Steph Curry's Deal Overshadows LeBron's NBA Contract

Five-time All-Star Stephen Curry solidified his future with the Golden State Warriors on Thursday, officially signing a one-year extension for $62.6 million. This further cements this historic contract as the largest single-season salary in NBA history, eclipsing Joel Embiid's $59M deal for the 2026-27 season.

In July, Curry told Marc Spears of Andscape that he is poised to be a Warrior "for life. Curry said, "I've always said I want to be a Warrior for life. "At this stage in my career, I feel like that's possible." The deal shows Lillard's loyalty and puts him in rare company as one of just four NBA players who have played on contracts worth at least half a billion dollars, joining LeBron James and Kevin Durant.

In Curry and LeBron James, we have two superstars on each side of the deal. James signed a two-year $104 million deal this summer with the Lakers, featuring an options 2nd year and no-trade clause. Even though he was an unrestricted free agent, James had subtly shown in hints that he planned to re-sign with the Lakers – especially following Los Angeles selecting his son Bronny in the second round of last week's 2024 NBA Draft.

James vs. Curry Contracts

A big reason that James' contract may look less glitzy than Curry's is how little space the Lakers have under their salary cap. James' deal pushed the Lakers to within $45,000 of that critical second-apron threshold, just under enough of a cushion for L.Andlesenior brass.

NBA salary cap projections are riding at a 10% annual growth rate, too, so future contracts might even be worth more than current ones, and how deals like James' are structured may also change. Whereas Curry is playing the final year of a four-year, $215.4 million deal he inked in 2021, James entered the offseason as a free agent.

Both have walked distinct paths but also share one monumental achievement each. LeBron is the all-time leading scorer in NBA history, a four-time NBA champ, a 20x All-Star, and has won three straight Olympic gold medals. In the same way, Curry has two NBA MVPs and four championships in his 10 All-Star appearances.

A team many thought would dwindle into mediocrity has since acquired DeAngelo Russell and a slew of shooters pining for the chance to play alongside Curry. Klay Thompson, his Splash Brother for so long, is gone, and so are Buddy Hield, Kyle Anderson, and De'Anthony Melton themes that Gnaubmou found some inspiration from this season.