5 Warriors who won’t make it to the end of Stephen Curry’s new contract

The Golden State Warriors officially broke up the Splash Brothers this summer, watching as Klay Thompson inked a new contract with the Dallas Mavericks. That did not prevent Stephen Curry from re-upping his commitment to the franchise. After a dominant gold-medal stretch for Team USA in the Olympics, Curry agreed to a one-year, $62.6 million contract extension that tethers him to Golden State through the 2026-27 campaign.

It was never easy to picture Klay in a different uniform, but it's doubly challenging to imagine Steph switching sides. It's not impossible, but Curry is 36 with at least three more years left on his current deal. The odds favor Curry ending his career where he started. That's how it should be. Curry has earned that distinction.

Of course, Golden State will need to do its part to field a contender around Curry. He may be approaching the twilight of his career, but as he showed in Paris, Curry is still among the very best players in the world. His game was always going to age gracefully. It's impossible to shoot as well as Curry does, and process the game so quickly, and not find ways to thrive on the offensive end. Defenses, even after all these years, still don't know how to contain Curry's singular offensive repertoire.

As such, the Warriors need to keep evolving. This summer saw Golden State whiff on potential trades for Lauri Markkanen and Paul George, which is proof positive that the front office is still going for it. With that in mind, here are a few members of the current roster who won't be around when Curry's current (and potentially final) contract expire.

5. Gary Payton II

Gary Payton II has earned his flowers in Golden State. He was an underrated part of the 2022 championship bench mob and his skill set is particularly well-suited to Steve Kerr's system. The 31-year-old is entering the final year of his contract, though, and he's not long for the Warriors roster as a result.

Last season was ravaged by injuries for Payton, who appeared in 44 games total. He appeared in 22 games the season before that. It's unwise to trust Payton's health at this point, which is a shame. The Warriors can still benefit from his unique combination of versatile defense, spot-up 3s, and connective playmaking, but the Dubs' wing depth improved drastically this summer.

Kyle Anderson is going to steal a lot of reps from Payton, while the continued emergence of Golden State's young core — Brandin Podziemski, Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody — leaves Payton expendable. If he doesn't leave as a free agent, it will probably be because Golden State found a taker at the trade deadline.

4. Kevon Looney

Kevon Looney was a popular name at the 2024 trade deadline and he will remain in those conversations this season. On an expiring $8 million contract, Looney is imminently tradable. There will be no shortage of teams looking for a solid backup five with postseason experience. The 2023-24 campaign was a struggle for Looney, but his track record is tough to ignore. He was once a key cog on a championship roster.

Those fundamental strengths — screen-setting, rebounding, rim protection — remain. Looney is due for a bounce back, especially with less pressure on his shoulders. The Warriors are going to invest in Trayce Jackson-Davis, though, and small-ball units featuring Draymond Green will probably open and close most games. Golden State only has so many frontcourt minutes to go around and Looney is so clearly on his way out the door. He just isn't a priority.

So, much like the aforementioned Payton, there appear to be two ways this ends: with a free agent departure or a midseason trade. Looney should fetch more in a trade. He is also easy salary filler if the Warriors target a more substantial addition before February's deadline.

3. Buddy Hield

Buddy Heild arrives in Golden State on a four-year contract that includes a $10.9 million player option for the 2027-28 season. There's a good chance Hield is picking up that option in three years time, but the Warriors probably won't keep the Oklahoma product long enough to suffer the consequences. There is just too much uncertainty tied to Hield at this point.

The 31-year-old is quite literally a historic 3-point shooter. His volume has been matched by very few outside the Warriors' organization. He arrives, in theory, as a perfect plug-and-play replacement in the Klay Thompson role. Hield fires at will, from various angles, and never lets his confidence waver. He does more on-ball stuff than Klay, but not much. Hield is going to make his living the same way, by bombing 3s.

And yet, Hield's impact has often been more theoretical than actual. There is innate value rooted in his 3-point gravity, but Hield's shortcomings — defense, decision-making, et al. — tend to dimmish his influence on a game-to-game basis. When he's not scorching hot from beyond the arc, Hield doesn't bring much else to the table. Whereas Klay was an elite defender at his peak and one of the game's most prolific off-ball movers, Hield is more stationary beyond the arc and he is often picked on by opposing offenses.

The 76ers traded three second-round picks for Hield, then let him walk for modest money as a free agent. There's a reason for that. Folks will see the 3-point numbers and expect major things from Hield in Golden State, and maybe it works out. I'd caution against unchecked optimism, though.

2. Moses Moody

Golden State balked in Lauri Markkanen and Paul George trade talks due to the involvement of names like Podziemski and Kuminga. Moses Moody, however, feels like the odd man out of the Warriors' youth movement. Still 22 years old, there is every reason to believe Moody has a long and productive NBA career ahead of him. It just won't happen in Golden State.

The Warriors are going to search for avenues to improve the roster. Moody is an appealing young asset at the league's most coveted position. Two-way wings are all the rage, and Moody has prototypical physical tools at 6-foot-6 and 205 pounds, to go along with a picturesque 3-point stroke and tantalizing face-up flashes.

Moody is just waiting for a team to give him real minutes. Steve Kerr often gasses up Moody in press conferences and practice sessions, but he never commits to playing him a substantial amount in games that matter. The arrival of Anderson, Hield, and De'Anthony Melton, not to mention the continued investment in Podz and Kuminga, will only make it more challenging for Moody to make his breakthrough.

He's due for a new contract soon, but there's a good chance the Dubs send Moody to a new home before he signs it.

1. Andrew Wiggins

It has been all downhill since Andrew Wiggins' surprise All-Statr bid in 2022. That's not to say it has been a complete disaster, but Wiggins' impact has fallen off rather drastically. He's still a serviceable 3-and-D wing, but the 3s aren't falling as consistently and the D has been far less stout. Once a premium enforcer on the perimeter, Wiggins — for reasons most easily attributed to injury — has been far more exploitable on that end of the floor.

Wiggins is under contract through the 2026-27 campaign, with a player option in the final season worth $30.2 million. Barring a completely unexpected turnaround, Wiggins will milk this contract for every last cent. He is therefore tracking to come off the books at the same time Curry does. My expectation, however, is that Wiggins will be dealt long before then.

All these blockbuster trades on Golden State's radar would essentially require Wiggins for salary-matching purposes. He is the Warriors' surest ticket to star-level upside on the trade market. Wiggins alone won't carry much value, but he is a vessel to which Golden State can attach prospects and draft picks.

If it gets to the point that Wiggins is on an expiring $30 million, it would be unwise to bet against that ending up in a trade somehow. Even if Steph bottoms out and the Warriors change course, such a large expiring contract is bound to attract suitors who are looking to offload long-term money.

The Wiggins renaissance was fun while it lasted, but his days in Golden State are numbered at this point.