Stephen Curry Signs One-Year Extension With Warriors
6:33pm: Curry has signed the extension, the team’s PR department announced (via Twitter).
11:28am: Two-time MVP Stephen Curry has agreed to a one-year, $62.6MM extension with the Warriors, agent Jeff Austin tells Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).
Curry was limited to a one-year extension due to the Over-38 rule. He was already under contract for the next two seasons, with salaries of $55.8MM in 2024/25 and $59.6MM in 2025/26. His new extension will cover the 2026/27 campaign, meaning he won’t hit free agency until 2027.
Curry’s salary on the one-year extension won’t be affected by where the ’26/27 cap lands, since he’ll be eligible for a 5% raise on his previous salary, even though that figure will exceed that season’s league-wide maximum.
Widely regarded as the greatest shooter in basketball history, Curry holds career averages of 24.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, 6.4 assists and 1.5 steals on .473/.426/.910 shooting in 956 regular season games (34.2 minutes per contest). The 10-time All-NBA guard, who has won four championships and made six NBA Finals appearances, has spent his entire 15-year career with Golden State.
The Warriors had an up-and-down season in ’23/24. They went 46-36 and were eliminated in the play-in tournament by the Kings. The 36-year-old still performed at a very high level though, averaging 26.4 points, 4.5 rebounds and 5.1 assists on .450/.408/.923 shooting in 74 regular season games (32.7 minutes). Curry earned an All-NBA Third Team nod for his efforts.
Curry is coming off a star showing at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, when he was dominant in both the semifinal (vs. Serbia) and final (vs. France) en route to his first gold medal with Team USA. He had struggled for much of the tournament leading up to those games, but obviously stepped up in a major way when he was needed most.
As ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets, Curry will surpass $500MM+ in career on-court earnings with the new extension, joining LeBron James and Kevin Durant as the only players to reach that threshold.
Curry, general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr., and owner Joe Lacob have all expressed a desire for the 6’2″ guard to remain with the Warriors for the rest of his illustrious career. The extension agreement has both sides one step closer to achieving that goal.
Sixers Sign Guerschon Yabusele To One-Year Contract
After parting ways with Real Madrid, forward Guerschon Yabusele has officially signed with the Sixers, Philadelphia announced in a press release.
The 76ers did not disclose the terms of Yabusele’s contract, but reporting from a couple weeks ago — when the news first broke that he would be landing with Philadelphia — indicated that the 28-year-old would sign a one-year, minimum-salary deal. Since he has two years of NBA experience, his salary for 2024/25 will be $2,087,519.
The 16th overall pick of the 2016 draft, Yabusele spent a year as a draft-and-stash prospect in China, then played for the Celtics for two seasons from 2017-19. He appeared in 74 games with Boston and had a modest role, averaging 2.3 points and 1.4 rebounds in 7.1 minutes per contest.
While his first NBA stint didn’t go the way he hoped, Yabusele has thrived overseas in recent years, winning a EuroLeague title (2023) and two Spanish League (Liga ACB) titles (2022, 2024) with Real Madrid after claiming a French League (LNB Pro A) championship with ASVEL in 2021. He was also one of the key contributors to the French national team that won a silver medal at the Paris Olympics this summer.
Last season with Real Madrid, Yabusele appeared in 64 Liga ACB and EuroLeague games, averaging 9.7 points and 4.0 rebounds, with a shooting slash line of .531/.445/.813. In six games with France at the 2024 Olympics, he averaged 14.0 points and 3.3 rebounds on .519/.286/.815 shooting, earning second-team honors for the tournament.
The Sixers now have 17 players under contract, four shy of the offseason limit.
Pacers Waive Dakota Mathias
The Pacers have requested waivers on guard Dakota Mathias, the team announced in a press release.
The move was anticipated. Mathias was signed to an Exhibit 10 contract a few days ago, and the Pacers specified that he was expected to play with the Mad Ants, their G League affiliate, during the 2024/25 season.
The Exhibit 10 language Mathias’ contract means he’ll receive a bonus worth up to $77.5K on top of his standard NBAGL salary as long as he spends at least 60 days with the Mad Ants once the season begins.
