was Clay.
2. Who is the most likely Warriors player to leave?
While Klay is expected to become a free agent, he is not the most likely Warriors player to leave. Murdock noted that Wiggins and Paul are more likely to leave than Klay on the Warriors.
League sources believe Wiggins will be a bargaining chip in trade talks for the Warriors this summer. In the 2022 Finals, Wiggins was arguably the Warriors' second-best player, especially for key defense and rebounding. The Warriors later offered him a four-year, $109 million contract extension, but after signing the contract, Wiggins' form became frustrating.
Wiggins was sidelined for a long period of time last spring for personal reasons, and coaches have been privately disappointed with his form during training camp this season, exacerbated by his dismal start to the season. Kuminga's rise has made Wiggins even more redundant within the Warriors. However, with Wiggins' current form, his trade value is worrying.
Paul is another key chip for the Warriors offseason. He's a valuable veteran in the locker room who has helped the Warriors improve their bench prowess, and the Warriors' young players have praised Paul's leadership. Kuminga has said that Paul taught him too much. Still, Paul's health was a problem. He missed nearly two months this season with a fractured left hand, and in 2024-25, his salary is an insecure $30 million, and the Warriors could trade him for a younger player or simply cut him and make him a free agent.
Kerr said he enjoyed coaching Paul and wanted him to stay with the Warriors, but now it seems more likely that Paul will leave.
3. The Warriors restart the two timeline plans?
Warriors owner Lacob has championed the "two timeline plans", which is to focus on winning championships and developing young people. At the time, with the departure of Wiseman and Poole, it was temporarily suspended, and now it seems that there is a possibility of a restart.
Among them, the most important player is Kuminga, who is eligible for a contract extension this summer, and he has improved significantly this season, with some analysts believing that with Kuminga's current ability and potential, his annual salary on the open market should exceed $30 million, but it will definitely not reach the level of 225 million maximum salary in five years.
Kuminga's Moody in the same class is also eligible for a contract extension, he has not yet been in Kerr's rotation, and if he renews his contract with the Warriors, the price is not expected to be too high, salary expert Marks believes that Moody's annual salary market value is between 13 million and 14 million.
In addition, rookies Podzemski and Jackson Davis have a promising debut season, but what these youngsters have in common is that they haven't shown enough to take the torch from Kutangchai. If you want to find a core for the Warriors' future, general manager Dunleavy Jr. may have to look for a candidate from another team.
4. What players can the Warriors bring in?
The 2023-24 version of the Warriors has obvious weaknesses, such as a porous perimeter defense and a weak frontcourt. Rather than signing a free agent, the Warriors are more likely to make reinforcements through trades. Murdock mentioned several capable wings, such as Jerami Grant for the Trail Blazers, Bruce Brown for the Raptors, and Kyle Kuzma for the Wizards. Plus, Warriors management has long been eyeing Towns, who could be put on the shelf this summer if the Timberwolves don't want to be saddled with a luxury tax.
There is never a shortage of goals, and there is only one word for the problem: money.
5. How much more is Lacob willing to spend?
After two years of astronomical luxury tax bills, this is probably the most important issue of the Warriors offseason. In February, Lacob said he wanted the Warriors' total salary to fall below the luxury tax threshold of $172 million in the summer. However, as of now, the Warriors' total salary for next season during the contract period has reached 174 million.
Lacob has mentioned cutting costs, but he's willing to keep spending money if he feels there's still hope for a championship. After the Warriors won their last championship, Lacob signed Poole and Wiggins for a nine-figure extension, and all he hopes is to defend his title. After the Warriors lost to the Lakers in the second round last summer, Lacob signed a multi-year contract extension with Green. This year, the Warriors also tried to get James.
Now that the Warriors are only 10th in the West, is Lacob willing to invest more in the team after the play-in tournament, especially if the penalties are tougher under the new collective bargaining agreement.
Curry is 36 years old, and his top pick, Griffin, has just announced his retirement, leaving Curry with little time left. What happens to the Warriors this summer?