Stephen Curry hopes his NBA champion teammate will re-sign to drive offseason moves from the Golden State Warriors.
Confined to Jonathan Cuminga in the saga of contract, the Golden State Warriors remain the only team in the NBA that has not signed or re-signed players this offseason. They currently have nine contract players on their roster.
Stephen Curry said the only goal of his career was to win his fifth title. The Warriors need to make a move for him to do so, and he’s especially pushing one player to be re-signed.
All eyes are in warrior negotiations with Kuminga, but Curry wants another teammate to re-sign. Gary Payton II, who won the title alongside Curry in 2022, played a key role in Golden State in recent seasons.
NBA insider Brandon Robinson said Curry is pushing the Warriors to re-sign the 32-year-old. He writes for Scoop B:
“Curry is said to be in direct contact with Gary Payton II and urging the Warriors to regain their defense to a two-year contract.”
Payton II’s defensive strength reflects the defensive strength of his father, Hall of Fame Gary Payton. The grit of the previous G-Leager at that edge of the court is crucial to covering the defensive flaws of curry.
He averaged 6.5 points per game last season. He had his best offensive output since the Warriors’ championship season, where he scored seven points in the final and 1.6 steals per 1.6 games.
Unfortunately for Payton, he is part of a growing backlog of players who want to sign with the Warriors, but along with Kuminga, the ongoing saga is waiting to be resolved.
The frustration surrounding Kuminga’s contract debate is beginning to bubble up on the surface of the Golden State. Curry said at basketball camp that the Warriors “we need some pieces to take us to the next level,” and he expects a roster move to be made when training camp begins.
However, the Warriors will not move until they agree with Kuminga.
The Warriors offered Cuminga a two-year contract worth $45 million. Kuminga is willing to sign a qualification offer worth $7.9 million a year before becoming a free agent next summer. He could wait until October to sign it, and he has no reason to hurry.
That’s preventing the Warriors from officially signing off-season acquisitions. Al Horford is one of several free agents who have been waiting weeks for a contract. NBA Insider Anthony Slater said Horford understands the situation for now, but in September things would “get uncomfortable.”
The curry seems to be irritated too. First, he says his team needs to get better, then he pushes for the Peyton II contract. Things can quickly become messy in Golden State if they can’t solve the solution.