Mathias played four years of college ball in Indiana at Purdue prior to going undrafted in 2018. He has appeared in 14 regular season games with Philadelphia and Memphis, last playing for the Grizzlies during the 2021/22 campaign. He holds career averages of 3.9 points in 9.9 minutes per contest.
In addition to his time in the NBA and NBAGL, the 29-year-old combo guard has also played professionally in Europe, spending time in Spain and Germany.
The Pacers now have 19 players under contract, two shy of the offseason limit. They have 16 players on standard deals, but only 12 of those contracts are fully guaranteed. All three of their two-way slots are filled.
And-Ones: Anthony, Toupane, 2024 Offseason Moves
Former NBA star Carmelo Anthony would like to become part of a team’s ownership group, he said on his 7PM in Brooklyn podcast (YouTube link). However, he’s not quite sure how to go about becoming a minority stakeholder.
“I’m out there trying to raise money now, trying to raise money with my sports fund … it’s hard to raise money,” said Anthony, who earned $250MM+ in NBA contracts over his career. “… It’s hard to raise money. … And getting people to understand what sports is. It’s so much money being spent into sports, and people really don’t understand it. People really don’t understand sports.
“(The NBA) is a small piece of sports globally. A small piece in the grand scheme of things. This is one market. … That’s North America, they control basketball, but it’s like, they going global with it.”
Here’s more from around the basketball world:
- French guard/forward Axel Toupane, who won a championship with Milwaukee in 2021, is signing with the Diablo Rojos for the Mexican LNBP season, a source tells Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). Toupane appeared in 33 regular season games with three different teams over the course of his three NBA seasons. The 32-year-old has had a long international career, playing for teams in France, Lithuania, Greece and Spain since 2011. He played for Metropolitans 92 last season in France’s top basketball league (LNB Elite).
- Dan Favale of Bleacher Report lists the biggest 2024 offseason win and loss for each of the NBA’s 30 teams. For the defending champion Celtics, Favale views Derrick White signing a long-term extension as their biggest win, while their biggest loss was losing top assistant coach Charles Lee, who is now head coach of the Hornets. At the other end last season’s standings, Favale liked the contract the Pistons handed out to Simone Fontecchio (two years, $16MM), but was not a fan of the trade that shipped Quentin Grimes to Dallas for Tim Hardaway Jr. and three second-round picks.
- In case you missed it, Real Madrid and Guerschon Yabusele have reached an official agreement to end his contract, clearing the way for the French forward to finalize his reported deal with the Sixers.
Pacers Sign Dakota Mathias To Exhibit 10 Contract
The Pacers have waived Kyle Mangas and Cameron McGriff, the team announced in a press release. Indiana has also signed Dakota Mathias to an Exhibit 10 contract.
Both Mangas and McGriff were signed to Exhibit 10 contracts, and both finished last season with the Mad Ants, the Pacers’ NBA G League affiliate. Now that they’ve been released, Mangas and McGriff will receive bonuses worth up to $77.5K on top of their standard NBAGL salaries as long as they spend at least 60 days with the Mad Ants once the 2024/25 season begins.
Mathias played four years of college ball in Indiana at Purdue prior to going undrafted in 2018. He has appeared in 14 regular season games with Philadelphia and Memphis, last playing for the Grizzlies during the 2021/22 campaign. He has averaged 3.9 points in 9.9 minutes per contest during his brief NBA career.
A 6’4″ guard, Mathias is an excellent outside shooter, having converted more than 40% of his three-point tries in both college and the G League. In addition to his time in the NBA and NBAGL, the 29-year-old has also played professionally in Spain. He spent part of last season in Germany with Ratiopharm Ulm.
As with Mangas and McGriff, the Pacers’ announcement specifies that Mathias’ Exhibit 10 deal was designed for him to join the Mad Ants for the upcoming season. That means he will be waived at some point before the ’24/25 campaign begins.
Ziaire Williams Talks Trade, Joining Nets, More
Speaking to Cyro Asseo de Choch of HoopsHype, former lottery pick Ziaire Williams said he wasn’t surprised to be traded from Memphis to Brooklyn last month. It was a salary-dump move for the Grizzlies, who were focused on staying out of the luxury tax and re-signing Luke Kennard.
