Subtracting one of the Splash Brothers signals the end of one of the most iconic backcourt pairings in the NBA, but Golden State Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. is certain Stephen Curry isn’t going anywhere.
Days after Klay Thompson’s exit for the Dallas Mavericks, Dunleavy propped the door open for contract extension talks with Curry, the 36-year-old with two years remaining on his existing contract.
“Steph, I think I can say pretty confidently, that he will be a Warrior for life,” Dunleavy said Friday at NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.
Golden State missed the playoffs last season and focused on shooting — Thompson’s specialty — and defense in free agency, bringing De’Anthony Melton, Buddy Hield and Kyle Anderson to the roster.
“I think it would have been hard to run the same team back,” Dunleavy said, “but this isn’t something where it’s like broken completely. We just need to tune some things up.”
Curry is eligible for a one-year extension this summer and Dunleavy made it very clear he’s still a priority.
“That guy can get whatever he wants,” Dunleavy said.
A younger roster with Curry and Draymond Green as remaining fixtures includes Jonathan Kuminga and 2023 draft picks Brandin Podziemski and Trayce Jackson-Davis.
Dunleavy didn’t discuss rumors about the Warriors’ interest in multiple veterans, including Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen, on the trade market but did not sound interested in adding a large salary.
“With Steph and Draymond still at a really high level … we’ve got to be mindful of the decisions we make to stay at this championship level,” Dunleavy said. “We’ve gone over the tax to do this. We’re serious about winning.”