“It didn’t catch me off guard. The GM [Zach Kleiman] was kind of letting me know a little bit, just so I wouldn’t be completely shocked,” Williams said. “But when it happens, it’s always like, ‘Damn, it’s real now.’ Like I said, man, I’m happy for the opportunity, and I’m grateful for what I experienced in Memphis, and I’m just looking forward to this next chapter in my life.”
Williams’ interview with HoopsHype covers several topics, including his excitement about joining the Nets and playing for Jordi Fernandez, dealing with injuries the past two seasons, and what skills he brings to a team. Here are a couple more highlights.
On adjusting to Brooklyn:
“It’s been crazy, man. I can’t lie. There’s been a lot, but I got a great supporting cast with me – my mom, my dad, and a bunch of others on my team that are making it a lot easier. Finding new places, meeting new people, learning new plays – everything is super new. It almost feels like I’m a rookie again. To be honest with you, I love it, man. I love this opportunity, and I think it’s really a blessing in disguise for me.”
On what he’s been working to improve this summer:
“Definitely, first and foremost, my body. They say availability is the best ability. I had a nasty little back injury last year, so I’ve been really just every day in the weight room, treatment, just really trying to prioritize my body. And then on the court, just doing all the simple things, man – fine-tuning my shot, reading off closeouts, trying to be great at two or three things rather than trying to be good at a bunch of different things. We, me and the rest of my team, came up with a great plan this summer, and I’ve definitely gotten a lot better. I can’t wait to go out on the main stage and showcase the work I’ve put in the dark.”
A 6’9″ wing who turns 23 years old in a few weeks, Williams is eligible for a rookie scale extension until October 21, the day before the 2024/25 regular season begins.
Rockets Hire Joseph Blair As G League Head Coach
The Rockets have hired Joseph Blair as head coach of their NBA G League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the team announced (Twitter link). Michael Scotto of HoopsHype was first to report the news (via Twitter).
Blair, 50, played four years of college basketball at Arizona prior to being selected No. 35 overall back in 1996. While he never played an NBA regular season game, the 6’10” big man had a long and productive international career, including winning EuroLeague regular season MVP in 2002/03.
This is Blair’s second stint with the Vipers. He previously served as an assistant for three years (from 2015-18) prior to being promoted to head coach and won a title while leading RGV during the 2018/19 campaign.
Over the past five years, Blair has been an assistant coach with Philadelphia, Minnesota and Washington. He spent the past three seasons with the Wizards before he was let go in April. Blair also interviewed for Milwaukee’s head coaching job in 2023.
Kevin Burleson, who was the Vipers’ head coach the past two seasons, is being hired by the Pistons as an assistant coach under J.B. Bickerstaff.
Pelicans Waive Matt Ryan
9:03pm: The Pelicans officially waived Ryan on Friday, according to NBA.com’s transaction log.
1:19pm: The Pelicans plan to waive sharpshooter Matt Ryan, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (via Twitter).
Ryan, 27, appeared in 28 games for New Orleans in 2023/24, averaging 5.4 points and 1.4 rebounds while shooting 45.1% from three-point range in 13.9 minutes per contest. He missed several weeks of action last season due to a right calf strain and a right elbow injury, which required surgery in December.
New Orleans claimed Ryan off waivers last October, inheriting the two-way contract he signed with Minnesota shortly before the start of training camp. He also had brief stints with the Celtics and Lakers earlier in his career.
The Pelicans converted Ryan to a standard contract at the very end of last season, making him playoff-eligible. However, his three-year deal — which featured a significant end-of-season payday in ’23/24 — was non-guaranteed for the ’24/25 and ’25/26 seasons. That means the Pels won’t carry a dead-money cap hit by cutting Ryan loose.
Ryan’s salary for ’24/25 would have become guaranteed if he had remained under contract through the start of the regular season.
After officially signing Javonte Green, the Pelicans had 15 players on standard contracts, with 13 players on guaranteed salaries. They’re back down to 14 players now, with Jose Alvarado holding the lone non-guaranteed deal.
The Pelicans are still about $1.6MM over the luxury tax line after releasing Ryan, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks, with a tax distribution to non-taxpaying teams projected to be a record high of $18.2MM. 13 teams are presently over the tax threshold, Marks adds.
If Ryan clears waivers in a couple days, he will become an unrestricted free agent. As a three-year veteran, he remains eligible for a two-way contract covering one season.
Trail Blazers Notes: Grant, Schedule, Walton
Jerami Grant‘s name has popped up in trade rumors multiple times this offseason. Should the Trail Blazers move him? Dave Deckard of Blazers Edge explores that topic, writing that the veteran forward’s skill set is better suited for a contending team than a rebuilding squad like Portland, which finished just 21-61 last season, tied for the third-worst record in the NBA.
Still, while the 30-year-old might make more sense on a team that’s interested in winning now than in the future, the Blazers shouldn’t feel any rush to deal him right away, according to Deckard, who points out that Grant is under contract for at least three more seasons, with a $36.4MM player option for 2027/28.
Here’s more on the Blazers:
- A difficult schedule, combined the increasingly competitive Western Conference, will put Portland firmly in the Cooper Flagg sweepstakes without needing to intentionally tank down the stretch in 2024/25, writes Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report. Flagg, who will play for Duke this season, is considered the top prospect in the 2025 draft class, but there are other players who are in the mix for the No. 1 pick, Highkin notes.
- The Blazers recently announced that they will celebrate Hall of Famer Bill Walton‘s life on March 9 (Twitter link via Highkin). As Highkin points out, Portland will face Detroit on that date, and former NBA forward and head coach Luke Walton, Bill’s son, will be in attendance — he’s currently an assistant with the Pistons. Bill passed away in May after a long battle with cancer. He helped bring the Blazers their first and only championship in 1977, claiming Finals MVP in the process. He also won the league’s MVP the following year with Portland.
- In case you missed it, the Blazers are parting ways with ROOT Sports and will be moving their games to an over-the-air network, with more details to be announced soon. They also added forward Henri Drell on an Exhibit 10 deal last week.
Pacific Notes: Redick, Buss, Lakers, Warriors, I. Jones
Appearing on the Petros and Money radio show on AM 570 Los Angeles, Lakers governor Jeanie Buss explained the team’s decision to hire J.J. Redick as its new head coach. While he was a longtime NBA sharpshooter, Redick lacks high-level coaching experience.
“We wanted to kind of think a different way,” Buss said, per HoopsHype. “Really, he’s got a vision. I’m not comfortable talking about the basketball stuff, but we were looking for a candidate that would bring something different and really invest in developing young players.
“J.J. is the right person for us. Again, I just want to work to really speak for itself, so I don’t want to hype it and say it’s gonna be a home run. We have to give him time to establish what he wants to establish.
“I’m really impressed with his staff. Right now, it’s not mandatory for the players to come in and practice but players are coming in and working out. The coaching staff with Nate McMillan and Scotty Brooks, there’s a lot of experience that will be there for him to make that adjustment to being a head coach. … He knows what this league is about and I think he’ll be a great leader.”
Here’s more from the Pacific:
- The Lakers have hired Dr. Leroy Sims to be their new director of player performance and health, the team announced in a press release (Twitter link via Jovan Buha of The Athletic). Sims, who was most recently the NBA’s senior vice president, head of medical operations, was also Golden State’s medical director and team physician from 2011-14.
- The Warriors will hold their training camp this fall in Hawaii instead of their home arena, the Chase Center, writes Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. As Poole explains, while holding the camp in Honolulu will be costly, the team views it as a necessary expense to “promote healthy bonding” amid major changes to the roster and coaching staff.
- Theo Lawson of The Spokesman-Review details Isaac Jones‘ unusual NBA journey, which included playing for a junior college in Washington for multiple seasons before he received a Division I offer. Jones signed a two-way contract with the Kings after going undrafted out of Washington State in June. “I wasn’t supposed to be here, but kept my head down and grinded and now I’m here,” he said. “It can all change in like two days. It happened so fast, so don’t take anything for granted and just work hard.”